Women's health in India

the long version

This volume is structured to take a holistic view of the issue, looking at the health of women from childhood to old age. This helps identify those points of the life-cycle at which women are the most vulnerable; and the sources of their vulnerability. The papers in the first section study sex differentials in infant and child mortality rates, and their relation to sociocultural and economic factors. The resultant evidence suggests that rather than economic development, it is cultural factors and the status of women that play a significant role in the reduction of female child mortality. The second section contributed towards a systematic documentation of the extent and nature of health risks during the reproductive years. These include not only the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, but also sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. Old age appears to be the least vulnerable period in a woman's life, which has much to do with the fact that her status within the household rises substantially with age. The final section provides a disaggregated view of the situation of older women, bringing out the circumstances which can increase vulnerability, and analyses their sources. Moving to a more activist perspective, the last paper of the volume outlines a set of concerns and goals for policy-makers, stressing the need for wide-ranging policy imperatives.