Author: Rubeena Zakar

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2024-11-11

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 2832556582

It is well-established that the social determinants of health (SDH) highly influence health outcomes and inequities. This is particularly true in low-and-middle income countries, where women are deprived of their basic rights including access to health services, appropriate nutrition, and education. Socio-cultural practices, such as child marriages, forced marriages, cousin marriages, female genital mutilation, and son-preference, undermine women health and well-being. Additionally, various negative stereotypes, such as pregnancy and childbirth-related taboos, dowry and honor-related violence, restrictions on women’s mobility and social participation are significantly associated with women’s health status. To improve women’s sexual and reproductive health, societies must take comprehensive and integrated measures to address these cultural stereotypes and harmful sociocultural practices against women. A SDH approach dictates that health is shaped importantly by various individual factors and community norms that further enable or constrain health. Individual factors include education, income, ethnicity, and the environment wherein people live (including their families, communities and workplace). Macro-level social factors include the labor market, schools, healthcare systems, legal systems, institutionalized practices, and ideologies. In many low- and-middle-income countries, women are still socially excluded and economically marginalized. They lack opportunities for education, economic growth, and political participation. There are many social drivers associated with maternal health. Many negative life experiences such as infertility and perinatal loss, poverty, discrimination, social inequalities, lack of autonomy, violence, economic dependency, and isolation have long-lasting impact on mothers’ mental health and wellbeing. To comprehensively understand the drive of maternal health, a multilevel and bio-social approach of social determinants of women’s health is integral.