Women, Health and Global Restructuring: Setting the scene
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Women, Health and Global Restructuring: Setting the scene
LESLEY DOYAL
ABSTRACT The past decade has seen increasing debate about the impact of globalization or global restructuring on human health. Lesley Doyal examines the threats posed by these developments to some of the world’s most vulnerable women. It will also give a brief account of recent campaigns designed to resist the negative effects of these changes. KEYWORDS globalization; gender perspective; poverty; informal sector; well-being
Introduction The term‘globalization’ has been used in a variety of ways to mean very different things.1 But central to all these accounts is a dramatic increase in economic, social and cultural interdependence between countries (Giddens, 1990; Held et al., 1999; Lechner and Boli, 2000). This has been accompanied by a greater concentration of power in the richest parts of the world and a reduction in the capacity of some nation states to respond effectively to the needs of their citizens. In many communities, these developments have led to major transformations in daily life. Attempts have been made to assess the impact of these global trends on the health of populations (Cornia, 2001; Dollar, 2001; Drager and Beaglehole, 2001; Weisbrot et al., 2001). However these studies have usually been conducted at national level, and the results have been of little practical value to local policy makers (Lee,1998). Moreover, they have rarely explored the ways in which women and men might experience of globalization (Marchand and Runyan, 2000). This article will shed light on these neglected areas through exploring the impact of global restructuring on the health of poor women in a range of different settings.
How do sex and gender shape the health of women and men? There are obvious differences in male and female patterns of sickness and death and these are shaped by both biological and social factors. The most obvious differences between women and men are to be found in the realm of biology.Women’s capacity for reproduction makes them vulnerable to a wide range of health problems if they are not able to control their fertility and go safely through pregnancy and childbirth. Similarly, Development (2004) 47(2), 18–23. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100045
Doyal: Women, Health and Global Restructuring both women and men are susceptible to sex specific diseases such as cancers of the uterus or prostate. Recent research has also identified differences in the vulnerability of women and men to diseases such as heart disease and TB that affect both sexes. But male and female patterns of morbidity and mortality are influenced not only by biological factors but also by social relationships including those associated with gender (Doyal, 1995; Sen, George and Ostlin, 2002). All societies assign specific characteristics to individuals depending on whether they are defined as male or female. There are also differences in the duties they are expected to perform and in their entitlement to a wide range of social and economic r
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