Description

Traditional bases of social stratification such as caste and class reproduce themselves in women s lived experiences as also do rural-urban and regional disparities. New needs emerge as women progress through the life cycle. Talking about women s health and access to healthcare in such a complex setup thus poses a challenge. The girl child in India is increasingly under threat. In recent decades, there has been an alarming decrease in the child sex ratio (0-4 years) in the country. Access to technological advances of ultra sonography and India s relatively liberal laws on abortion has been misused to eliminate female foetus.This paper outlines important key areas which include: safe motherhood, sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS), malnutrition and violence against women.