By definition, gender is the state of being either male or female, and in most cases, it refers to social and cultural differences as opposed to biological differences. Gender roles are activities or responsibilities that are assigned by a community to either male or female because they are considered normal and appropriate for each party. Due to the difference between genders, the roles appropriated to women have led to social, cultural and economic inequalities. These gender inequalities begin as early as birth where boys receive more care and attention as compared to baby boys. Gender is a major determinant of women’s health. Gender inequalities put the health of baby girls at risk and women’s health care continues to deteriorate as a result of gender roles assigned to them. The paper will analyze the gender roles and how these roles have put these women at risk (Antai, 2017). According to Smith, there are biological differences between men and women which lead to differential health outcomes.
Additionally, gender roles affect not only the relationship between men and women but external factors in the family such as laws and policies as well as healthcare providers. Women often receive poor health care as a result of the roles the society has assigned to them. According to most cultural beliefs, women are inferior as compared to men and this leads to healthcare systems becoming gendered as a result of men and women being treated unequally (Antai, 2017). In her journal, Smith details the impact of how risks or protective factors are different for men and women due to how the society is organized. The risks do not only affect women’s physical health but their mental health as well.
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Gender roles are quite distinct in the African when compared to other parts of the world. There is not a single form of gender roles in Africa because it is a large continent with diverse cultures and therefore it has many different ideas about the roles assigned to either women and men or both. However, women in Africa and other parts of the world have always been subordinated to men in all areas and aspects of life including in role allocation both in family life and in public (Polusny, 2017). Just like gender roles, other aspects of life like sex and appropriate sexual behavior differ in different parts of the continent. Research on gender dynamics in Africa, however, shows that Africans have changed their attitude towards gender and sexuality over generations mostly in areas with high level of westernization. For centuries, the woman was considered the caretaker of the homestead as well as the mother of the entire homestead. In many cases, she is responsible for ensuring that the entire family is fed by tending to the crops, harvesting and even preparing food in the home. On the other hand, the man is considered the head of the family according to man culture. Being the head of the family, man is responsible for providing for the family as well as protection of his entire family (Polusny, 2017). He is also consulted for guidance on family matters and thereby ensures that the entire family lives by the cultural beliefs. Most studies show that as a result of these gender roles, many women are prone to suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. Young girls, for example, suffer from body image anxiety disorders as compared to young adolescent boys in the same age group. This is because girls are expected by the society to look a certain way, and as a result, they suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia as well as mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety (Polusny, 2017). The depression and anxiety in these women and young girls are as a result of the feeling of lack of autonomy.
Another way that gender roles have put women at risk is through the sec roles appropriated to women. According to many societies, the woman is seen as an object of pleasure and for giving birth. Women lack control over their sexuality as well as their fertility. In such societies, many young girls are forced and coerced into having sex which is a risk to their health. As an attempt to prove their masculinity, many boys often coerce young girls into having sex. Others are given gifts and money by older people who take advantage of their naivety and have sex with them. Such young girls are at the risk of contracting STDs and becoming pregnant at tender ages (Antai, 2017). Some of the girls do not even know what STDs are and as a result end up living with the discomfort for a long time. Others are afraid of being judged by the society since some cultures can be cruel to women who practice sexual intercourse before marriage.
Additionally, young girls who become pregnant at a tender age are forced into premature marriages which further are a risk to their long-term health. This is because married women also face sexual constraints with their partners especially in communities where having a large family gives men a sense of pride. Gender roles in most communities often give men control over sexual and reproductive decisions of women. Women in such communities often feel pressurized to have many and closely spaced children (Polusny, 2017). Again this negatively affects the health of women as they are barely given enough time to heal. As the primary caretaker, women may also suffer from mental health constraints as they are forced take care of the many children that they bear and still be good wives to their husbands.
Gender-based violence is also a common practice which has greatly affected women’s health in a contrary manner due to gender role development. In some communities, domestic violence is common, and men feel entitled to beat their wives without getting punished for it. Studies around the world show that their male partners have physically assaulted about 50% of women. Most countries have grown accustomed to wife beating, and as a result, women continue to suffer (Antai, 2017). The physical injuries imposed as a result of physical violence affects their health, and there have been instances of women being killed by their male partners. Some of them are beaten even during pregnancy ad this not only puts the women at risk but their infants as well. Such women prefer not to have children and may turn to contraceptive methods which they use without the knowledge of their husbands. Sexual violence is also another form of physical abuse that women face due to their gender identity. As discussed, women are seen as objects of sex, and as a result, it is common for them to face gender-based violence in the form of rape and sexual assault. This exposes to diseases such as HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy (Svanemyr, 2017). Rape and sexual assault also expose women to mental health problems such as depression due to trauma from experience.
Despite the negativity that has affected women due to their gender, gender role development may have some positive impact to the health care of women. In places where the vulnerability of women is recognized, the community ensures that women can easily access the healthcare facilities that they need (Svanemyr, 2017). Additionally, in such communities, men believe that it is their duty to take care of the women and as a result ensure no harm has come to them either physically or mentally (Polusny, 2017). It is common in such a community for women to be allowed to make their own decision when it comes to matters of education as well as their sexuality. This has greatly contributed to good physical and mental health of women in such communities.
Despite the mentioned positivity of gender role development, the negative effects on women’s health overtaken the positive effect it hence important to create a society where the needs of women regarding health and health services are taken care of as much as those of men (Svanemyr, 2017). To do this, a gender-sensitive healthcare system needs to be developed, and this can only be done through education and sensitization. The two will go a long way in changing the attitude of the society towards the role of women in the society and the importance of good healthcare. Workshops, for example, can be developed to assist men in the community to become more aware of how their attitudes and behaviors towards women affect women’s reproductive health (Polusny, 2017). An example of such a workshop is The Society for Integrated Development in the Himalayas.
Additionally, it is important that gender-sensitive services be developed to ensure that needs of women have been taken care of as well. It is hard for healthcare systems to solve inequalities between women and men in the social, economic and legal perspective but a gender-sensitive health care system will help improve medical services for women (Svanemyr, 2017). Healthcare providers can be trained to ensure they meet the needs of women and improve their access to medical services. Certain things need to be done to establish sustainable gender-sensitive services. These include gender analysis,
Gender analysis refers to the study of differences between men and women statuses and responsibilities. When designing an effective gender-sensitive healthcare system, both genders should be considered throughout the implementation of health programs. It is important that healthcare managers should consider the differences between men a women gender roles and the availability of accessible resources to both of them. Current services are based on the assumption that women can negotiate for medical services with sexual favors (Svanemyr, 2017). As a result of these assumptions, healthcare services for women are not as efficient as they need to be since some unprofessional healthcare providers may expect these favors. By implementing gender analysis during formulation of gender-sensitive health care systems, such assumptions are challenged, and physicians and the medical community can recognize the needs of women when it comes to reproductive health needs as well as needs beyond sexuality issues such as mental health and needs related to substance abuse.
After gender analysis, the next thing that should be taken into consideration when designing a gender-sensitive healthcare system is gender training. The results provided by the gender analysis section are then used to design programs that can help educate and train healthcare providers on the importance of providing fair healthcare services to both genders. Such programs will also help educate healthcare managers to recognize the role that gender plays on issues of health and especially understand how the reproductive health of women is affected by social norms (Svanemyr, 2017). Additionally, the programs teach the physicians to treat female patients with respect, and this prevents them from seeking out sexual favors from female clients in exchange for medical services.
Another importance of developing a gender-sensitive healthcare system is that it will offer a range of services to women, and mostly to women who are the disadvantaged. Gender in the society such a system will ensure that family planning methods that are being offered address the health issues related to gender crimes that have been ignored in the past (Polusny, 2017). Additionally, a gender-sensitive healthcare system will ensure that sexual health services are being offered to women who have been victims of sexual crimes. Other services that will be important to the healthcare of women who have especially been discriminated as a result of their gender are therapy programs (Svanemyr, 2017). Such programs will go a long way in improving the mental health of women who may be suffering from depression and anxiety as a result of gender roles that makes them feel pressurized. It is common for women who face domestic violence to come out and openly admit their husbands physically abuse them. Another service that will be included in gender-sensitive healthcare systems programs that will encourage such women to speak out. Women are likely to be more open to sympathetic healthcare providers, and such professionals are in a position to help women who are victims of domestic violence as well as gender-based violence in general.
Finally a gender sensitive healthcare system is important for the health of women as it will bring about social change. Healthcare programs dealing with reproductive health must be able to recognize that women’s lives have been shaped by certain social realities. The systems must then find a way to redirect these realities and improve people’s perceptions of the role of women in the society. This will help increase the emphasis of healthcare providence for women since the vital roles they play in the society will be recognized.
In conclusion the topic of gender and gender roles in the society continues to be discussed in great lengths by people around the world. Gone are the days when women were treated lesser to men. The modern era should adopt the notion that everyone is equal but recognize the special needs of each individual group as well. Healthcare for women and specifically reproductive health is one of these special needs for the group.
References
Antai, D., Namasivayam, Osuorah, & Syed. (2017). The role of gender inequities in women's access to reproductive health care: a population-level study of Namibia, Kenya, Nepal, and India. Retrieved 14 November 2017, fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3422107/
Polusny, M., Kumpula, M., Meis, L., Erbes, C., Arbisi, P., & Murdoch, M. et al. (2017). Gender differences in the effects of deployment-related stressors and pre-deployment risk factors on the development of PTSD symptoms in National Guard Soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Retrieved 14 November 2017, fromhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395613003087
Svanemyr, J., Amin, A., Robles, O., & Greene, M. (2017). Creating an Enabling Environment for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health a Framework and Promising Approaches. Retrieved 14 November 2017, fromhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X14004236
