HEALTH STATUS OF WOMEN IN PAKISTAN: A RESEARCH STUDY FROM SAIDPUR VILLAGE OF FEDERAL CAPITAL AREA OF ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: The women make half of population of Pakistan which should not be neglected in any case. The women of the country are kept backward in our culture, due to which they are unable to participate in various fields of life which also affects their health. The objective of this study was to find the socio-economic, socio-cultural, and religious determinants that contribute to the poor health status of women.

Materials & Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Department of Pakistan Studies, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan from April to July 2019 through in-depth interviews from middle and lower middle class married women form Saidpur village of Islamabad. The sample size was 32 couples (64 individuals). 

Results: Major factors that are responsible for the poor health status of women are restrictions on the mobility of women, violence against women, and financial dependence. Women in the Saidpur village are not allowed to avail healthcare opportunities without permission of their male family members, even they are depended on men financially to visit a doctor. Moreover, violence against women including physical, emotional, and mental is another primary cause behind the poor health status of women in Saidpur village.

Conclusion: In Pakistan, a large number of women are deprived from quality health. The causes include poverty, lack of food, unavailability of education and violence on women. Moreover, the issue of gender inequality is also uncontrolled element which strongly affects the women’s health. The civil society, media and the government should take their responsibility to remove the problems which are faced by the women of Pakistani society regarding their health.