INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

To all the women who are reading this, never doubt yourselves. You have to respect and believe that you are invaluable and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams

Post by on Tuesday, March 8, 2022

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Women in modern India face aenigmatic situation. On the one hand, they are climbing up the ladder, competing with men in almost all fields and yet, the greater majority continues to be treated as second-grade citizens.

Women deserve to be celebrated for their extraordinary contributions to society. Despite gender inequalities across all sectors, women continue to flourish. However women especially who are vulnerable in these settings given discriminatory gender norms are likely to have physical and mental health issues.

The apparent cause range from socio-economic restrictions, having no control over their sexuality, lack of mobility, the threat of early marriage and pregnancy and increasing harassment. They also face societal and familial pressures for basic needs like education and independent life. If one examines the occupations available for them, especially in lower-income jobs, they are paid lesser than men. Such exploitation brings down their morale, self-esteem, self-dislike, self-pity and self-criticism and self-respect, which in turn has an impact on individual's mental and physical well-being. Hence men presume preeminence over women and maintained it through supremacy. It’s time that the society stops under-estimated the role of women.

The 1981 WHO report on the social dimensions of mental health, states that: ‘Mental health is the capacity of the individual, the group and the environment to interact with one another in ways that promote subjective well-being, the optimal development and use of mental abilities (cognitive, affective and relational), the achievement of individual and collective goals consistent with justice and the attainment and preservation of conditions of fundamental equality.’

Research studies have found the relationship between mental health and lack of autonomy, familial support and economic hardships. This multiplies several folds for women belonging to the marginalized communities. World Health Organization cited that 41.9 per cent of women experience depressive disorders and disability from neuropsychiatric diseases compared to 29.3 per cent in men. The most discouraging report was that the lifetime prevalence rate of violence against women ranges from 16 per cent to 50 per cent. For every death by suicide in India, 200 other people are battling suicidal ideation.

It is exceedingly important to understand that women's mental health is never exclusive of social, political, or economic issues prevailing in the society. Very often, the focus of our policies revolves around the narrow perspective of reproductive and maternal health instead of incorporating physical and mental health throughout the lifecycle. While Thepolicies and schemes for women, must identify determinants of the social, economic, and legal factors that affect women's lives. The sociocultural, economic, legal, infrastructural, and environmental factors must be accommodative of the needs and wants of women in general. One important factor is Education- As the saying goes “Educate a man, he gets educated, educate a women the family gets educated”. Next training and interventions should be provided which is crucial for a woman to nurture her mental health

Some of the risk factors for poor mental health, including violence, childhood neglect, family breakdown, financial insecurity, family history of psychiatric disorders, loss and bereavement, have always put women in a disadvantaged position.Many women continue not report incidents of violence, abuse, or assault either by partners and others. Many a times, women sense an inability to respond to such incidents due to the psychological and emotional arising from repeated mental trauma. Education, in every sense, provides women with the awareness of rights and resources as well as the capability to fight injustice and exploitation.

In India it is a reality that women’s mental health is compromised. It is evident that women in modern India face a paradoxical situation, more so with the Covid19. While women are increasingly making inroads into erstwhile male-dominated professions and splendidly climbing up in the hierarchy, there is still a substantial section of Indian women suffering without any sense of identity or any form of human rights. The women in India having to survive and grow up in such an environment and simultaneously having to do their best and live up to their own best prospective as well society’s expectations from her, proves to be a burdensome toil for all women throughout their life-cycle. This can often lead to emotionally volatile situations wherein women start experiencing mental health problemsThe India it is a reality that women’s mental health is compromised. It is evident that women in modern India face a paradoxical situation, more so with the Covid19.

While women are increasingly making inroads into erstwhile male-dominated professions and splendidly climbing up in the hierarchy, there is still a substantial section of Indian women suffering without any sense of identity or any form of human rights. The women in India having to survive and grow up in such an environment and simultaneously having to do their best and live up to their own best prospective as well society’s expectations from her, proves to be a burdensome toil for all women throughout their life-cycle. This can often lead to emotionally volatile situations wherein women start experiencing mental health problems. Some of the issues are:

Gender: plays an important role when it comes to deciding women’s mental health. Gender also determines one’s ability and capacity to avail various resources and facilitates. The mental health issues of women are a result various gender based risk factors like; violence, low income, income inequality, care giving responsibility, role stereotyping and etc. Mental disorders commonly seen in women are depression, anxiety, somatic complaints and eating disorders. The various atrocities faced by women like sexual violence, domestic violence and issues of multiple roles, overwork fairly contribute to mental disorders they suffer from, resulting in poor mental health. A positive correlation has

Depression: Studies have shown that Depression in women is more as compared to men. The higher occurrence of depression in women cannot be solely attributed to biological factors. The social and culturally verbalized mores and gender roles too have a part to play in pushing depression in women. Due to the advantages bestowed upon by globalization and acceptance of liberal values, women now are able to make inroads into the public sphere breaking the patriarchal fetters proclaiming them to transfer and confine themselves to the domestic sector only. Whisking away all of their personal time and energy, finally taking a toll on their emotional well-being. Additionally, gender crimes like sexual violence, domestic violence, eve-teasing, stalking which is a common occurrence in India cumulate to act as compounds for mental diseases.

Suicide: Factors like childhood abuse, marital rape, domestic atrocities play a significant role in provoking suicidal behaviour among women. A socio-cultural variable responsible for female suicide typical to Indian society is the practice of dowry in marriages and quarrels with spouse or parents-in-law (10.3% versus 8.2%). The common causes for suicide in India are disturbed interpersonal relationships followed by psychiatric disorders and physical illnesses

Violence: “According to United Nations report, around two-third of married women in India were victims of domestic violence. Furthermore, as many as 70% of married women between the ages of 15 and 49 years are victims of beating, rape or coerced sex.” Female Indian psychiatric patients share a serious concern of sexual coercion. “Sexual coercion was reported by 30% of the 146 women in an Indian study. The most commonly reported experience was sexual intercourse involving threatened or actual physical force (reported by 14% of women).”

Recommendations for promotion of mental health among women

Women make up half of the human resource repository in India. Therefore, ensuring good mental health and emotional well-being of the women is quintessential to the country’s progress and development. Various suggestions for a preventive, protective, remedial and promotional framework for women’s health in India can be promoted as follows:

 

·         Dissemination of evidence-based knowledge on the causative factors and existent of women’s mental health issues as well as on the mediating and defensive factors.

·         Sharing useful information of health care services and legal consequences and the various rights available to women against rapes, sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and other crimes.

·         Policy makers should efficiently sculpt policies that are sensitive and responds to women’s mental health needs from childhood to old age and take steps for speedy and effective implementation.

·         Regulate and strengthen the capacities of primary healthcare providers enabling them to address and cure mental health consequences in victims of domestic violence, abuse, sexual assault.

·         Promoting action research initiatives in the field of women’s mental health.

·         Promoting awareness of mental health issues and its curability among women to eradicate the stigma in Indian society.

 

(Dr Jamuna Rajeswaran is Professor & Head Clinical Neuropsychology & Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty In-charge Advanced Functional neuroimaging at Centre for Cognitive Neurosciences, Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, Bangalore. Also Adjunct Faculty, National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc, Bangalore. Feedback: drjamunarajan@gmail.com)

 

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