The interdisciplinary field of global health is an untapped reservoir of thinking around gender / Gender scholars in global health should critically revisit social constructivism in the practice of global health research, policy and programming / The practicality of good theory beyond social constructivism is a critical next step in global health / Critical rethinking of the epistemologies of biologies and sexes from an interdisciplinary global health perspective can usefully challenge our thinking in gender studies / Intersectionality, power and bipower, knowledge and governance are some of the areas where global health can contribute further.