Published in Cape May County Herald.
The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as 20 million abortions each year are unsafe and that 10 to 50 percent of women undergo unsafe abortions.
The Jakarta Declaration and the U.N. commission on the status of women indicate priority must be given through gender responsive development policies; safe birth control practices have to be taught and advocated right from the grass root level.
It is true that women die each day from pregnancy-related complications and unsafe abortions. Most of these women are unaware about reproductive health.
According to a family planning survey, the desire to have a son by women without children was found to be 86 percent, and 100 percent of women who already had three girls desired for a son in some countries. Globally, women are the poorest, even within poor households.
The poor educational status of women is connected with their employment and the nature of the jobs they can have access to. Women are not proportionately represented at decision-making levels. A kind of hesitation is frequently found when talking about women’s empowerment and women rights.
Quite a large number of men and women are reluctant to express their views publicly in favor of women’s rights, because they do not like to be listed as ‘feminists.’
“Feminism is not an isolated approach, but a campaign to mainstream poor and powerless women, but it is losing the affection of contemporary intelligentsia,” said Bidhan Acharya.
In recent years, reproductive health has been a matter of priority, as the problem of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDs is increasingly a major threat. Many women remain unaware of reproductive health issues due to lack of education opportunities.
The increase in the education of women and girls contributes greater empowerment of women, to a postponement of the age of marriage and to a reduction in the size of families.
Thus, it is believed that unless appropriate and adequate education and employment programs are launched, the life expectancy of women will decline. It is very necessary that we should understand the importance of women's health.
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