There can be little doubt that the last two hundred years have seen advances in health which have seldom before been witnessed in human history.
In many developing countries, women's activities, traditionally confined to the household, have changed over time.
Literature is replete with images of the reproductive profligacy of the poor in India. In much popular nderstanding, this is frequently adduced as the cause of the poverty of the poor and indeed of the country.
Should we fear the destruction of our culture because a 30-year-old woman from Chandigarh plans to `rent' her womb?
From time to time, Indian demographers have advocated that the age at marriage of girls be raised so as to reduce the reproductive span of women, and thereby, bring down the birth rate.
The Ford Foundation recently commenced a planning exercise to define a strategy for the program area entitled "Advocacy for Reproductive Health and Women's Empowerment" in India. This report outlines the findings of this
WOMEN's status, it has often been argued, is an indicator of the level of development of particular societies. Women's workforce participation rates, on the other hand, are also related to women's status.
A growing recognition that population dynamics, quality of life and women's status are closely inter related argues strongly for a fresh look at India's population program.
The health care scenario for women, especially apropos reproductive health, is highly exploitative, with extensive human rights violations. Women are treated as expendable entities.
In a vast, multi-ethnic, multi-religious country like India, it is to be expected that we have several world-views operating at the same time in people's search for health and healing.