Summary of Chapter 3: Women and Health
Health is a critical survival need that affects political, social, and economic progress. However, health services are unequally dispensed, disadvantaging women. About 380,000 women, the majority from developing countries, succumb annually to preventable gestation disorders. Aragon & Miller (2012) highlight gender inequalities in health care provision and cases of women and organizations who have overcome the obstacles of unequal health affecting women. Salwa Al-Najjab is a champion of women’s health from Palestine who founded the Women’s Social and Legal Guidance Center in Ramallah (Aragon & Miller, 2012). The mother2mothers (M2M) program is an organization that assists women struggling with HIV-AIDs and pregnancy complications across sub-Sahara Africa.
Women suffer different challenges depending on their nationality, economic stability, and cultural values. Gender discrimination is more prevalent in poor regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and is proportional to the quality of healthcare offered to women. Pregnancy and childbirth calibrate the health dangers that women face. Lack of power and economic dependence on men increase women’s risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (Aragon & Miller, 2012). Nonetheless, the declining rate of early marriages and pregnancies has significantly reduced the health risks of contraception, abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases. More women’s participation in empowering activities such as education has caused maternal deaths to drop by one-third globally. However, women’s voices on health care needs should be amplified and necessary policies enacted.
International partnerships develop the capacity of individuals and organizations committed to promoting women’s health globally. For instance, M2M is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Aragon & Miller (2012) highlight that women empowerment programs protect children from HIV infections and other health risks. Additionally, women empowerment programs improve women’s habitation through sanitation and appropriate infrastructure.
Summary of Chapter 4: Violence Against Women
Women are more affected by sexual and domestic violence compared to men. At least a third of women’s global population has been beaten, raped, or abused. Early marriage, forced marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are some cultural factors that fuel violence against women. Domestic or intimate partner violence occurs in an intimate relationship causing physical and psychological harm. Sexual violence is the criminal behavior of obtaining sexual acts by violence, sex trafficking, and insult directed toward a person’s sexuality (Aragon & Miller, 2012). Gender-based violence is a common challenge in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, influenced by cultural and historical practices.
Chouchou Namegabe is an activist against gender-based violence in the DRC who founded the Association de Femmes des Medias de Sud Kivu (AFEM), a policy-focused non-governmental organization. According to Aragon & Miller (2012), rural women in the DRC are greatly affected by sexual violence, but their voice is suppressed. AFEM created listening clubs in rural areas in regions with a high prevalence of rape to “Break the Silence” (Aragon & Miller, 2012). The Anti-Violence Network of the China Law (ADVN) influences awareness of gender-based violence in China through legislation, interrogation, and indictment. ADVN was founded by Zheng Guohua, a victim of gender-based violence with 118 individuals and 75 groups of violence (Aragon & Miller, 2012). ADVN executes annual projects throughout China to advocate and educate on domestic violence.
Violence against women causes long-term effects such as disfigurement, disability, and death; hence the victims need coordinated medical attention. Policy-based NGOs such as AFEM and ADVN leverage education, legislation, and investigation of violence against women in DRC and China. Strong anti-domestic violence movements, networks, and organizations significantly reduce gender-based violence. Cultural factors and behaviors that influence violence against women should be disregarded in societies.
Reference
Aragon, J., & Miller, M. (2012). Global women’s issues: Women in the world today, extended version. Web.