Gender-inclusive Health Policy Innovation: A Contextual Study of Padang City

This study explores how gender-inclusive health policy innovation can be developed and institutionalized in a decentralized urban context marked by bureaucratic rigidity and uneven service delivery. While Padang has made progress in expanding health infrastructure and adopting digital tools, existing policies remain largely gender-blind. Drawing on collaborative innovation theory and the diffusion of innovation model, this qualitative case study examines the institutional, socio-political, and technological factors that shape health policymaking. Data were gathered through interviews, document analysis, and participatory observations. Findings reveal that health programs prioritize administrative targets over equity, with limited cross-sectoral collaboration and no structured use of gender-disaggregated data. Promising digital initiatives, such as SMILE and Dokter Warga, lack inclusive design and fail to reach marginalized groups. This study proposes the establishment of a multi-actor gender health innovation taskforce, the enactment of local regulations on gender-responsive governance, and capacity-building for inclusive digital health strategies. This research makes theoretical and practical contributions to ongoing debates on gender equity, digital inclusion, and collaborative governance in health systems.