Kamala Sarup: We Refuse To Die So Rapidly

I understand how women have been exploited by men through the centuries and had to fight for every women rights they now have in some countries, including US also.

Women's struggles are no different than those of all other groups fighting for their rights.

Till date the idea of overall development of women becomes empty and meaningless. Women's work is still not recognized as a part of the national economy. Much of the women from developing countries is now reaching a crisis point in the struggle for their survival. Women have long been denied their birth right to be in charge of their individual lives. Gender inequality is perpetuated by the attitude of men social norms.

Sill thousands of mothers around the globe find themselves caught between life and deaths. Poverty, financial problems, hunger and AIDS and other social pressures have driven millions of mothers towards this situation. Economically deprived women with an economic imbalanced status are contributing maternal deaths. Joblessness also have been allowed of rapid women deaths.

Women and the girls continue to face discrimination.

Poverty affects women and their families all over the world. Quality of life eludes hundreds millions of people due to grave economic inequalities.

On the other hand, everyday thousands mothers die of malnutrition, AIDS and other reproductive causes. Many more women in developing countries are not in favour of having too many children but these women do not have easy access to the various types of a family planning facilities.

Fifty percent decline in maternal deaths could be ensured in the developing world if women who wish no further pregnancies have access to reliable methods of family planning.

Empowering women means allowing them to decide but the role played by the women in the development of the country is generally very insignificant, this is because they are avoided of the opportunity to play an active role.

1. Each year, more than 500,000 women worldwide die from complications related to pregnancy. About 4 million newborns die annually, as do more than 10 million children under age 5. Yet most of these deaths which tend to occur in low and middle-income countries are preventable. Unfortunately, cost-effective health care that could save the lives of millions of mothers, newborns, and children is not always available to those who need it most. (Source:Sandra Yin, Population Reference Bureau, 2006.)

2. Even though Asia and Africa have an almost equal number of these deaths, the risks are highest by far in Africa, which has a much smaller population than Asia. African countries struggle to provide health services for large, dispersed, mainly rural populations, and the average number of children per woman on the continent is close to six.

3. In many poor communities, women with pregnancy-related complications face delays in deciding to seek care, getting to the appropriate health facility, and receiving treatment once they get there. While UN agencies estimate that 15 percent of all pregnancies result in complications, predicting individual instances of these complications is difficult. (Source:Yvette Collymore, population reference and Geneva: WHO, 1994).

The dangers attached to repeated pregnancy and abortion can be reduced by teaching safe methods of birth control. Only then can the maternal mortality be checked and reduced to some extent.

Lack of commitment and policy implementation pose as obstacles in solving the crisis. The concerned organizations have not been able to come out with effective programs to curb women deaths.

Now, women must get together all over the world and follow through without letup. That's how all great battles are won for women.

A Nepali Journalist and Story Writer Kamala Sarupi s specialising in in-depth reporting and writing on Peace,Anti War, Women, Terrorism, Anti Fascism, Democracy, and Development. Some of her publications are: Women's Empowerment (Booklet). Prevention of trafficking in women through media,(Book) Efforts to Prevent Trafficking in for Media Activism (Media research). Two Stories collections. Her interests include international conflict resolution, cross-cultural communication, philosophy, feminism, political, socio-economic and literature. Her current plans are to move on to humanitarian work in Nepal in the near future. She also is experienced in organizational and community development.

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