Women and Health

Social, Economic and Political Determinants of Women’s Health.

1. The politics of malnutrition, under-nutrition and anaemia – social and cultural taboos and practices (puberty, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause).
2. Women as producers: Occupational Health of women, with particular emphasis on the nature of women’s labour: domestic work, agricultural labour, unorganized labour, etc.
3. Health perspective of violence on women: domestic violence (burns, orthopedic ward, mental health), medico legal aspects of violence- rape – evidence etc. sexual assault, sex-selective abortion and sex pre-selection; witchcraft.
4. Differential access to health delivery system – gender determinants.
5. Reinterpreting statistics on health: disaggregating data on mortality, morbidity, accesses to toilets, etc by sex. Analysing gender differentials.

Gender inequalities in public health policy

1)   Review of health policy – major shifts.

2)   Gender bias in medical research.

3)   Feminist critique of centrally sponsored health initiatives – TB, Malaria, leprosy, AIDS. Communicable diseases – impact on women.

4)   Liberalisation and impact on public health – MNCs, drug policy, change in paternal regime, user fees, privatization, role of NGOs, health as a commodity, women as consumers.

Reproductive Health and Population Policy

1)   Birth Control vs Population Control (control over fertility vs State control of reproduction). Trends and implication on women’s health.

2)   The abortion debate – international and national in the context of sex selective abortions.

3)   Women as guinea pigs- gender bias in contraceptive research, medical ethics, privatization of medical research with respect to rights of women.

4)   Medicalisation of pregnancy and childbirth.

New Medical Technology-Impact on Women

1. Assisted Reproduction and surrogacy: changing notions of biological motherhood and parenthood and its impact on women.
2. Infertility and IVF – technological solutions to social problems.
3. Prenatal sex determination and pre-conception sex selection: medical technology reinforces son preference.
4. Sociological Implication: Genetic selection and Staying Young Syndrome’ Hormone replacement therapy.

Margins to Centre

1. Health Needs of Special Groups: Physically and Mentally challenged women, Pubertal girls and Sex Education, Socially marginalized – widows, adivasi and dalit women, Displaced, refugee women, Substance abuse – alcohol, tobacco, drugs. Sex workers and eunuchs and transgender people, Surviors of Sexual violence – in situations of communal violence, conflict and war.
2. Mental Health: Patriarchal perspective of women’s mental – ‘feigned nervous disorder’, ‘hysteria’, pre-menstrual syndrome, post-partum depression, schizophrenia, ‘possession’ by sprits, dakin/dayans and ‘deviant’ women.