Gender inequality and women's health: Social work perspective

Since decade, a female child from childhood till death has been a neglected sector of population. A girl child faces various physical, psychological and social changes in her life. Health and nutrition of the girl of today will affect the health and survival of the future generation. Women face risks during two critical periods in their lives: early childhood and the reproductive years, and these problems are aggravated by violence and sexual abuse. Discrimination against girls results in higher mortality rates for females below age 5, and poor reproductive health services and high rates of reproductive tract infections pose added risks to women in adulthood. Women's health risks are affected both by poverty and by gender inequality in the households Women have the primary responsibility for child rearing and rely on developed social networks that act as an informal safety net for the family in times of crisis. The socially constructed gender roles of men and women interact with their biological roles to affect the nutrition status of the entire family and of each gender. Because of women's cyclical loss of iron and their childbearing, their nutrition status is particularly vulnerable to deficiencies in diet, care, and health or sanitation services. Women typically have limited access to land, education, information, credit, technology, decision-making forums and health care facilities.