Author: Mrinal Pande
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 221
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0143029428
Description
A journey into the lives of women
Consider the following: Eleven out of twelve abortions in India are illegal. The 2001 Census showed a decline in the number of females per thousand males in the most literate and prosperous states, especially in the 0-5 age group. The private sector has more doctors and fewer beds than government hospitals, thereby emphasizing out-patient care. And while Indian traditions sanctify fertility and motherhood, government policies and health care services are focused on controlling fertility.
These are some of the paradoxes of India's health care system Mrinal Pande encountered when she set out on her journey across several states to put together information on the health of Indian women. She soon realized it could not be a mere documentation of the history of reproductive health in India and the state of India's public health workers, she gained an insight into larger realities. The result is a patchwork quilt of narratives about women's lives-how they are affected by their environment, their perspectives on male and female sexuality, the mystery of pregnancy, the joy of birth, the fear of infertility, the pain of backroom abortions and the often bleak world of adolescent girls.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Sex, Lies and Red Tape
Whispered Asides
A Womb of One's Own
Of Patriarchy Born
In the Shadow of Death
Unsung Heroes
Urban Snapshots