LESLEY DOYAL

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

Exploring inequities in health BETWEEN women

Changing paradigms of women and health

‘Sisterhood’: women unified by biological sex: focus on reproductive health care

Gradual recognition of inequalities/differences between biological sex and social gender

Key conceptual and policy development: recognition of role of unfair and avoidable gender inequity in shaping health of women (and men)

But ‘gender equality’ approach has limitations

Inequities between women themselves have received little attention

Few studies exploring these issues and statistical data often not disaggregated

So little understanding of how women’s health harmed (or promoted) across range of settings

Wider global context

Putting women into wider global context

Current focus on growth of inequities within and between countries (eg Piketty)

“Seven out of ten people in the world today live in countries where inequality has increased over the past three decades,” (Lagarde, 2014)

How do women and their health fit into this changing picture?

Preventable inequalities

Most frequently cited inequities are those between women of different geo-political status/those living in rich and poor countries

Usually illustrated via life expectancy and maternal mortality

Both provide interesting illustrations of interlinking of biological and social factors in creation of inequity

But international inequities may cover up dramatic domestic and regional differences

Inequalities in HIV in African region

How to explain these inequalities?

GDPs of different countries and distribution of income and wealth

Proportion of GDP spent on health care and other health related resources

Economic, social and geographic diversity in allocation of national resources including social security, pensions , and reproductive health care in particular

Range of national gender equality policies including equal pay, political representation and educational policy

Income inequality between social groups

Availability and distribution of reproductive health care (data from 50 countries)

Gender equality policies

E.g. Equal pay?

Conclusion

SUCCESS IN ENABLING ALL WOMEN TO ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL FOR HEALTH WILL REQUIRE AN UNDERSTANDING OF

THE SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED INEQUITIES BETWEEN THEM AS WELL AS THE

INEQUITIES BETWEEN THEM AND THEIR MALE COMPATRIOTS

INTERSECTIONALITY IMPORTANT FRAMEWORK FOR ACHIEVING THIS….ON

TO THIS TOMORROW