health groups: some examples
Following are a few examples of women-oriented health groups - those who take many of the points elaborated above as a basis for their work.
international
International Contraception, Abortion and Sterilization Campaign
(ICASC) 374 Grays Inn Road, London WCl, England
"Nowhere in the world do women have the unconditional right to control their own fertility. ICASC has grown out of the many campaigns, groups and individuals who are fighting for this right in many countries. The forces against a woman's right to choose are powerful. They include governments, churches, the medical profession, drug companies, political parties, population control agencies and anti-abortion organizations, all of which operate on an international level. We need an international campaign to fight them effectively." (From an ICASC brochure).
Set up in 1978, the aims of ICASC are to create an international solidarity network; to develop links between existing campaigns and groups; to support the building of campaigns in countries where they do not yet exist. Every year they organize an international day of action in support of the struggle for reproductive rights of women.
ICASC publishes a quarterly newsletter, ICASC Information which brings together news of actions of different national groups, campaigns, and the status of laws in different countries.
africa
Muvman Liberasyon Fam
5 rue St. Therese, Curepipe, Mauritius
5 MLF is a feminist group set up in 1976 to deal with the many ^ issues confronting women in Mauritius. From the beginning I they thought it necessary to learn about their bodies and help 0 other women to do the same. They organize workshops on 1 themes such as contraceptive methods, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal infections, pregnancy, virginity, I masturbation - taboos and myths. They work with women and high school students in different neighborhoods, always taking a consciousness-raising approach. They also publish Fam Lite (in creole) on issues relating to women's health.
National Council of Women of Kenya
P.O. Box 43741, Nairobi, Kenya
Founded in 1964, NCWK has served as the umbrella organization for Kenya's many women's organizations. Projects include: water, village sanitation, prevention of infectious diseases, maternal and child health.
Asia & the Pacific
Gonoshasthaya Kendra
P.O. Nayarhat, District Dacca, Bangladesh.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) — "people's health centre" — came into being with the birth of Bangladesh and its development cannot be separated from the life struggle of the country itself. It is a non-governmental voluntary organisation dedicated to the promotion of rural health and community development. GK started taking a primary health care approach to health long before the term was coined by the international aid agencies. They work at village level, training and relying greatly on paramedical workers, and concentrate on drawing villagers into active participation in various programmes health,agriculture, vocational, educational, etc. They constantly struggle to find ways of dealing with the inequalities in the country, by, for instance, setting up a health insurance scheme for the poor, providing preventive medicine, family planning services, water and tubewell projects, farming programmes, and workshops or factories producing metal, shoes, or pharmaceuticals.
The vocational training programme was set up on the basis that "one unacceptable argument would be that which depicts women as creatures with greater limitations than men. Narikendra (the vocational centre) activities are based on a simple philosophy that includes fundamental literacy classes and other teaching in broader terms which can help them understand the causes of their own underdevelopment and what to do to bring about change. Unless this happens, they will still be tied to a male-dominated, class society." The GK family planning programme experimented with depo-provera (the injectable contraceptive), but because of questions raised about its safety, has now withdrawn it.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra Pharmaceuticals has been set up to produce quality generic drugs (the essential ones) at low cost. It employs a large number of rural women and is 100 percent owned by the GK Charitable Trust. Fifty percent of the profits will be ploughed back for factory expansion and 50 percent to help volunteer programmes in the country with emphasis on social sciences and indigenous herbal medicine research. GK produces many publications, amongst which: Gonoshasthaya Monthly in Bengali designed to give information on all aspects of basic health care and to promote the use of quality, generic drugs. Also many papers in English such as: "Basic Service Delivery in Underdeveloping Countries — a view from Gonoshasthaya"; "Research: a Method of Colonization"; "The Role of Midwives and Paramedics in Voluntary Sterilization Programmes", and many others on the population control debate. Their regular Progress Report is a fund of information and excellent analyses.
Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI)
C-14 Community Centre, Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi, 110 016, India.
Set up in September 1974, VHAI is a non-profit federation of state and regional voluntary health associations. Its purpose is to assist in making health a reality for all the people of India, especially the millions of neglected rural people. It encourages involvement and participation through the voluntary health sector, and provides teaching and advisory services, and a wealth of teaching materials.
VHAI publishes Health for the Millions, a bimonthly journal carrying articles and news on health care in India, but from a critical perspective: "We talk about the usefulness of indigenous systems of medicines, of herbs and leaves; and the comparative failure of drugs and pills as redeemers of people's health. Medical education many of us see as irrelevant to the country's needs. The list of what needs to be done in health is endless. But little seems to have been tried in practice..." Note especially vol. VII no. 2 & 3, April-June 1981, entitled "Medicines as if people mattered", which includes articles about herbal remedies, homeopathy, acupuncture and acupressure, and drugs to be avoided.
Rural Women's Health Group
Rural Development Society, 15/1, Periya Melamaiyur, Vallam Post, Chingleput-603002, South India.
"The group has been functioning since June 1980. It consists of a core group of eight women of which six are from the villages of Chingleput district of Tamilnadu, South India. These six women belong to agricultural labour or peasant families, but have had at least eight years of schooling, and began to work two years ago in their villages as adult educators for women. The remaining two in the group are young women originally from the city and college-educated, but who started work in the villages three years ago in 1978 as part of the nation's massive literacy drive. The drive came to an end in 1980 with a change in the government, but work that had started initially as a literacy campaign had evolved into discussion groups with women. These groups met regularly to discuss a wide range of issues directly affecting women - from the lack of basic amenities and what action should be taken for it, to equal wages for the same work in agriculture.
It was, however, only in June of 1980 that discussions began on a systematic basis about women's bodies and their health, and also children's health as a necessary corollary. Meetings have been held once every week in eight villages, and discussions so far have been on puberty; menstruation, conception, pregnancy, childbirth and miscarriage, and abortion. Charts and flash cards with detailed diagrams have been prepared, and a genuine attempt is made to bring into the open the fears and doubts plaguing the minds of these women. It was only after several meetings that an "open" (relatively) atmosphere began to emerge, and instead of being question and answer periods, the sessions became genuine discussions where we exchanged thoughts and feelings as "women", though from different backgrounds. The response to these meetings has been encouraging.
Discussion about lack of adequate health care facilities has also led women in some villages to organise themselves and act to demand their rights. They have made representations to the Primary Health Centres of the government and successfully led an immunization programme for pregnant mothers and children under five, and have also succeeded in some villages in seeing to it that the "Health Visitor" of the government's Health Centre pays regular visits to pregnant mothers and children under five. Broader and more important issues such as protected drinking water supply and latrine facilities have been frequently represented to the local officials, but to no avail. The women are increasingly becoming aware of the causes of ill-health that are rooted in their conditions of living — poor amenities, very low wages and so on — and we hope that alongside increasing control over their bodies and themselves they would begin to organise towards increasing control over the structures that enslave them."
YIS
Jl. Kenanga 163, Solo, Indonesia.
YIS, the Indonesian Welfare Foundation is a private agency whose major focus at present is a nutrition program. An important part of this program is the training of volunteers. After completing the training program, each woman becomes a local consultant on health and nutrition for about ten families in her village. Village health care is important because 65 percent of Indonesian people live in villages. Most doctors, however, being middle-class, do not want to live in the villages. They either live in the cities, or leave Indonesia for Germany, where they can make more money.
One of the workers at YIS sees two problems with the volunteer program. The first is that the education aides are usually younger than the mothers they work with since the aides are often drop-outs from regular school who haven't yet married themselves. Village women will accept nutrition and some health advice from the volunteers, but not information on birth control or child care. The mothers do not trust the aides in these areas since the younger women do not have the practical experience of the mothers themselves.
The other problem she sees is the lack of self-confidence. She hopes to make additions to the training program in order to develop organizing, communication and policy making skills in the women. She sees a need to develop self-confidence in Indonesian women. "If even one man comes to a meeting", she says, "the women will not speak up."
Another important change she feels needs to take place is in the attitudes of the people towards change itself in both economics and health - although in fact she sees the basis of health problems as economic. For example, people work the land, but neither the land nor their produce belong to them. "We say in my country that Indonesia is a second US because of the number of US multinationals. They say they are working with the Indonesian government for the Indonesian people. But in reality it is only a few Indonesians who benefit. Thus, one can not avoid the political aspect because it is basically a political issue."
Europe
Feministisches Frauen Gesundheits Zentrum e.V. (FFGZ)
Postfach 360368, 1000 Berlin 36.
Setup in November 1977, the Feminist Women's Health Centre (FFGZ) is a self-help centre run by a collective of women. "Self-help means that every woman can get to know her body, and, through conscious health preservation techniques, can avoid ailments and diseases or at least recognize them. Selfhelp includes breaking down external controls over our bodies. Emancipation from dependency on authority is one precondition for it." FFGZ is set up as an alternate and necessary complement to conventional health care. The collective works on a totally non-hierarchical basis. Main emphasis of their work is: cancer prevention; vaginal infections; contraception; alternative cures and nutrition; counselling on pregnancy, abortion, sexuality and lesbianism. Also offer self-help courses and have an archive of medical information open to all women during office hours.
They publish Clio, a quarterly journal of self-help. Each issue deals with a specific subject and gives information on other groups, on-going activities, conferences, etc. The only women's German-language journal devoted entirely to women and health.
FFGZ has also published Hexengefliister (Witches' Whisperings), a book written by women about population and family policy, sexuality, self-help, alternative healing techniques and health care by women. Illustrated. 1977
Latin America
Accion para la Liberacion de la Mujer Peruana (ALIMUPER)
A.A. 2211, Lima, Peru.
ALIMUPER is an autonomous socialist-feminist group which recognizes that women are a socially oppressed sector with specific forms of oppression and that, because of this, women must develop their own line of action. ALIMUPER sees this line of action as one of converting the sphere of private life into public revolutionary and political struggle. Only in this way, they believe, will the patriarchal, capitalist system be exposed: sexuality, the relationship of couples, the nuclear family, monogamous marriage, the ideology of maternity, sexist education of children, etc.
The objectives of ALIMUPER are to investigate, discuss and expose from a feminist perspective everything to do with health, and to create the possibility for women to confront and discuss these issues: the relationship of the couple, whether or not to have children, abortion, mental and physical violence of husbands.
ALIMUPER is currently working to create an information centre for women's health because of the following:
- the total ignorance of women with respect to their bodies and their bodies' functions;
- the great importance of health education in the prevention of illness and death in women and children;
- the inadequacy of health services which cannot even provide curative medicine, much less give information; - our meagre knowledge of the reality of women's health in the country as a whole.
The centre is an institution of popular education and fills two broad functions: research; and the preparation of films or slides and illustrated pamphlets on such themes as: the young woman, the sick woman, contraception, problems of violence against women, drugs. It is open to all women in the Lima area and especially concentrates on the needs of women in the suburbs.
The group also publishes Accion, a quarterly newspaper which frequently deals with women's health issues.
Coletivo das Mulheres do Rio de Janeiro
Caixa Postal 33114, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Started in March 1979 with some discussion groups and some working groups, including one on women and violence. In October 1979 a group started working on sexuality and abortion and made a brochure on contraceptive methods and abortion, with all the technical information thought essential for Brazilian women. Like abortion itself, any information on abortion is forbidden. In January 1980 the Coletivo organized a demonstration and solidarity action for two women arrested for having abortions. This launched the "abortion campaign" in Brazil.
Comunicacion Intercambio y Desarrollo Humano en America Latina (CIDHAL)
Apartado 579, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
A documentation centre which offers resources on a wide variety of women's issues, open for study several hours each week (write ahead for times). Also has information on a range of community education projects: literacy, health, food, etc. Publishes simple illustrated booklets in Spanish on several women's health issues: Menopausia, and Que Comemos Los Mexicanos? (on food and nutrition). Also available, a basic statement of the group about the condition of women in Mexico and Latin America: Carpeta basica sobre la mujer.
Mujeres en la Lucha
A.A. 52206, Bogota, Colombia.
This group started in 1977 to stimulate women to reflect and then to organize. They conduct workshops with women of different class backgrounds, centering on the problems of health, sexuality and the family. They also work to develop a theory on the situation of women, and to establish contact with feminist groups at both the national and international level in order to share experiences and to plan and carry out joint projects.
They have written Self-Help for Latin American Feminists: A Reformist or a Revolutionary Alternative? which is a 22 page manuscript giving a glimpse of what Latin America is, which elements compose health policies, and the significance of self help programs within the Latin American context. The authors acknowledge the improvement in women's health through self help, but point out how third world health strategies based on a self-help philosophy are in practice a means for government administrations to discharge their responsibilities towards broad segments of the population while at the same time establishing new forms of control on popular demands. (In English and Spanish).
In July 1981 they helped organize the First Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting which brought together 250 women from 25 countries.
Taller Salud
Apartado 8464, Estacion Fdesz. Juncos, Santurce 00910, Puerto Rico.
This group of eight women have been organised since December 1979 on a volunteer basis to work on women's health in Puerto Rico. They translate, print and reproduce information leaflets on different aspects of health, and distribute them to women in the various communities. They also give workshops on topics such as: sterilization, contraceptives, abortion, anatomy and physiology, vaginal diseases, surgery on the reproductive system, and self-help and self-examination. Their plans for the future include setting up a self-help centre and/or resource centre.
North America
Boston Women's Health Book Collective
Box 192, West Somerville, Massachusetts 02144, USA.
Begun in 1969 as an informal discussion/action group on doctors, childbirth, and abortion, the Boston Women's Health Book Collective has emerged through the decade of the seventies as a catalyst and leader on the many fronts of the US and international women's health movements. Best known for their two books - Our Bodies, Ourselves, a source book on women's health and sexuality, and Ourselves and Our Children, an examination of parents' lives and needs (see resources in this chapter) - the eleven women in the Collective also carry forward a wide variety of projects aimed at gathering and disseminating crucial women's health information. As part of a growing activist network which it has helped to create, the Collective monitors issues and policies which affect women's health in the USA and elsewhere.
The Collective has extensive files on women's health, which are used to answer hundreds of requests each month for information, referrals, and women's health group contacts. These files are also used by journalists, students of all ages, women's health activists, childbirth educators, nurses, physicians, consumer advocates and individuals with specific interests and problems. Members of the Collective often speak to groups about women's health and parenting issues, and run workshops for high schools, colleges, physician and nurse training programs, prisons, community organizations, professional conferences, and church groups.
The Collective also compiles special bimonthly packets of current women's health information and health group activities, and distributes these packets on a donations basis to more than five hundred women's health groups in the USA and other countries.
National Women's Health Network
224 Seventh Street S.E., Washington DC 20003, USA.
The only national membership organization devoted exclusively to women and health,with a focus on Federal policy, NWHN is the "umbrella" of the US women's health movement. Group and individual members receive Network News, "Newsalerts" about issues requiring immediate action, and access to the Network's clearinghouse. Network membership US$25, $35 for women's health or consumer group, $50 for business or institution, $100 sponsor.
resources
Please note that many publications are produced by the groups described above, and details are given in that section.
Altemativas-Salud
Creatividad y Cambio, Jr. Callao 573, Apt. 5132, Lima, Peru.
A brochure analysing the causes of ill-health and the deficiencies of the health system in Peru. Gives statistics.
Creatividad y Cambio also produces practical health guides, especially for women, such as "metodos para limitar los nacimientos" (methods of birth control) which explains birth, different methods of contraception including the "Billings" ovulation method and barrier methods. Simple language, clearly produced.
Bon Sang!
Association pour le journal Bon Sang!, CP. 130,1211 Geneve 1, Switzerland.
A bulletin of counter-information on women and health, produced by a collective of users of the women's health centre in Geneva. Includes information about the medical insurance system in Switzerland, dangerous drugs, research that women are doing for effective and harmless treatment, and groups which are practising alternative healing methods. The September 1981 issue is a report from the Third International Women and Health Meeting in Geneva, June 1981.
Caring for Ourselves: An Alternative Structure for Health Care
(A report on the Vancouver Women's Health Collective), Nancy Kleiber and Linda Light, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, 2075 Wesbrook Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1W5. 1978.
A description and analysis of an alternative women's health model, the report includes detailed information on philosophy, politics and practical arrangements integral to a non-hierarchical system. The group's varied services — educational and medical - are also discussed in detail.
"Dokumentation - Selbsthilfekongress April 1980"
Clio, no. 14/15, August 1980, Feministisches Frauen Gesundheitszentrum, Postfach 360368,1000 Berlin 36.
The papers and reports from the second International Self-help Health Conference which took place in Hannover, West Germany, April 1980. Detailed presentations of women's self-help groups in different European countries are given, and reports on the numerous workshops from abortion to menstruation, herbal medicine, childbirth, drugs and sexuality.
For Her Own Good: 150 Years of the Experts' Advice to Women
Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, Doubleday/Anchor Books, New York, USA, and Pluto Press, Unit 10 Spencer Court, 7 Chalcot Road, London NWl LH, UK. 1978.
Important feminist history of the rise of professional advisors to women during the period of US industrialization. Exposes the unscientific basis of "scientific" expertise used to control women. Contains important lessons for women everywhere about the function of the professions in modern societies, including medicine, childrearing, nutrition, etc.
See also by the same authors: Complaints and Disorders: the Sexual Politics of Sickness, 1974 (from The Feminist Press, Box 334, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA); and Witches, Midwives and Nurses - a History of Women Healers, 1973 (from the Feminist Press as above), which traces the origins of the women's health movement from the Middle Ages.
Genital Mutilation: a Statement from Africa
Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD), B J. 11007 CD Annexe, Dakar, Senegal. 1979.
Firmly condemning genital mutilation, this statement by African women holds that African women must "speak out in favour of the total eradication of all these practices, and they must lead information and education campaigns to this end within their own countries and on a continental level." The women set forth how they intend to carry on the fight against genital mutilation and explain why they feel it should be done in this way. They discuss the negative reaction in Africa to actions against mutilation.
The Hosken Report: Genital and Sexual Mutilation of Females
Fran P. Hosken, WIN, 187 Grant Street, Lexington, Massachusetts 02173, USA. 1979.
A 368 page study on genital mutilation of females. It is an important and well-documented report with case histories from several different countries of Africa and Asia. The report includes the medical aspects, the history, and the effects of this mutilation on the health and lives of women. Strong recommendations for the abolition of this mutilation are also given. Included is a report of the World Health Organization Seminar held in Khartoum, Sudan, February 1979, a good part of which was devoted to this issue. Includes a lengthy bibliography.
Health Needs of the World's Poor Women
Patricia W. Blair, Editor, Equity Policy Center, 1302 18th Street NW, Suite 502, Washington, DC 20036, USA. 1981.
Based on the proceedings of the International Symposium on Women and Their Health sponsored by the Equity Policy Center (EPOC) in June 1980, this 205 page collection of articles deals with strategies for improving the health of women, particularly in developing countries. Written by primarily third world health planners, practitioners and researchers, it represents a diversified range of views as it examines health in relationship to women's roles as worker, mother and citizen. Price: US$ 17.50 plus postage. Quantity discounts available.
Health Resource Guides
National Women's Health Network, 224 Seventh Street S.E., Washington DC 20003, USA.
The nine Guides are: Breast Cancer,Hysterectomy,Menopause, Maternal Health and Childbirth, Birth Control, DES, Self-Help, Abortion, and Sterilization. Each Guide offers articles which give an analytical overview of the problem and usually include some personal experience and/or practical insight on coping with it. As a supplement, each subject has its own bibliography, list of resource persons or groups to contact, and audiovisual materials as available. At the end of every Guide is a comprehensive listing of US women's health groups and other useful resources. Price: US$5 each, set of nine: $36.
HealthRight: a Women's Health Newsletter
41 Union Square, Room 206-9, New York, New York 10003, USA.
Published by the HealthRight Collective, this is a comprehensive quarterly on women's health, USA and internationally. Special issues on international women's health: vol. IV no. 4, 1978, and vol. V no. 1, 1979, entitled "Women and Health Care Around the World". They include reports from Australia, Bangladesh, Chile, Italy, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and special topics such as Depo-Provera.
The Hidden Malpractice: How American Medicine Mistreats Women
Gena Corea, JOVE paperbacks, 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017, USA. 1978.
Powerful, well-documented history of how male-dominated medicine took over control of women's basic reproductive functions in the USA, and the abuses of women that have resulted. One of the best explanations for the rise of the women's health movement.
International Women and Health Guide
Boston Women's Health Book Collective and ISIS, CP. 50, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland. Also from BWHBC, P.O. Box 91, West Somerville, Massachussetts 02144, USA.
Gathered from sources all over the world, this is a multi-lingual resource book containing overview articles followed by annotated listings on literature and groups dealing with women and health. Material is collected under nine headings: women's role in health, reproductive issues, drugs and drug companies, food and eating, having children, menopause and ageing, our health and our environment, self-help and healing ourselves, and basic international resources. Cross reference listing by country and region. Price: US$5.
"Tercer Encuentro Intemacional Mujeres y Salud"
ISIS Boletin Intemacional, no. 8, 1981, via Santa Maria delI'Anima 30,00186 Rome, Italy.
A special issue dedicated to a complete report of this meeting organised jointly by ISIS and the Dispensaire des Femmes in Geneva, 6—8 June 1981, when 500 women from 35 countries came together. Workshop reports cover 15 topics including the politics of self-help, women and the medical system, contraception, breastfeeding, natural medicine, madness. Includes papers, resolutions, resources and addresses. Good feminist resource on the women's health movement internationally. Price: USS 4 individuals, $ 6 institutions.
"Third International Women and Health Meeting"
ISIS International Bulletin, no. 20, 1981, CP. 50, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland.
This is the English version of the report of this meeting described above. Price: US$ 4.50 individuals, $ 6.50 institutions.
ISIS Boletin Intemacional no. 2,1980
ISIS, Via S. Maria dell'Anima 30, Rome, Italy.
This issue of the quarterly ISIS bulletin in Spanish analyses the control of women's health and reproduction and contains articles on health from Latin America and Africa. It includes an overview of the self-help movement in Europe and North America and resource listings. Price: USS 4 individuals, $ 6 institutions.
ISIS Intemational Bulletin
no. 8,1978 ISIS, CP. 50, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland.
Presents a selection of articles about specific projects and action being taken on women's health around the world. Countries covered are: Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Switzerland, Italy, and broader articles on Africa, USA and Europe: Price: US$ 4.50 individuals, $ 6.50 institutions.
Manushi ("Woman")
Cl/202 Lajpat Nagar 1, New Delhi 110024, India.
A collectively produced magazine, first appearing in January 1979. Provides a medium for women to "speak out", to analyse their situations and to "move towards a shared understanding". Manushi regularly carries articles about women's health and issues which affect it. Also published in Hindi.
Mujer y Desarrollo
Mujeres en Desarrollo Inc., Apartado 325, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Well-illustrated and written in simple language, this newsletter is intended for women in rural areas, and deals with basic health issues such as nutrition, growing food, breast feeding and infant feeding, how to prevent and care for illnesses. It emphasises women taking control of their lives.
Our Bodies, Ourselves
Boston Women's Health Book Collective, Simon and Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020, USA. 1979 (revised edition).
Our Bodies Ourselves was the first major guide to health issues of concern to women, written from a women's viewpoint by Americans. Medicine's control over contraception, abortion, childbirth, gynecological surgery, menopause, breast cancer, sexuality, nutrition and basic health care is challenged and demystified through personal experiences, factual information and some political analysis. Charts, drawings, photos, and bibliographies accompany the text. The first newsprint edition, in 1970, has been succeeded by two commercial edition, 1973 and 1976, followed by a 1979 update, selling over two million copies altogether. The Collective is currently undertaking a third major revision. There are Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish editions and other language editions are in preparation in various parts of the world. Write to the Collective directly for more information: BWHBC, Box 192, West Somerville, Massachusetts 02144, USA. Price: US$6.95.
Spare Rib
27 ClerkenweU Close, London ECIR OAT, UK.
British women's liberation monthly magazine with excellent regular coverage of women's health, internationally. "We carry articles on the practice and politics of birth control, abortion, pregnancy and childbirth. Our concern extends to all aspects of health and disease and this has been reflected in our coverage of women and work hazards, anorexia, and depression. We look at conventional and alternative treatment." See also the Spare Rib Diary 1982 which contains extensive information on health.
"Women and Health"
Voice of Women, no. 3, March 1981, 529 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka.
A ten page section of this feminist quarterly covering contraceptives and the "dumping" of pills and the use of Depo-Provera (injectable contraceptive) in Sri. Lanka. Stresses the importance of women's decisions in contraception. Also deals with nutrition and the issue of breast feeding and how this is not really a choice for many women as long as working and living conditions remain unfavorable to women.
WIN News
Women's International Network, 187 Grant Street, Lexington, Massachusetts 02173, USA.
A quarterly covering a wide range of topics of concern to women including: United Nations actions and conferences, health, violence, development, media, clearinghouse (career opportunities internationally), and reports from around the world. Detailed coverage on genital mutilation.
The Women's Health Movement: Feminist Alternatives to Medical Control
Sheryl Ruzek, Praeger Special Studies, USA. 1978.
The most complete and up-to-date feminist history of the US women's health movement, from an academic perspective. Well referenced.
"Occupational safety and health"
Women and Global Corporations: Work Roles and Resistance, Directory of Resources, Nationwide Women's Program, American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, USA. 1980.
A bibliography of books, articles and films on occupational health and safety.
Women's Occupational Health Resource Center
School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave., B-1, New York, New York 10032, USA.
This center is a resource for literature on many aspects of women and occupational health including the hazards of housework. Publications list available.
Women and Work Hazards Group
c/o British Society for Social Responsibility in Science (BSSRS), 9 Poland Street, London Wl, UK. 1981.
This group has published a series of pamphlets, packs and books on different aspects of women and health hazards at work. Particularly worthwhile is: The Office Workers' Survival Handbook which deals in detail with stress, noise, lighting, dangerous substances, temperature and ventilation, welfare facilities and hygiene, physical hazards, the new technology and a whole section on how to use the law and how to organise for better working conditions. This is an extensive and important women's tool.
BSSRS also has a Politics of Health Group which exists to develop a better understanding of how health and disease are produced in our society. They believe that the fundamental causes of ill-health lie in the social and economic structure of society, and that they are matters for public debate and political action. Their pamphlet. Food and Profit — it makes you sick, examines the food industry as an example of the way in which ill-health is produced in our society.
Working for Your Life
Andrea Hricko and Ken Light, Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute of Industrial Relations, 2521 Channing Way, Berkeley, CaUfornia 94720, USA.
Colour film, 60 minutes 16 mm. showing scenes from over 35 different US workplaces featuring interviews with women workers, and focusing on the hazards they face — both the risk of injury and potential reproductive effects. Illustrates the response of employers to eliminate women rather than improve the workplace for everyone. Purchase; US$475; Rental: $65 from LOHP Films, Transit Media, 779 Susquehanna Avenue, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey 07417, USA.
nutrition
(See also chapter on Rural Development for references on women and food production.)
Women in Food Production, Food Handling and Nutrition, with Special Emphasis on Africa
Protein Advisory Group of the United Nations, New York, USA. June 1977. Available from ISIS, CP. 50, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland.
This report of the now-defunct Protein Advisory Group (PAG) of the UN presents a thorough examination of the literature and research perspectives concerning women, food and nutrition. Its intent is to raise questions about current nutrition research, with a demand for much wider analysis to include women's role in food production, processing and handling. Emphasis is on Africa because of women's key position in production systems. Describes how women are dealt with in the current debate on food and nutrition strategies, looking at UN policy papers. A final section deals with implications for research and action, and suggestions for follow-up studies. An extremely important resource, and helpful bibliography.
The Feeding Web: Issues m Nutritional Ecology
Joan Dye Gussow, Bull Publishing, Box 208, Palo Alto, California 94302, USA. 1978.
Excellent resource by a prominent food activist. Chapters include: population growth, world food supply, energy and food, food technology, and food advertising. Addresses important food and agricultural policy issues at both national and international levels. Price: US$9.95.
"Who is malnourished: mother or the woman?"
Kamala JayaRao, Medico Friend Circle Bulletin, no. 50, February 1980, c/o National Institute of Nutrition, P.O. Jamai Osmania, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
An examination of the inferior status of Indian women ifi Indian society, showing that this has a specific impact on the nutrition of women. Welfare and nutrition programmes are seen as useless: "neither nutritionists who formulate and recommend the programmes nor the administrators who are responsible for their implementation appear to view the female first as a woman and an individual, but seem to view her only in her role as a mother. Implied therein is the view that the woman is important only because she is the bearer and nurturer of children"... "All along we have devised welfare programmes for women and directed all developmental activity towards men."
Women, Food and Health in Tanzania: The Political Economy of Disease
Meredith Turshen, Onyx Press Ltd., 27 Clerkenwell Close, London ECl R OAT, UK. 1980.
Explores capitalist underdevelopment of Tanzania and how twentieth century colonial exploitation affected women in particular — their social and political status, their function as food producers, and the health of their families. Price: £3.50
pharmaceuticals
A Critical Look at the Drug Industry: How Profit Distorts Medicine
Concerned Rush Students, c/o Bob Schiff, Box 160, 1743 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. n.d.
A collection of papers raising a series of issues related to drug companies' activities in the USA and their attempts to corner markets by influencing medical practice. They examine the winning over of medical students during college, advertising, gifts, the use of brand names over generic terms for drugs, and the entering into everyday lives by medicalising normal social behaviour such as worry, frustration, over work, etc. An excellent expose of drug company practices.
"The Politics of Health in Tanzania"
Malcolm Segail, Development and Change, vol. IV no. 1, 1972-3, Institute of Social Studies, Badhuisweg 251, The Hague, Netherlands.
Analyses the economic reality of Tanzania and the need for preventive medicine rather than curative services which currently take the lion's share of the health budget. Looks at the influences involved in this western-style medicine on a poor country (neo-colonialism, overseas investment, working relations in health system, urban elite) and shows the disastrous effects.
The Great Health Robbery
Dianna Melrose, OXFAM Public Affairs Unit, 274 Banbury Road, Oxford 0X2 7DZ, UK. 1981.
Subtitled "baby milk and medicines in Yemen", this well-written and presented study describes the health situation in Yemen, and shows how efforts to improve health are aggravated by the promotion of artificial baby milk and medicines in conditions that make their safe use impossible. An excellent case-study of the health/sickness situation in developing countries, with suggestions for action that can be taken at various levels.
Health Action International
c/o International Organisation of Consumers' Unions, P.O. Box 1045, Penang, Malaysia.
An international "antibody" set up in May 1981 to resist ill treatment of consumers by multinational drug companies. It comprises a broad-based network of consumer, professional, development action and other groups, one of whose concerns is to look into contraceptive drugs and pharmaceutical companies' activities in this field. Produces HAI News, a bimonthly newsletter on current actions, publications and meetings on pharmaceuticals.
Insult or Injury? An Enquiry into the Marketing and Advertising of British Food and Drug Products in the Third World
Charles Medawar, Social Audit Ltd., 9 Poland Street, London W1V3DG,UK. 1979.
Excellent discussion of how misleading advertising and marketing to poor people affects nutritional status, health, and ultimately development. Detailed examples of strategies and activities of multinationals are given. They operate in a business climate where low or no controls and standards are enforced, and where bribery is easy. Excellent bibliography.
Social Audit is an action-research unit, concerned with improving government and corporate responsiveness to the public generally. It has published several books and leaflets on multinational drug companies. Important source of information in this domain.
International Organisation of Consumers' Unions
P.O. Box 1045, Penang, Malaysia.
An independent, non-profit and non-political foundation. It promotes world-wide cooperation in the comparative testing of consumer goods and services and in all other aspects of consumer information, education and protection. Includes 115 consumer associations in 47 countries. lOCU produces (amongst others) a medical newsletter which gives details of research and publications especially on drugs and baby foods.
Major Issues in Transfer of Technology in Developing Countries: a Case Study of the Pharmaceutical Industry
S. Lall, UNCTAD/TD/B/C.6/4, United Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. 1975. French and English.
An analysis of (1) the structure of production and marketing of pharmaceutical products in the world — 80 percent of which takes place in developed market economy countries; (2) principal characteristics of the industry - the role of the multinationals, their power over the market and the direct and indirect consequences of this for developing countries; and (3) proposals for ways in which developing countries may acquire necessary techniques to establish their own pharmaceutical industries.
Les Medicaments et le Tiers Monde
Andras November, Editions Favre/Centre Europe Tiers-Monde, 37 Quai Wilson, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland. 1981.
A study of the pharmaceutical industry, with emphasis on the Swiss companies, and the relationship of this industry to health in the third world. Looks at production, market research, over-consumption of drugs and the total dependence of third world countries in this domain. Suggests solutions such as development of indigenous pharmaceutical industries, and a profound change in medical practice both in developing and industrialised societies. Includes statistics on the industry.
"The Charge: Gynocide, the accused: the U.S. Government,
Barbara Ehrenreich, Mark Dowie and Stephen Minkin, Mother Jones, November 1979.
An extensive expose of the way in which the US Government has actively followed a policy of "dumping" unsafe contraceptives on third world countries. Deals with the Dalkon Shield lUD, high-estrogen birth control pills and Depo-Provera, the injectable contraceptive. All of these have been ruled unsafe by the Federal Drug Administration, and the article elaborates on some of the nocive effects of these drugs. This whole issue of Mother Jones is entitled "The Corporate Crime of the Century", and looks at other products involved in this kind of dumping process.
"Medical Industry Thrives, Health Care Fails"
Charles Dougherty, Science for the People, vol. 13 no. 2, March-April 1981, 897 Main Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
An examination of the health situation in the Philippines, showing how foreign drug companies are flourishing there, while the health of the majority of the population is bad and declining. Demonstrates how difficult and costly it is to become a health worker, and how the Government is using "health care" to stem opposition movements. Briefly examines some of the alternatives being set up in different areas.
Science for the People is a bimonthly magazine which frequently carries articles on health, especially on drug companies and health care systems. Subscription: US$10 USA, $14 overseas, $24 institutions.
Seveso Est Partout
Les femmes du Groupe de travail Seveso, CP. Ill, 1227 Carouge, Switzerland. 1976.
A collection of documents concerning the escape of the highly poisonous chemical dioxine at Seveso, Italy in July 1976. Gives chronology of events, including public statements by La Roche-Givaudan, the company responsible, interviews with women from the Seveso area, and a detailed look at the Swiss companies involved, including their activities in Switzerland. Particularly analyses the effects of these on women - pollution, drugs and cosmetics, with specific examples. A feminist analysis.
Who Needs the Drug Companies?
Haslemere Group, 467 Caledonian Road, London N.7, UK. n.d.
Clear, illustrated pamphlet on how the drug industry works. Gives examples of malpractices in both industrialised and third world countries. The role of drugs in relation to the real health needs of developed and developing countries is questioned, and a final section suggests possibilities for change both in the way the drug industry operates and in consumer and doctor attitudes towards drugs. A good basic study with extensive references.
population control and birth control
Abortion Internationally
National Abortion Campaign, 374 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1,UK. 1978.
A collection of articles on abortion conditions and laws in different countries: Chile, Australia, Eastern Europe, and the USSR, China, Bangladesh, India, Japan, USA and Italy. Also includes aims and structure of the National Abortion Campaign in Britain.
Contraceptives and Common Sense: Conventional Methods Reconsidered
Judith Bruce and S. Bruce Schearer, The Population Council, 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, New York 10017, USA. 1979.
Examines with good data, the use and effectiveness of barrier methods (condom, diaphragm, cap), those groups for whom these methods have an appeal and discusses how current pharmaceutical research could help overcome drawbacks of existing barrier methods. Stresses the importance of women's health groups in such research, and the work that has already been done by these groups. An important feature of the book is the chapter on barrier methods in developing countries — how they can be made more widely available and what culture specific adaptations could be made. Stresses the importance of information and counselling, and the fact that, the world over, these methods can be women-controlled and used without the intervention of health "professionals". Ends with recommendations for policy and action.
Depo-Provera: A Report by the Campaign Against Depo-Provera
Campaign Against Depo-Provera, 374 Gray's Inn Road, London WCl, UK. 1981.
Depo-Provera is a contraceptive injection. It is given to thousands of women all over the third world. Yet it is not considered safe enough for general use in Britain or the United States. Why are there such double standards? Depo-Provera: A Report gives detailed evidence of the drug's abuse by governments, drag companies, and the international family planning agencies. The booklet sets out the grim health hazards of the injection - risks of cancer, dangers to the children of women taking the drug, and alarming side-effects.
The Campaign Against Depo-Provera argues for a world-wide ban on this contraceptive and accuses the international family planning agencies of racist double standards in encouraging the use of the hazardous injection. Price: £1.50.
En Defensa del Aborto en Venezuela
Giovanna Machada. 1980.
Describes the situation of illegal abortion in Venezuela - 65 out of every 100 pregnancies ending in abortions in women aged between 35 and 40. The book has been instrumental in launching a campaign in favour of the legalization of abortion in Venezuela.
"Manifestaciones en tomo al aborto"
Fern, vol. Ill no. 9, October-December 1979, Nueva Cultura Feminista, A.C. Universidad 1855, Desp. 401, Mexico 20 D.F.
This short article recounts the actions of the Mexican feminist movement during 1979 in their struggle for free abortion on demand and includes a statement of their position on abortion and voluntary motherhood. Fem is a Mexican feminist journal which frequently carries articles on women's health.
"Contraceptive Research"
Judy Norsigian. ISIS International Bulletin no. 7, 1978, CP. 50,CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland.
Testimony given on behalf of the National Women's Health Network, USA, by one of the co-authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves, analyses how contraceptive research decisions are made by the US Government - what kind of research receives priority, who carries out that research, and who makes policy decisions in this area. Increased emphasis on more invasive, irreversible and dangerous methods was noted, as was lack of informed consent for third world women in the USA and other countries who are using these methods. The dominance of males in this research, as well as the failure to meet clinical investigatory standards, is also documented.
People
International Planned Parenthood Federation, 18-20 Lower Regent Street, London SWl 4PW, UK. English, French and Spanish.
Quarterly magazine of a major population control organization, self-described as "a development magazine, reporting worldwide on the effort to balance resources and population, to promote planned parenthood and to improve the human condition." Specific themes each time, e.g. ageing in Europe, the Muslim world, population and employment. Good articles, news and updates and book reviews. Since it is dealing broadly with population, always carries information of interest to women on abortion, abortion laws, contraception, breastfeeding, etc. Also produces charts from time to time on e.g. availability of contraception, abortion laws, etc.
Population Target: The Political Economy of Population Control in Latin America Bonnie Mass, Women's Press, Toronto, Canada. 1976.
Marxist analysis of population control policies and their application in different countries, specifically on the abuses of women. Good documentation with references.
Report of Workshop on "Women Health and Reproduction"
Feminist Resource Centre, 13 Carol Mansion, 35 Sitladevi Temple Road, Mahim, Bombay 400016, India.
From a feminist workshop held in Bombay, April 1981, this report places health in the context of inequalities in society: industrialized/developing countries, urban/rural, rich/poor, men/women; and women's health in the context of their status in society and the family, stating that the women's health movement can only be part of the broader movement for women's emancipation. Stresses the importance of women understanding their own bodies, and states that many family planning programmes in India only create greater dependency of women. Even endogenous research is male-dominated, and generally dangerous to women. It is seen essential to develop an independent organisation of feminists which would investigate the contraceptives being tested and to take action against contraceptives which are harmful to women. An action programme is outlined, covering safe abortion, traditional medicine, contraceptives, information and communication.
Sex Education and Population Policies in Brazil
Carmen Barroso, Fundafao Carlos Chagas, Av. Prof. Francisco Morato 1565, Sao Paulo, Brazil. 1980.
A six-page paper which outlines pro- and anti-natalist policies in Brazil, and goes on to speak of women's rights: "To block women's access to contraception is a form of coercion that forces a woman to have a child she does not want. On the other hand, not to provide women with basic means to feed and raise children,is equivalent, in practice, to prohibit women even to desire children." Supports fundamental economic and social changes, sex education, and availability of contraception and abortion.
Third World Women Speak Out
Perdita Huston, Praeger Publishers, USA. 1979.
A very human and unstatistical book presenting women's views of change, development and basic needs in their own words, from interviews with women of diverse economic and social backgrounds in Egypt, Sudan, Mexico, Tunisia, Sri Lanka and Kenya. They echo the need to change social attitudes that stand in the way of their development, particularly the taboos against contraception. They express an overwhelming need to be able to earn money; they speak universally of the exhaustion of working such long hours without help or adequate food. The majority of rural women work day and night to squeeze out enough money for their children's school books in the hope of saving them from the imprisonment of illiteracy.
Woman's Body, Woman's Right - A Social History of Birth Control in America
Linda Gordon, Penguin Books, 625 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, USA. Or Penguin, Middlesex, UK. 1977.
Traces the history and development of the birth control movement in the USA, covering political, social and economic aspects. Excellent feminist analysis.
Women Under Attack: Abortion, Sterilization Abuse and Reproductive Freedom
Committee for Abortion Rights and Against Sterilization Abuse (CARASA), 386 Park Avenue South, Rm 1502, New York, New York 10016, USA. 1979.
Excellent presentation of the current issues surrounding abortion and reproductive rights in the USA, includes history, politics of right-wing opposition, the law, victims of funding cutbacks, etc. Particularly good linking the issues of sterilization abuse and abortion cutbacks. Good bibliography. Price: US$ 2.50.
CARASA also produces Carasa News, which includes reports and updates on abortion rights, population control and sterilization abuse.
More than Numbers
United Methodist Communications, 1525 McGavock Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37202, USA.
A 12 minute colour film which looks at all aspects of the population/hunger question, focusing on women's rights, infant mortality, overconsumption, old-age security, social status, family planning and national and international policies. Price: US$50; rental US$10.
La Operacion
Ana Maria Garcia, Sterilization Abuse Project, 80 East 11th Street, New York, New York 10003, USA.
A 30 minute colour documentary film on widespread sterilization among Puerto Rican women. Puerto Rico, where over one-third of all women of childbearing age have been sterilized, has the highest sterilization rate in the world. The film analyses this social phenomenon in the context of a population control policy carried out by the Puerto Rican and United States governments. Shows the role of the medical profession and the objective conditions in women's lives which motivate them to submit to an irreversible method of "birth control" at an early age.
primary health care
ACHAN - Asian Community Health Action Network
Flat 2A, 144 Prince Edward Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Set up in June 1980, Achan has two basic objectives: firstly to propagate, popularize and pursue a philosophy of community health, and secondly, to facilitate the exchange of information among its members and help initiate, support and sustain community health work among non-governmental organisations in Asia. Achan's philosophy sees health as the physical, mental, social and spiritual wholeness of the individual and the community, not the mere delivery of a medical service. This means making health understandable and accessible to all, using tools such as auxiliary care, indigenous remedies, appropriate technology and the involvement of the community in planning, implementing and evaluating health care programmes. Achan is developing a data bank of people, programmes, technologies and provides documentation of Asian experiences in community health done by Asians themselves. It also assists members in developing training techniques and programmes.
"Social and economic factors affecting women's health"
Maaza Bekele, Assignment Children, no 49/50, Spring 1980, Unicef, Villa Le Bocage, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.
Arguing that women's ill-health in developing countries is to a large degree the result of discrimination, inequitable social and economic policies and the low levels of development prevailing in most countries of the third world, the author highlights some of the major issues: the exhaustion of unrelieved drudgery and multiple pregnancy, high fertility and maternal mortality, infection from abortion, debilitating working conditions in industry, increasing stress of new and conflicting roles, and the limited care provided for women. She goes on to stress the importance of primary health care, and of providing health-related services for women, such as day-care for working mothers, safe water and environment, health education, and shared responsibility for family planning.
Assignment Children is an excellent quarterly publication frequently carrying case studies and practical documentation relating to all aspects of women, children and youth. Issue 49/50 is devoted to the condition of women and children's well-being. It is published in English and French.
-New Music - Old Harmony"
Marit Kromberg, Development Forum, vol. VI no. 5, June 1978, Office of Public Information, United Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.
A critique of the concept of primary health care, showing that unless radical steps are taken to have people participate in the control and exercise of power in the area of health and their lives, nothing will fundamentally change. Gives concrete example of a project in Botswana where Family Welfare Educators were trained, given salaries, and became unacceptable and alienated from the village people they were
supposed to help.
Donde No Hay Doctor (Where There Is No Doctor)
David Werner, The Hesperian Foundation, P.O. Box 1692, Palo Alto, California 94302, USA. Spanish, English, Portuguese and Swahili.
Over 400 pages long, this manual of medical and health care is intended for use especially in rural areas where professional help is not readily available. Written in simple language, it deals with diseases, injuries, nutrition, birth control, childbirth and hygiene. Wherever possible, this manual gives information about home and herbal remedies and discusses which traditional medicines and practices are useful and which are not. It also draws the links between health and political-economic social structures.
"Primary Health Care"
Earthscan Press Briefing Document no. 9,1978, Earthscan, 10 Percy Street, London WIP ODR, UK.
A 68 page briefing on the issues involved in primary health care, as a contribution to the Alma Ata Conference on Primary Health Care in September 1978. Describes the world health situation, and deals extensively with the philosophy of PHC and what it implies - appropriate health technology, self-reliance, paramedics, traditional medical practitioners. Includes an examination of the World Health Organisation's policies and documents pertaining to PHC. Earthscan is a media information unit on global environment issues.
Famille et Developpement
B.P. 11007 CD Annexe, Dakar, Senegal.
Quarterly French language African review of education (revue trimestrielle africaine d'education). Covers areas of food, agriculture, medicine, health, nutrition, sexuality, polygamy, abortion, contraception, environment, tourism. All these issues are dealt with from a (West) African perspective, setting them firmly within the socio-political context of the continent. It is one of the rare "development" magazines where the importance of women in all these areas is taken for granted and their particular oppression stressed.
Health and the Status of Women
World Health Organization, Division of Family Health, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. 1980.
This 27 page background paper to the World Conference of the UN Decade for Women (July 1980) deals with a whole range of issues related to the health of women, and emphasizing the connection between women's health and their status. Lists selected WHO publications on women and health. A useful overview document.
"Women and Health Service in Morocco"
Fatima Mernissi, ISIS International Bulletin, no. 7,1978, CP. 50, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland.
This extract from a longer study (in French) of the relationship between the users and the health system in Morocco looks at how and why women (who are mostly illiterate) are by far the greatest users and describes what this implies for them in terms of their role in society.
Salubritas
International Health Programs, American Public Health Association, 1015 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005, USA. English, Spanish and French.
A quarterly information exchange among health workers in developing countries. Covers a wide range of topics. (Funded by US Agency for International Development).
"Health for some or health for all?"
Unicef News 108/1981/2, United Nations Children's Fund, New York, New York 10017, USA.
An issue of this quarterly UN publication devoted entirely to health, covering bare-foot doctors in China, traditional birth attendants in Somalia, village health workers in Pakistan and Ivory Coast, and health care programmes in Kenya, Indonesia and India. Also gives ideas for health and nutrition education.
Women and Water-Related Disease
Dr. Letitia E. Obeng, paper prepared for the International Symposium on women and their health, Washington DC, USA. June 1980.
Demonstrates the relationship between women and water, showing how women are the carriers of water in many parts of the world. This means that they particularly are vulnerable to infection by some water-related diseases, and that therefore strategies concentrating on providing safe household drinking and domestic water supply, effective waste disposal systems and realistic health education programmes would greatly improve women's health.
Women, Health and Development
Development Education Centre, Unicef Office for Europe, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. 1981.
"Recognizing that ill-health is often the result of poor socioeconomic conditions, this kit emphasizes that health is a prerequisite as well as a result of human development. It points to the unmet health needs of women, their role in the community, as providers of water and food and as agents of primary health care, and to the fact that their health condition is related to their status as women." This kit is a series of brief papers covering the above subjects — as a kind of "inventory" on women and health and how this relates to development. It is constructed for educational use for local, national and international organisations. Gives suggestions for discussion and action, and contains resource papers and a bibliography. It is the second in a series of development education kits, the first being "Women and Disability" and the third, "Women and the North-South Dialogue". Price: SFr10.
Medico Friend Circle Bulletin
c/o National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, 500007 India.
A monthly news journal providing radical critiques of health services and health policies in India, always recognizing the importance of socio-economic factors. Readers use the Bulletin as a forum, engaging in dialogues about such issues as community health workers, alternative models of primary health care services, and alternative models of medical education. Excellent.
Message from the Village
Perdita Huston, Epoch B. Foundation, P.O. Box 1972, Grand Central Station, New York, New York 10017, USA. 1978.
A report, using extensively reproduced conversations with women from Kenya, Sudan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Mexico and Tunisia. The author made prolonged visits in all these countries, conducting informal discussions with groups of women, exchanging stories on anything from housing, food and politics, to relationships, children, love and family planning. An invaluable source of original comment from women in these countries.
The New Internationalist
62a High Street, Wallingford, Oxon OXIO OEE, UK.
A magazine reporting on the issue of world poverty, focussing attention on the unjust relationship between rich and poor world, and debating the campaign for the radical changes necessary within and between nations if the basic needs of all are to be met. It frequently covers issues like food, health, multinationals, population, environment. Although not specifically from a women's perspective, gives useful information and analysis. Frequently carries articles on population and health, plus many aspects involving people's health.
Programming for Women and Health
Patricia Blair, Equity Policy Center, 1302 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20036, USA. 1980. Prepared for the Office of Women in Development of the US Agency for International Development.
Describes the health problems of third world women falling roughly into three inter-related categories - personal health, reproductive health and occupational health. Argues that the low status and health of women must be combatted by three major efforts: expanding the number of women in decision making positions, making better use of women's organizations, and recognizing women's need for time and money. The basic contention of the paper is "that women's health needs will not be met if programming continues to focus narrowly on the health sector alone. Such problems as malnutrition, fatigue, excessive fertility, to say nothing of various forms of violence against women, are intimately bound up with women's generally low status and lack of opportunity for education and employment."