Manifold marginalities affecting women’s healthcare seeking in Nuh (Haryana): Evidence from the field

Pages: 649-655
Bindiya Narang (Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central) University, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi)

Progressive reflection on health and well being in relation to the marginalized groups is imperative to execute the sustainable development agenda. Several studies purport that women as a faction, are socially marginalized, with poor control over their lives and having to frequently confront the structural and systemic discrimination prevalent in the society. The foregoing paper seeks to explore the contextual marginalities and gender specific vulnerabilities that deter women’s healthcare seeking in Nuh district of Haryana. In doing so, the paper, based on an inductive approach, draws its edifice from subjectivities gathered in the field, derived through group discussions, observation, participatory exercises and dialogue with women and key informants across several villages, substantiated with data from numerous secondary sources. A lower social status of women in this patriarchal commune was clearly palpable with abysmally low female literacy rates, unappreciated productive work, widespread tradition of early marriage, multiple pregnancies due to near absence of birth control, binding socio-religious norms and restricted mobility. It was discerned that all these factors coupled with inadequate and inaccessible health service infrastructure led to an appalling status of women’s health. It is suggested that for a genuine achievement of health equity, these marginalities need to be addressed with strategic interventions across sectors.