Women as providers of health care.

Societies depend heavily on women for health care, yet women's own health needs are frequently neglected, their contributions to health development undervalued, and their working conditions ignored. The increasing recognition of the need for universally accessible primary health care and of people's right and duty to participate individually and collectively in their own care makes it vital to critically examine the role and status of women in its provision. A question which arises is whether the low status and prestige accorded to primary health stems from the fact that it is primarily women who provided it, or, rather, are women the main providers of such care because it is still regarded as unprestigious work and therefore to be left largely to women. Whatever the answer, the status and prestige of primary health care and the workers who provide it must be raised. To help address the problems and devise some solutions, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened consultations in 1980 and 1982. At the 1st consultation, priority issues concerning women as health care providers were identified and suggestions made for case studies and on analyses on specific issues. These were to be carried out in 17 developing and developed countries. The 2nd consultation brought together policy analysts and decision makers from the countries concerned who examined the findings and proposed concrete activities at the international and the national level. It became clear that any comprehensive strategy designed to raise the status of women who provide health care and make their workload less onerous must focus on the following elements: educational and training; attitudes about women; health education; policies and opportunities for employment; support systems; and infrastructure development. These elements are discussed separately here, yet it should be remembered that the participants in the consultation continually stressed their interdependence. Education of women for health work must be seen in the context of the type and length of the general education that they receive. The recruitment of women to training programs will require special efforts. Once women's self-esteem increases they are likely to receive more respect and consideration from men. To acquire this self-esteem, women must organize and support each other. Changes are called for in the attitudes towards each other of health care providers working in the formal and nonformal sectors. To provide health education for women is to train health educators for the community. Every plan for national development must include employment policies and strategies for their implementation.