Women's health not emotive issues with policy makers: Shabana

Mumbai, Sep 28 (UNI) Stating that the rising incidence of maternal mortality was a cause of concern, actress-activist Shabana Azmi lamented that women's health issues not emotive issues with policy makers of the country.

''The number of pregnancy related deaths in a week is equal to that of deaths in a span of one year in Europe and 70 per cent of such cases are preventable,'' Ms Azmi said yesterday while delivering Dr Mabelle Arole Memorial address here.

''Experts say that the pregnancy related deaths in a week are equivalent to 400 plane crashes in a year. In case of plane crashes, there would have been a hue and cry and governments would have collapsed. But, there is no reaction to the unavoidable deaths of poor rural women,'' she pointed out.

The former Rajya Sabha member stressed that women's voice should be heard in the corridors of power because it was different. ''It is sad that female foeticide had reached its lowest ebb in rich states. I can't believe that a girl child can be killed before she is born in effluent societies. Still, the sorry state of affairs do not catch attention of our policy makers,'' she added.

Ms Azmi said women's health was the strongest means of their empowerment and added that in rural areas there are many reproductive tract infections. ''Women's empowerment is important not just to the women but also to the society if it needs to progress,'' She added.

She also called for the need to avoid education which would breed prejudice in the mindset of people. ''If education reinforces gender prejudice, it is not good,'' she felt.

According to her, in the present times, it has become imperative for men and women to go out and work. ''In such circumstances, the need of the hour is to change the status quo. It is time to redefine marriage in terms of partnership,'' she said.

Ms Azmi said a working woman has to cope up with guilt of neglecting her family. ''But, she can overcome that guilt, with delegation of responsibility. It is the woman who puts too many things upon herself,'' she added.

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