Role of Gender on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Advantage turned into Disadvantage
South Asian countries don’t have the life advantage for girls and women that characterizes the health statistics of industrialized countries. In industrialized countries women are born with an advantage; their healthy life expectancy is two years longer and their life expectancy six years longer than those of men. However in South Asia; social, cultural, and legal constructs and practices turns the biological advantage of being born female into disadvantage. Women have to face discrimination at each and every stage of life cycle such as- health disparity, sex selective abortions, neglect of girl children, reproductive mortality, and poor access to health care for girls and women.
The paper “Role of gender in health disparity: the South Asian context” by Fariyal F Fikree, Omrana Pasha reflects that South Asia’s girls and women do not have the same life advantage as their Western counterparts. A human rights based approach may help to overcome gender related barriers and improve the wellbeing of men, women, and children.
Reference:
Fikree, F. F., & Pasha, O. (2004). Role of gender in health disparity: the South Asian context. Bmj, 328(7443), 823-826.