Challenges in women’s health care services

Women’s health needs are often looked down and neglected. It’s time to reform that line of thinking. Women are key to keeping the family healthy. They give birth, they become a primary caregiver of their children, they become wives, and they become more than a voice in the household. Across a woman’s lifespan, she experiences many challenges that are unique to her gender. The challenges that women’s health care services are facing need to be acknowledged. In this post, we will be talking about these challenges and some ways to address them.

Challenges in women’s health care services in 2019

Women’s health services have been well-established in the US for the past 10 years. The government has put emphasis on advancing women’s care services in terms of research and education. Still, the challenges don’t just disappear in thin air, they keep on thriving in the society making improvements more difficult. What are some of these challenges? Keep reading below.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

Gender-based violence is a serious and ever-recurring challenge to women’s health. This one refers to the violence that’s directed to an individual based on biological sex and gender identity. This type of violence includes female infanticide, sex trafficking, forced labour, sexual coercion and abuse, domestic violence, harmful traditional practices such as child marriage or forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and others.

According to USAID, one of three women have experienced gender-based violence which resulted in physical and mental issues. Women who have been abused are further limited to have access to women’s care services, education, and income-generating activities.

Lack of women empowerment in the medical care

Despite living in what is dubbed as a modern world where equal opportunities for both sexes are encouraged, still, that thought clearly hasn’t dawn within the healthcare system around the world. There are studies lead by the WHO showing the increasing gender inequality in the health system and the failure of providing women’s health needs.

The patriarchal societies have prevented the health care system to prove women the best care they need. Male doctors treat female patients via the textbook process and based on their personal assumptions of women’s needs instead of including women in the treatment process. Many countries require the husband’s approval before women receive their medical care.

Access to health care

Many communities around the globe lack the proper facility to provide women’s health services. There are several reasons to the inaccessibility, it can be the geographical location or even simply the time the healthcare centres open and close. Women are generally busy either making a living or taking care of the household, often they forego going to the health care centres during open hours because nobody else will take care of their children or look after their homes.

To improve women’s health care services and address these challenges, the World Health Organization have been partnering with various stakeholders and organizations to develop new strategies for women’s health. Along with UN and world partners, they are coming up with ways on how to battle and eradicate the challenges that women are facing.