It need not be said, but is often overlooked, that public health systems benefit substantially from the work of midwives. This has been quantified to the tune of 4.3 million lives that could be saved per year by the year 2035 in new research published in The Lancet. The paper “[estimates] that, relative to current […]
women's health
Paid menstrual leave in DHC’s sights
The Delhi High Court took notice on Monday of the issue of paid menstrual leave, instructing both the Union Government and Delhi state government to offer a decision. A Delhi High Court bench consisting of Chief Justice D. N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan did dispose of the initial public interest litigation (PIL) on the […]
Cervical cancer elimination: WHO makes landmark commitment
The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled an ambitious strategy for cervical cancer elimination, one of the most pressing threats to the health of girls and women globally. In what the WHO called “a historic milestone”, 194 member states committed to the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer. This marks the first […]
Women’s equality: The need of the hour
We are all equal. It is a message children are or, at the very least, ought to be taught from the earliest age. The fault line of gender is an area where humanity consistently has fallen short as it pertains to equality. As it is with race, with religion, with sexual orientation, and so many […]
A gender divide when it comes to COVID-19?
Much has been made of how the COVID-19 pandemic affects groups of society differently – and fault lines may be there when it comes to gender and COVID-19 deaths, recent research suggests. More Indian men are diagnosed with COVID-19 and more COVID-19 deaths are reported among men. However, the case fatality rate (CFR) for COVID-19 […]
The invisible plight of India’s widows
To become a widow is to experience profound personal tragedy. Tragically, for many of India’s widows, the pain of such a loss and the grief that ensues lays the foundation for continued hardship – for a life marked by stigmatisation, dehumanisation, loneliness, and despair. Widowed women populate India in significant numbers. “There are at least […]
Sex workers and their invisible plight
The global COVID-19 pandemic has created disruption to everyday life unprecedented in recent memory. Nobody’s life has been untouched by the pandemic. However, for marginalised groups, the disruption is acutely felt – and one group hit especially hard by COVID-19 is sex workers. Estimates as to the number of sex workers in India vary. A […]
Indian abortion law reform gets nod from MPs
Lawmakers in the Lok Sabha have approved reform to Indian abortion law proposed by the Centre, which could expand access to abortion in the country. Parliamentarians in the lower house of the Indian Parliament approved by voice vote the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which seeks to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy […]
Amrit Kaur: Woman of the Year
Indian social activist Amrit Kaur has been named ‘Woman of the Year’ by Time magazine for 1947 – the year she became the first person to assume charge of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Ahead of International Women’s Day, observed on Sunday, Time magazine unveiled its pick for ‘Woman of the Year’ […]
Women and girls left behind in the fight on HIV/AIDS
The world – including India – has made progress in reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS. Whilst continuing to have a sizeable footprint, the gains made are undeniable. However, in the quest to end HIV/AIDS as a public health menace, are women and girls being left behind? A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme […]