“Triple Jeopardy” of Women

Discrimination against women in healthcare is a serious blot on our civil society as it violates the principle of equal rights. Women often have to live in “triple jeopardy” – three-dimensional discrimination based on gender, caste-status and disability in accessing healthcare needs. Women face maximum vulnerability to their reproductive health. They have either no access to healthcare or their human rights are violated in the context of healthcare. In both cases women are the losers. Part of this research paper was presented in the IFHHRO Annual Conference 2005, Mumbai, India under the theme “Engendering Health and Human Rights.” Its relevance lies in the fact that it highlights some pertinent issues that violate gender equity in accessing healthcare needs and suggests the way forward. It identifies the factors that prevent women from accessing healthcare, raises the need of creating awareness about consequences of poor health of women, and appeals for a more accessible healthcare environment to women. The book should be helpful to development professionals, healthcare practitioners and anyone interested in gender studies.