In most of the Eastern cultures women are perceived to be a liability and receive little to no education, proper nutrition, or medical help.
This mindset towards women in several cultures becomes a contributing factor for the poor health conditions. In addition to this mindset the low socio-economic status of women, due to poverty and lack of education places them in less-privileged positions which results in compromised health. One major health issue in the developing world is maternal mortality.Ninety five percent of maternal deaths occur in Asia and Africa. In 2005, the estimated number of maternal deaths is an alarming 536,000.
Lack of education, poor medical facilities, and inadequate nutrition are some of the factors that contribute to maternal mortality. Though interrelated to several of these causes, nutrition alone is not the major causative factor in maternal mortality.Some of the major causes of maternal deaths are as follows: anemia, preeclampsia, hemorrhage, sepsis, abortion and obstructed labor. Also the lack of proper dietary intake during pregnancy affects both the mother and the growing fetus.
This establishes the need for a transformation in the mindset of people in order to prioritize the health of women in general and pregnant women in specific. As such this paper seeks to answer several questions. Is maternal death the fate of the lesser being? Or does the change in the perception towards women help in reducing maternal mortality? What are the alternate viable options to handle this health issue?Diet in relation to maternal mortalityThe status of women in the society and her health are intricately interrelated. The health of a pregnant woman is profoundly influenced by her circumstances, economic, and social status and the environment in which she lives (Priya, Ashok & Suresh, 2010). Health is a human right in and of itself, and the condition of health reflects the enjoyment of many other human rights (Yamin, 2009).
Access to proper health is however a rarity for women and maternal mortality is one of the major health issues in the developing world. Socioeconomic conditions play a significant role in the overall health and welfare of the pregnant woman. “Every minute, everyday a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth.” (Priya.et.
al, 2010.p.134).The alarming number of deaths each year is an indicator of the emergent nature of the problem. Several studies have been conducted to show the immensity of the problem and also to look at the viable options to reduce maternal mortality. As cited by (Erica Royston, 1989) the UN Decade for Women (1976-85) did much to open the eyes of the world to the effects of sex discrimination on such things as economic development and the health of families.
There is now a pressing need to establish the relationship between the status of women and maternal mortality. Various studies have been conducted to examine the interrelationship between diet and maternal mortality and research has established that although interrelated nutrition is not the major causative factor for maternal mortality. Ninety five percent of the maternal deaths occur in Asia and Africa. In 2005, the estimated number of maternal deaths worldwide was 536,000.Maternal mortality is significantly high in countries with high levels of poverty and cultures where women are less-privileged. Since nutrition is not a major causative factor of maternal mortality, it can be used as a point of change to work towards the transformation of the mindset of the family members of the mother’s well-being.
This change of attitude towards the mother’s health could also bring about effectual transformation through hospitalization, proper medical care and post-partum care which play a significant role in the reducing the risk of maternal mortality. The objective of this study is to answer some of the questions related to the link between the status of women in the society and its interrelationship to diet and maternal mortality.Since majority of the cases of maternal mortality are seen in countries with high levels of poverty, low literacy and very little access to medical help it can assumed that maternal mortality could be common due to the lack of infrastructure. Most of the countries that are considered developing nations with poverty, lack of medical facilities and low in literacy are typically where rates of maternal deaths are high and the social status of women is low (Royston 1989). The needs of the women have been ignored altogether or have taken second place to those of men since childhood. The reasons that women die in child birth are many layered.
“Behind the medical causes are the logistic causes, failure in health care system, lack of transport etc. and behind these are social, cultural and political factors which together determine the status of women, their health, fertility, and health seeking behavior.” (Priya et.al, 2010.
p.134).Fate sealed at birthAn old proverb from China, says: “Eighteen goddess like daughter are not equal to one son with a hump.” Proverbs and sayings from many cultures indicate the pervasiveness and long-standing preference for a son (Royston, 1989). This preference for a son is the attitude of the mind, which is both encouraged and reinforced by the patterns of society.
Addressing the issue of maternal mortality in the developing nations requires that we take a closer look at the status of a girl from before birth since the vicious cycle of oppression is sealed at birth. Most of the Eastern cultures find great joy and pride in the birth of a boy child.The girl child becomes unwanted from even before birth. Since the girl is seen as a liability she is discriminated from childhood (Yamin, 2009). The girl child has very little access to education, health and proper nutrition in comparison to the male child in the family (Royston, 1989).
With no education, lack of nutrition and their health being neglected from birth on becoming brides at a young age girls are more susceptible to health related issues than boys. Girls are given away as brides as young as 6 years old. Teenage marriages are common in several of the Asian and African cultures.The sense that a daughter is a burden is enhanced by the fact that her duty when she marries will be to her marital home, and she will not even contribute to the support of her parents when they are old whereas sons are seen as an asset because they strengthen the family unit and benefit their families Prakasamma, 2009). The preference of boys over girls and the discrimination meted out by the girls is found in several aspects of their lives which ultimately impacts them to the point of death (Yamin, 2009).
Lack of basic facilities and the girl child’s inability to access them due to lack of education and a continual oppression are contributing factors in dealing with some of the major health issues. Unfortunately this vicious cycle continues for generations in most of these cultures (Priya.et.al 2010). The link is not coincidental, yet sex discrimination as a contributory factor to maternal mortality has been largely ignored (Royston, 1989).
Role of women in the society In many patriarchal societies a woman’s only path to social status and personal achievement is through motherhood (Royston, 1989). The role of women in most of the Asian and African cultures is seen as a child bearing machine. Since this is seen as the only proper role for women, all the social mechanisms will operate on that principle. There is little commitment towards education and therefore very little chance of well-paid employment.The “status of women” is hard to pin down as a concept because it includes both practical and psychological aspects and involves a set of inter-related factors (Royston, 1989).
“It is not uncommon to meet women in the villages of India, Brazil or Burkina Faso who have borne ten or more children” (Royston, 1989.p.47). Contrary to the popular belief that childbirth gets easier with each experience the risks involved with each child are many.
Although the second and third births are trouble-free the risk of serious complications such as haemorrhage, rupture of the uterus and infection, rises from the third birth onwards (Imdad & Bhutta, 2011).The age of a woman between 20-30 years are the safest period of a woman’s life for childbearing but because in many of the Asian and African cultures teenage marriages are quite common early pregnancies are the norm. Because the bodies of the teenagers are not yet fully prepared for the demands of childbirth, maternal mortality is high among them. Within the narrow confines of the family women achieve status by producing children. Interestingly, the paradox central to this issue is how the status of women affects maternal mortality.
The very condition of high fertility that conferred prestige upon the women also proved to be the cause of their second class status and their dissatisfaction (Royston, 1989).In many societies the daughter-in-law is seen as the one who holds the heir of the family since the daughter becomes the asset/liability of another. Infertility in such cases is perceived to be a curse. Women who cannot conceive are a stigmatized in the society.
Child bearing is also considered to increase the status of the husband. In some South American cultures it is prized so highly that it condemns women to endless pregnancies. The tendency of men to see their wives as a means of their own aggrandizement is most difficult to challenge. It is in fact challenging to convince the women also of this due to an inability to perceive herself as being used.Education the key to transformation Most societies consider daughters to be a liability and make little to no investment either in educating her or giving her proper medical help from childhood. The role of the woman is perceived as one who gives birth and works for the welfare of the marital home (Priya et.
al, 2010). It is due this mindset that in most cultures in Africa and Asia women have very little access to education.However the key to a transformation in addressing the health issues primarily maternal mortality is to educate women. The foundational principle of human rights is that all human beings are equal in rights, dignity, and worth. This truth need to be imparted into women (Yamin, 2009). It is traditionally believed that father’s education level plays a major role in decision making at the household level which eliminates the need for the education of the mother (Das & Mukherjee, 2007).
It is seldom realized that the mother’s education now appears as a very important factor in curbing incidences of harmful and manual occupations. “Because high fertility is a feature of lack of choice or self-determination in women’s lives, education has a dramatic effect on this picture, and therefore on maternal mortality” (Royston, 1989.p.56). In many of the developing countries the number of children a woman bears declines as her level of education rises.In Colombia and Sudan, women with 7 years of schooling are likely to have only half the number of children of their uneducated sister (Royston, 1989).
Women with secondary education in countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Kenya and Mexico are more than four times as likely to use contraceptives as women who have no education (Stephenson, Koenig, Acharya & Roy, 2008). A survey opinion on family planning among Israeli women reaveled that 80% of those who disapproved of it were illiterate, 16% had received only primary education and 0.6% had received secondary education. None of the women who had attended university disapproved of family planning (Kulik, Morgenstern, 2010).Education and access to information broadens the understanding of the issue and has a direct effect. The link between education and fertility is not so straightforward (Das & Mukherjee, 2006).
But the education exerts its influence indirectly by raising the social status and self-image of women, by increasing their choices in life, and also their ability to question the status quo, make decisions for themselves and voice an opinion. Studies show that women who have 7 years or more of education tend to marry later than those with none. Women who have some level of education tend to have fewer children than women with no education. Women who have some level of education have better health than women with none because of the knowledge of basic health and nutrition and cleanliness. The chance of finding work outside the home for an educated woman is much higher than the insecure and exploitative nature of life at home.Education plays an important role in the equation because it is not just about having a job but an alternate to status and fulfillment.
When the woman’s job is out of necessity to run the family or for survival there is neither status nor security associated with it. However, resistance to the education of girls is one of the social evils that need to be fought. The independent mind of a girl is in no way an asset to the family and therefore the resistance to the education of a girl is deep rooted. Interrelationship of education, nutrition and maternal mortalityResearch has established that nutrition is not the major causative factor of maternal mortality, and but nutrition and maternal mortality are interrelated. The education of the woman plays a key role in this interrelationship. The level of education a woman receives is a strong indicator of her status within the family which is carried onto the marital home.
Though it does not guarantee a similar status at the marital home as it does in the parental home. The influence education has on broadening her understanding of the basic concepts of birthing, nutrition and hygiene play a significant role in her ability to reduce the chances of infections. Education provides the basic awareness of what to means to be hygienic and the necessary intake of foods during pregnancy. Research shows that the ratio of maternal mortality is significantly higher among women of low socioeconomic backgrounds with very little or no education.
