On International Women’s Day we ask them to share their views on:
“One of the missions is for women to make informed decisions about their health. What measures can be taken to embrace equity in healthcare.”
Here is what they had to say:
“Enriching women’s healthcare delivery is a vital step to gender equality in India.
It’s important to consider the facts – currently, India ranks 140th of 156 countries on gender inequality, based on World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report.
This reflects the country’s performance on numerous dimensions – health and survival, economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, and political empowerment. To pave the way for gender equality, it is imperative to scale efforts to support women across growth indicators. One such way is to advance women’s healthcare, such as by supporting women to take charge of their health through initiatives that ensure equitable access to quality care.
Community-wide awareness initiatives can address such taboos and myths, which typically delay diagnosis and prevent women from living their full potential. As we look ahead at the future of healthcare, promoting early and preventive care is important”.
-Vanitha Jacob Deepak
“Embracing equity in healthcare requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both systemic and individual barriers to healthcare access and information.
Along with increased access to healthcare, health literacy should be reinforced so as to empower more and more women to take an active role in their own healthcare.
Quoting Beyoncé- Women need to reshape their own perception of how they view themselves. They have to step up and take the lead”.
-Anshu Agarwal, Sr Manager, Insurance Broking Company
In our society, a woman is considered to be an idol of sacrifice. She sacrifices her personal needs, likings, health for the family and at times for the society too. I believe that the woman should learn to love herself first. She really needs to love her body and her soul before reciprocating it to someone else. Why in our society only man gets retired but a woman who is a home maker works till her last breath.
In my opinion, to achieve healthcare equity, it is paramount for women to define their own importance to everyone. And that can only be possible when she herself understands and feels her own importance.
If a woman wants to take care of her family and give it to society too then she needs to take care of herself first. If she is un well she needs to take rest instead of taking care of her family. Trust me nothing stops if she won’t be there.
Today women are fighting so many diseases because they ignore their health completely and always.
I request all women to understand the importance of their own life. We are the one who brings life on earth then why do we ignore our own life. Never ever ignore yourself. God has given one life and one should live it to the fullest.
My message to the world is that no fight is easy and no struggle is that difficult, if you have purpose to live and determination to achieve it in spite of all odds.
-Monika Ahuja, Ms India Cancer Warrior – First Runners Up 2022
