EMHJ 13 6 2007.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
0E6IZYIHI7ERXÍHIPE1ÍHMXIVVERÍISVMIRXEPI:SP2S )HMXSVMEP ,YQERHIZIPSTQIRXERHXLIPIKEG] SJ[SQIR .SERRE:SKIP Hagar was a mother who struggled alone in to their illnesses, distributed household the desert to ensure the survival and nour- medications, determined their nutritional ishment of her infant son Ismail. Khadija needs, and taught them hygienic practices? single-handedly developed and ran a suc- &an anyone deny the mother¶s compre- cessful business. The queen of Sheba was a hensive need for education to successfully powerful leader who ruled by consultation, accomplish these tasks, which have lifelong consensus and reason, as mentioned in the consequences on the well-being and health Quran. These are but a few well-known of boys as well as girls? In fact, educational examples in the Eastern Mediterranean Re- attainment of women has been found to be gion of courageous, innovative and strong the single most influential factor in reducing women who overcame obstacles and left child morbidity [1]. Education for women rich legacies for the communities to which results in their greater capacities in directing they belonged. Yet many of their inheritors, family matters, less fatalistic attitudes in the women of the Region today, have far responding to children¶s illness, and greater less opportunity to contribute to their own awareness of health risks and behaviours communities. This is especially true for that reinforce health. women at lower socioeconomic levels, who Women directly impact the productivity have less social space, fewer options and of the population through their promotive less access to resources with which to navi- and preventative health care roles and yet gate their lives. Without their contributions, are insufficiently recognized for this crucial however, sustainable human development contribution. An unhealthy population can- cannot be achieved. not be productive. Macroeconomic calcula- Men and women are partners in life and tions rarely consider the reproductive sector enter and leave this world on equal terms. in the growth equation of economies and yet Accordingly, they must be equally nour- populations are maintained by the reproduc- ished and provided with resources to build tive sector. The interaction that the mother and protect their communities. Assump- has within society, the resources that are tions have sometimes been made that result available for her use, and the roles that are in greater opportunities for boys in access- expected of her form the background for ing education, employment and leadership her parenting abilities and influence the out- opportunities, in part because it is reasoned comes of her children¶s health and social, they will carry the economic burden in their educational and economic development. adulthood. And yet, who has nurtured these And yet we must be cautious not to boys throughout their childhood, tended assign women only to the reproductive 8IGLRMGEP3JJMGIV;SQIRMR,IEPXLERH(IZIPSTQIRX;SVPH,IEPXL3VKERM^EXMSR6IKMSREP3JJMGIJSVXLI )EWXIVR1IHMXIVVERIER'EMVS)K]TX 'SVVIWTSRHIRGIXS.SERRE:SKIPZSKIPN$IQVS[LSMRX ÏÍÍÔ Ó ƽƾǠdzơ ǂnjǟ ƮdzƢưdzơ ƾǴƴŭơ ƨȈŭƢǠdzơ ƨƸǐdzơ ƨǸǜǼǷ ǖLJȂƬŭơ ǩǂnjdz ƨȈƸǐdzơ ƨǴƴŭơ )EWXIVR1IHMXIVVERIER,IEPXL.SYVREP:SP2S role. This denies and suppresses their other Women must be given the resources talents and contributions to society. It also necessary to navigate through life and to be amounts to an injustice to women who do equally prepared alongside their male part- not marry or who marry but for various ners for the challenges which life brings. reasons do not, or cannot, have children. By To ensure successful and sustainable linking the woman¶s role only to mother- development, women must be involved hood, we condemn those women not filling as decision-makers in community devel- this role to a social vacuum, vulnerable to opment committees and must be equal social exclusion by their communities. This recipients of social sector projects and is especially true in societies where women income-generation projects, including vo- are valued only for the number of children, cational training and micro credit support. especially boys, that they can successfully Vocational skills for women should not be give birth to. limited to gender stereotypical skills such as Consigning and providing resources handicrafts, which are often not sustainable for women only in fulfilling the reproduc- and provide limited market opportunities. tive role in society ignores the economic Women and men must be equal recipients reality many communities face, and fails to of capacity-building, including both health account for the economic productivity that and academic literacy, and both men and women can contribute to societies. Limiting women should have the responsibility to access to resources for women based solely volunteer and contribute to the health of the on their assignment in the reproductive role community. leaves women with a life-long dependency To deny women the skills and capacities on others for their income and unable to take to face life properly equipped is to deny care of themselves should their support for them their human rights. The denial of equal any reason fail. For example, many women resources and opportunities for women find themselves the heads of household be- impedes the success of any sustainable hu- cause of the unemployment of their spouses, man development programme. The needs death of their spouses, or abandonment by and contexts of both men and women are their spouses. Lack of education, lack of essential components of any development capacity in management skills, and lack measure and both voices must be heard of experience in the formal labour market from the conception to the planning, imple- means female heads of households have few mentation and monitoring of development viable employment options. While juggling programmes. household responsibilities, they must often Governments must recognize the neces- turn for economic support to the informal sity of building human capacity to ensure labour market, where they are vulnerable to economic growth and must not limit capacity- exploitation, receive insufficient compensa- building to only half their populations. To tion, and are not entitled to social protection do so is to deny the contributions women measures such as health insurance because make to their communities and to deny the the informal market is not regulated. rich heritage of their cultures. 6IJIVIRGIW ;MPPMEQWSR .& &SILQIV 9 *IQEPI PMJI STQIRX E GVSWWREXMSREPWXYH] SJPIWW I\TIGXERG] KIRHIV WXVEXMJMGEXMSR LIEPXL HIZIPSTIHGSYRXVMIW 7SGMEPWGMIRGI WXEXYW ERH PIZIP SJ IGSRSQMG HIZIP QIHMGMRI z ÏÍÍÔ Ó ƽƾǠdzơ ǂnjǟ ƮdzƢưdzơ ƾǴƴŭơ ƨȈŭƢǠdzơ ƨƸǐdzơ ƨǸǜǼǷ ǖLJȂƬŭơ ǩǂnjdz ƨȈƸǐdzơ ƨǴƴŭơ 0E6IZYIHI7ERXÍHIPE1ÍHMXIVVERÍISVMIRXEPI:SP2S )HMXSVMEP ,IEPXLTSZIVX]ERHHIZIPSTQIRX &IPKEGIQ7EFVM The interplay between health, poverty and America (USA), Japan and other countries development is well known and has been belonging to the Organisation for Economic studied by public health professionals, so- Co-operation and Development (OECD) cial scientists and development specialists is considered the main cause of increasing and also by international agencies includ- life expectancy and decreasing mortality. ing the United Nations Development Pro- Economic growth leads to an increase in gramme (UNDP), the World Bank and the income for individuals and communities World Health Organization (WHO). and to improvement of housing and nutri- The Millennium Development Goals tional status, which are major determinants (MDGs), to which all countries of the world of health. However, ill planned and non- are committed, emphasize the linkages and environmentally sensitive economic devel- synergies between health, poverty and de- opment projects may have negative impacts velopment. These Goals put health at the on health because of exposure of people to centre of social and economic development hazards resulting from the projects. Some by focusing on tackling the social determi- major agricultural and industrial projects, nants, including literacy, poverty reduction including dams and plants, are known to and environmental protection, and by scal- have had an adverse effect on the environ- ing up public health programmes and im- ment where people live and hence on their proving access to quality health services. health and development. As part of the studies on the social de- The economic growth experienced by terminants of health initiated by WHO since developed economies later allowed greater Alma Ata [1] evidence has been collected investment in modern health care systems on the positive impact of economic de- after the Second World War, which led velopment, improved access to safe water to improved infrastructure, trained health and sanitation on health development [2]. workforce and access to biomedical tech- Indeed, that these are important factors nology. Furthermore, developed economies is clear from the fact that the decrease in have invested in education which has a general mortality and increase in life ex- positive impact on health in terms of en- pectancy during the last century and half couraging health protection and promotion. occurred long before the development of Recognizing the importance of eco- health systems and the important break- nomic and social conditions, UNDP, since throughs in medical technology. the 1960s, has promoted the concept of The improvement of living conditions securing the basic minimum needs for de- facilitated by economic growth and de- velopment.