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In Pakistan, women’s health is greatly affected by patriarchal rule. A woman’s access to health is not so cut and clear. She must first receive permission from the head of the house (husband, father, grandfather, etc.) to leave the home. This societal standard can become a huge hazard. If injury is inflicted upon a woman by her husband, she won’t be able to receive help. In the case that a woman or her children are in need of urgent care, they must first receive permission from the head of the house. There’s also the conflict of acting conventionally while in the hospital 一 male to female contact is highly frowned upon even if it’s just medically motivated. If this does happen, the women can be severely punished, which can mean taking away financial rights, essential medical supplies, and social interaction.
Pakistani Context
The structure of Pakistan’s society is widely acknowledged to be highly patriarchal. Gender roles and large gender differentials affect access to resources of all types. It’s socio-political system is rooted in inequitable land and resource distribution. It’s strongly pinned in Islamic ideologies, which in turns produces rigid class and gender hierarchies. Men are constructed to be the breadwinners and women are to be dependants and homemakers. Purdah provides further support to the male and female roles, which is closely tied to the izzat or honor of men. The role that’s expected to be held with strict adherence is segregation of the sexes.
Women’s Healthcare
There was once an attempt to develop equality in the sector of healthcare all while upholding the standards of no unwed female-male contact. Their goal was to hire females in community and local services. However, the Pakistan Integrated Household Survey of 1995–6 found that one-third of the 134 rural health facilities sampled had no female staff. Overall, 60% of the sanctioned posts for women health care providers in the public health sector remain unfilled. There are male workers for community and local services, but many posts are still missing workers.
Gender In Provision Of Care
Managerial issues were one of the key contributors to the lack of medical care for women. The management structure was found to be unsupportive, and many complained of their oppressive use of power. The wider society finds this behavior acceptable,but both male and female juniors face this behavior. However, since women are frequently found at the bottom of the gender-class hierarchy, their experiences are usually negative. A lack of respect from male colleagues was another thing that hindered the motivation of the workers, whether it be from their male superiors or juniors. A dimension to this disrespect is sexual harassment, and many women recount that their some of their male counterparts demanded friendships or sexual relations. There's also the fact that women need to work harder to be respected by patients and colleagues. Women face sexual harrassment when working in the homes, and the men in these homes often try to start sexual relations with them.
Sources
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