The document discusses how patriarchy and gender impact women's health. It defines patriarchy as a social system where males hold primary power and authority over women. It also defines sex as biological differences, while gender refers to social and cultural roles. The document then discusses how patriarchy leads to discrimination against women in areas like education, politics, pay, and violence. It explains how gender roles assigning domestic work to women impacts their health by increasing their workload and risk of injury or illness. The document also summarizes various ways culture and gender norms negatively impact women's nutrition, education, and access to healthcare.

1. Patriarchy ,Gender & the Health of Women
Prepared by: Mr. Indra Mani Mishra
Training Coordinator/Nursing Midwifery Sr. Tutor
SNC, College of Nursing, RIMS, Ranchi

2. Key Questions
• What is a patriarchy?
• What is the difference between sex and
Gender?

3. Sex vs. Gender
➢ Sex refers to the biological differences
between men and women.
➢ Includes the chromosomal,
hormonal, and anatomical
components of males and
females

4. Gender and Sex
•

5. 1. In general terms, "sex" refers to the biological
differences between males and females, such
as the genitalia and genetic differences.
2. "Gender" is more difficult to define, but it can
refer to the role of a male or female in society,
known as a gender role, or an individual's
concept of themselves, or gender identity.
3. Sometimes, a person's genetically assigned
sex does not line up with their gender identity.
These individuals might refer to themselves as
transgender, non-binary, or gender-
nonconforming.

6. Sex
1. The differences between male and female sexes are
anatomical and physiological. "Sex" tends to relate to
biological differences.
2. For instance, male and female genitalia, both internal
and external are different. Similarly, the levels and
types of hormones present in male and female bodies
are different.
3. Genetic factors define the sex of an individual. Women
have 46 chromosomes including two Xs and men have
46 including an X and a Y. The Y chromosome is
dominant and carries the signal for the embryo to begin
growing testes.
4. Both men and women have testosterone, estrogen,
and progesterone. However, women have higher levels
of estrogen and progesterone, and men have higher
levels of testosterone.

7. Gender
1. Gender tends to denote the social and
cultural role of each sex within a given
society.
2. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
gender as: "Gender refers to the socially
constructed characteristics of women and
men, such as norms, roles, and
relationships of and between groups of
women and men. It varies from society to
society and can be changed."

8. Examples of SEX and GENDER influences:
1. Mental health
Women are twice as likely as men to
experience depression, with some women
experiencing mood symptoms related to
hormone changes during puberty,
pregnancy, and perimenopause. Women
are more likely to admit to negative mood
states and to seek treatment for mental
health issues, in contrast to men.

9. Sex and Disease versus Gender and Disease
 Women are two times more likely to contract
HIV from intercourse than men.
 Women metabolize alcohol at a slower rate
then men leading to more cognitive impairment,
motor vehicle accidents and liver disease.
 Women are more susceptible to migraine
headaches than men, which predisposes them
to neurovascular disease.
 Women are more likely to have atypical
symptoms of heart attacks and strokes than
men.
 Women are more likely to attempt suicide, but
men are more likely to be successful at it.

10. Continue……….
 Men are more susceptible to fatal abnormal heart
rhythms when exercising.
 Women are more likely to have a diagnostic procedure
that includes radiation than men when undergoing
evaluation in the emergency department. Women are
also more susceptible to the dangers of radiation (ex:
breast cancer) than men.
 Autoimmune disorders are 78 percent more common in
women than men.
 Men have a greater risk of suffering from MI at earlier
ages than women. Women are more likely to suffer
from MIs at older ages than men.

11. Continue……
Osteoporosis is more common in women
because they have less bone tissue than
men and experience a rapid phase of bone
loss due to hormonal changes at
menopause.
Walking in high-heeled shoes increases
stress on the knee joint, placing women at
increased risk of developing osteoarthritis.

12. Patriarchy
• Patriarchy – Greek “Rule
of the Fathers” A system
of society or government
in which men hold the
power and women are
largely excluded from it.
• Women have
collaborated in their own
subordination and
internalized values which
have subordinated
them.

13. Continue….
Patriarchy is a social system in which males
hold primary power and predominate in roles
of political leadership, moral authority, social
privilege and control of property. In the
domain of the family, fathers or father-figures
hold authority over women and children.
Some patriarchal societies are
also patrilineal, meaning that property and
title are inherited by the male lineage.

14. Areas of Global Discrimination
– Education- women lower rates of
literacy
– Politics- lack equal access to
national decision making
– Gap in Pay- average less pay
than men
– Politics- No national legislature
has more women than men in
office
– Violence against Women- foot
binding, witch burning, suttee
(sati pratha), female
circumcision, domestic violence

15. Functionalist Theory on Gender
Inequality
• Since women give birth
and nurse a child, it is
natural that they will take
care of it in other ways
Leads to a natural division
of labor, in which women
are more involved in
domestic activities such
as preparing meals and
maintaining a home
Men engage in
breadwinning activities
and other economically
dominant roles
•
•

16. How does gender impact women’s
Health?
1.Poverty:
•Women’s control over economic resources
is far less than that of men.
•They are paid less wage work, not paid at
all for housework, inherit less property and
have little or no control over family
finances.
•Women eat less and last.
•Suffer more stress

17. 2. Work
•Workload of women especially poor
women, is far higher than men.
•Referred to as their ‘Triple Burden’, women
undertake: 1. house work, 2. wage work, 3.
Child care
•The division of work is also such that their
health is often at risk-from the smoke of
chullahs, from pesticides in agriculture and
from the specific occupational hazards.

18. 3. Nutrition
•Women traditionally eat after the whole
family is fed.
•Girl children may be breast fed less as well
as given less and poorer quality food to eat.

19. 4. Culture
•Less educational and occupational
opportunities.
•The adolescent girls are withdrawn from
school and married off as soon as they
acquire puberty.
•They are considered’ unclean’ during
menstruation and not allowed to participate
in religious rites.

20. Continue…….
Apart from social violence, the women
frequently suffer domestic violence,
violence within the general community
(rape, sexual harassment etc.) as well as
violence within the health care systems
(forced sterilisation, forced abortion, forced
contraception)

21. Women in Health Sector
1. Women in health policy and programmes;-
Reproductive Health
2. Women as Health Workers;- ANM, AWWs ,
ASHA, Gynaecologist, Nurses
3. Women in community- based strategies:-
caregivers, community participation.
4. Women in Health Sector Research: women
are not consulted in the formulation of their
health needs and priorities-it is considered that
society (which is a patriarchal society) known
best.

22. 5. Women as Health Sector Client
•Families hesitate to invest or incur costs
over girls and women and are known to
delay seeking medical care for them.
•Women may not be allowed to be
examined by a male Doctor; not allowed to
go alone for checkup in Health Center.

23. Strategies and Instuments for
Change
Discussion

24. Thank You