Methodological Considerations for Analysing Gender Perspectives on Medical Practice in North Africa: An Ivorian Research Framework,

The integration of gender perspectives into medical research is essential for equitable healthcare. Methodological frameworks for analysing these perspectives within specific North African contexts, such as Côte d'Ivoire, remain underdeveloped, particularly in obstetrics and gynaecology. This article presents a structured methodological framework for analysing gender perspectives on medical practice in North Africa, focusing on its application in Côte d'Ivoire. It details a replicable approach for designing studies that examine how gender norms influence clinical encounters, health-seeking behaviour, and healthcare delivery. The proposed framework is a qualitative, multi-method design. It advocates a phased approach, beginning with a scoping review of regional literature, followed by in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with clinicians, patients, and community health workers. The methodology emphasises ethical considerations, researcher positionality, and thematic analysis informed by feminist theory. As a methodology article, it presents no empirical results. It details the developed framework, highlighting that a primary anticipated theme is the complex negotiation of authority and tradition within clinical consultations, expected to be a dominant finding in applied studies. The framework offers a rigorous and contextually adapted methodology for investigating gender dynamics in North African medical settings. It provides a tool for generating evidence to inform more gender-sensitive clinical practice and health policy. Researchers should adopt this flexible framework while allowing for local adaptation. Future studies should prioritise participatory methods that include diverse voices, particularly women and marginalised groups. Findings should be disseminated to academic and practitioner audiences to bridge the research-practice gap. Gender analysis, medical practice, methodology, North Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, qualitative research. This article provides a novel methodological framework for conducting gender analysis in North African medical contexts, specifically tailored for research in obstetrics and gynaecology in Côte d'Ivoire.