Consequence for Women's Health in India

With increasing health problems, double and triple disease burden in urban and rural areas, with increased push for privatisation for health service as clearly mentioned in the 11th Five Year Plan Approach Paper, with changes in economic trade policies towards corporatisation and privatisation as part of autonomous liberalisation and also as part of the conditional ties of the bilateral international trade regimes which are not only creating unprecedented inequities and inequalities but also resulting in economic growth which is basically ‘jobless growth’, throwing millions out of jobs that have existed and provided work with self-respect and dignity. Suicides, urban migration to illegal city slums, jhuggi , jhoupri colonies to struggle on the fringes of the cities for survival with women having no access to adequate and safe water, no minimal privacy for toilets, no shelter from heat and rain, creating conditions of acute and chronic ill health, not only affecting the women, but the children and their family members with no access to healthcare and no purchasing power for the privatized medical care and medicines