Edited by: Ellen Annandale, University of Leicester
Social Science & Medicine often has led the way in publishing landmark articles in the area of gender and health. Many have become ‘defining moments’ in debate by identifying theoretical and empirical lacunae in existing research and taking research in new directions. The sheer breadth of papers that have been published over several decades presents an ‘embarrassment of riches’, which has made it very difficult to select which to include and which, regrettably, to leave out. The object of this Virtual Special Issue is to show how the field of gender and health has developed as new topics and new ways of thinking about gender and health have emerged, mainly covering the period from the early 1990s to the present. In doing this I have endeavoured to select both theoretical and empirical papers, papers which use a variety of research methods, and papers concerning research in a range of different countries. It is hoped that this showcase selection will be an aid to research and teaching and that it will encourage readers to delve deeper into the Journal where they will find a wealth of research on gender in the offing.
