i nequalities : t he intersection of race and gender t he w omen ’ s h ealth a nd e quality c...
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INEQUALITIES: THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND GENDER
THE WOMEN’S HEALTH AND EQUALITY CONSORTIUM (WHEC)
October 2014
WHAT IS WHEC?
It is a partnership of women’s charity organisations who share common goals of health and equality for women and girls. It pools the expertise of member organisations to better influence decision-makers and government. WHEC works to improve the sustainability of the women’s and girls’ health and social care sector, and to strengthen women’s and girls’ capacity to engage with the health and social care systems
WOMEN’S HEALTH
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of
disease or infirmity. Women’s health involves their emotional, social and physical well-being and is determined by the social, political and economic
context of their lives, as well as by biology … major barrier for women to the achievement of the highest
attainable standard of health is inequality, both between men and women and among women in different geographical regions, social classes and
indigenous and ethnic groups.”
Source: Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, September, 1995)
WOMEN’S HEALTH AND INEQUALITY Poverty – 22% of women are on persistently low
incomes Low pay- two thirds of those working in low paid jobs
are women Discrimination - 30,000 women lose their jobs every
year because they are pregnant Caring responsibilities – over 50% of women will
have been carers before they are 60 and are more likely to experience poor health and long-term condition
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) – over one in four women experience domestic violence and 6,500 girls are at risk of FGM every year
Anxiety and depression – recorded rates are twice as high for women and girls
BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC WOMEN
Severe maternal morbidity among BME women as compared to their white peers
Black African women are five times more likely to die in childbirth than white women and Black Caribbean women three times more likely
Data collected from 24,319 women in 2010 noted a similar pattern in infant death rates
BME women are significantly more likely to report shortfalls in choice and continuity of care
Black and Asian women start attending maternity services later in pregnancy
BME WOMEN, CONT.
FORWARD reported that in 2001, 4.5% of pregnant women in Greater London coming from communities that practice FGM had undergone some form of it. Affected women are more at risk of obstetric complications
Poor living conditions of many vulnerable migrant women can contribute to poor health outcomes
WHY?
Some studies have found evidence of cultural insensitivity and racism in health services
Widespread reports about institutional racism in public services
Stigma surrounding mental health problems, including dementia, in some BME groups
Language barriers Women who experience socio-economic
disadvantages are at disproportionally high risk of both mental and physical illness
WHY? CONT.
Health inequalities derive from factors like poverty, unemployment, and the quality of the physical and social environment. This includes poor quality housing and an increased risk of violence and discrimination
RECOMMENDATIONS
Health professionals should update their skills & knowledge by accessing professional training on improving care for women refugees and asylum seekers, and on working with vulnerable migrant women
That CCGs ensure that health and social support services are targeted to address the needs of specific migrant or BME communities in their areas, in recognition of the access problems that have been found to affect BME women. This may entail commissioning specialist services
RECOMMENDATIONS, CONT.
That health commissioners ensure that confidential interpretation services are provided free of charge to those who require it, in order to meet equalities commitments about equal access. Female interpreters should be made available to women who request them
That the government reconsider its decision not to uprate asylum support. Given the particular health risks facing asylum seeking women during pregnancy and after birth, asylum support levels for pregnant women on both section 95 and section 4 support should not fall below the equivalent of 70% of Income Support
RECOMMENDATIONS, CONT.
That pregnant undocumented migrants are exempted from charges for maternity care, since charges, even if applied retrospectively, constitute a barrier to immediately necessary care
That the government does more to meet its stated commitment of avoiding custodial sentences for mothers who do not pose a risk to the public, and to making the community sentences the norm for these women. This will reduce both costs and long-term health impacts