Women's Rights and Health

Women are disproportionately affected by poverty, and may have little or no say in decisions affecting their lives. They often get less food, have less education, have fewer opportunities to leave their house or community, are disproportionately affected by poor sanitation, and may have little or no money of their own.

In many countries women also face the main burden of caring for family members and collecting water, face physical and sexual violence and are often unable to control their own fertility. All this increases their vulnerability, exposes them to specific health risks, cuts their chances of getting healthcare when they need it and reduces their quality of life.

• Every day 1,600 women die from preventable complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
• In sub-Saharan Africa nearly 60% of those living with HIV are women.
• Malaria during pregnancy increases health risks for both mother and child
• In South Asia girls receive on average half as many years in education as boys.

Another example is less immediately obvious, but burning solid fuel in the home can create harmful fumes and kills an estimated 1.5 million people each year – most of them women and children.

And finally, in some countries technological advances mean that women can also face the ultimate denial of their rights by being aborted before birth because of their gender.

Weak national health systems, a lack of sexual and reproductive health services and women’s low social status all contribute to this unfair toll.

Health Poverty Action says:

• National governments need to reduce the social and cultural inequality of women. Less access to education means more illiteracy among women, which in turn makes it harder to access health information.
• More must be done to address violence against women and girls and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. Child marriages can also have serious physical and psychological consequences.
• Governments must increase access to sexual and reproductive health services, such as family planning, contraception and safe abortion.
• It is crucial that women’s health problems are not tackled in isolation. Men’s attitudes and behaviour – such as a refusal to wear a condom or to allow their female relatives to freely visit health centres – must change if women are to enjoy good health.
• Recognising gender differences is essential to identify how women and men’s health differs. Knowing more about this can improve the design of health projects.
• Governments need to recognise the impact of their policies on women and girls. For example, cuts to health services usually result in a greater burden of care for women and girls, which also undermines access to education.
• More must be done to increase access to safe sanitation. In many cultures women with no access to toilet facilities must wait until it is dark, or walk long distances to find an isolated spot – risking attack or harassment. In sub-Saharan Africa many girls stop going to school during their period because there are no private toilet facilities or because of a lack of sanitary protection.
  

What is Health Poverty Action doing to help?

• We are working with semi-nomadic pastoralists in South Omo, Ethiopia training health workers, community health workers and traditional birth attendants so that women are able to give birth in safer environments, with skilled assistance at hand