Empowering Women's Health: How Gender Equality Shapes Wellbeing
I'm about to open up about a topic that makes me want to morph into a hermit crab and retreat into my shell: gender equality and women's health. Yes, it's like the broccoli of dinner conversations—good for you but not always easy to digest.
But there's no escaping it. Every day, we see stories of women marching for bodily autonomy, and who hasn't bumped into a family tale or a medical maze that shows just how little the system caters to women's holistic health?
As we roll into Women's Equality Day this August 26th, during National Wellness Month, let's unpack how gender equality impacts women's health and explore ways to boost our wellness game.
First off, what is gender equality? According to the European Institute of Gender Equality, it's about equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender. I appreciate that this definition isn't just about women—it's a team effort, folks! Still, it's no secret that women often get the short end of the stick, and this becomes starkly apparent when we dive into the statistics on women's health and wellness.
The Link Between Gender Equality and Women's Health
Disparities in women's health and wellness, as compared to men, are most disproportionate when it comes to mental health, struggles with depression, reproductive and sexual health, and access to services, as well as struggles with chronic disease and the lack of prosperity and therefore access to services needed to lead a healthy life.
Minsky Health Institute provides some stunning statistics in these areas that demonstrate the women's health gap, which, by reducing it, could improve the lives of women throughout the world.
This report's most stunning statistic shows that most of these health-related issues occur during women's working years, "More than half of the health gap for women occurs during their working years, corresponding to about 80 percent of the estimated GDP impact."
Breaking Down Areas Impacted by Gender Equality
Reproductive Health:
CNN reported this year that access to women's reproductive healthcare has become more challenging for women in the US. When you read this, it should astound you. How, after all of the ways our mothers and their mothers fought for us to have the freedom to live healthy lives and participate in our society as whole individuals, are we now going backward?
This issue goes beyond belief systems. It's not just about a woman's right to seek a safe abortion. It's also about women being able to protect themselves from diseases and unwanted attacks like rape or abuse, which can really affect their ability to lead a healthy life.
Mental Health:
Exploration of how gender equality (or the lack thereof) affects women's mental health.
Women also experience significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety throughout their lives than men. There are many reasons for this gap, which are outlined in this article from News Medical, but some of the biggest causes include,
Cultural norms, like concerns about weight, appearance, behavior, etc.
Hormonal factors related to imbalances around menstrual cycles and postpartum depression
Chronic Diseases:
Women have significantly more challenges with chronic health conditions than men, according to the BMC Women's Health. While men are affected by a higher mortality rate than women, the rise of chronic diseases affects women at a greater rate. This is partly due to improvements in research and diagnostics. But also, much of the new research shows that women are disproportionately more affected by chronic disease due to conditions that are caused by or in conjunction with our menstrual cycles, hormonal changes during pregnancy, after pregnancy, and during menopause, as well as changes in the reproductive organs, and other parts of the body during these life-changing periods.
Strategies for Promoting Gender Equality in Health
Okay, whew. That was a LOT of heavy information. While I absolutely do not want to minimize the importance of this subject at all, I do believe that we all have the power to change our lives, habits, beliefs, and, therefore, the world around us.
So, let's dig into some practical solutions to how the gaps for women in health and wellness can be combatted so that you can lead your most healthy, optimal life.
Educate Yourself
Whether you consider yourself in the know or tend to stick your head in the sand when it comes to your health as a woman, it's more important than ever to educate yourself on the various ways you optimize your health and prevent disease. Some of this comes down to your specific age, and situation, but there are so many valuable resources, books, podcasts, and other learning tools out there that help you live a healthier life.
Here are a few that I recommend, but you get to choose where to focus your energy to empower yourself with knowledge about your body and health. After all, knowledge is power.
Books About Women's Health
Let's Talk About Down There, by Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, OB/GYN
The Menopause Manifesto, by Dr. Jen Gunter
The Fourth Trimester, by Kimberly Ann Johnson
Podcasts About Women's Health
From First to Last Period, with Kristyn Hodgdon
The Messy Middle, hosted by Alyssa Olenick
She MD, hosted by Dr. Thais Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney
Stages of She, hosted by Elisabeth (Lis) Thomas, Kristina Godfrey, and Sara Strasbaugh
Talking with Other Women
Nothing is more helpful than a community of women supporting each other and sharing their experiences to support health and wellness. Our shared experiences and stories create a perfect story, and each of our stories can help another person, even if it's just to help them feel less alone; here's why:
Support - When we share our stories, experiences, and challenges with someone else, it helps us our selves to feel supported.
Knowledge - We can gain insights and knowledge based on personal experiences that may benefit our lives and health.
Clarity - Talking with a friend or close family member can provide clarity if you are on the fence about something.
Happiness - Close friendships and regular conversations with friends are shown to lower depression and feelings of loneliness, according to Mental Health First Aid.
Listen to Your Instincts
After my second child was born, I didn't feel right. I kept being told it was just a part of the postpartum healing process, and then boom, I got so sick I could hardly eat or work out. I had two hernias, one of which had gone septic in my system. When I finally went in to have them checked, it was urgent enough that I was forced to go into surgery to repair the damage quickly.
Here's the thing: I knew something was wrong, but I waited too long to look into it and figure it out. Of course, it did work out in the end, but learn from me. Listen to your instincts about your health (or Gut, in my case 😉).
Advocate for Yourself
Look, I wish I could sit here and tell you that if you go in for a doctor's appointment or get a test because you're not feeling well, you'll gain all the help you need and the clarity you desire about your health. Still, based on my personal experience, I'd be lying.
Unfortunately, I've had more experience with health clinics, surgery centers, and post-injury or surgery recovery than most, so I know one thing is true over all the others: You need to advocate for yourself.
Our healthcare system is set up as a "single elimination" platform. Test for one problem or hypothesized issue, then stop there if the result is negative.
A recent study reported by Healthline found that 73% of women felt that their needs were dismissed or unheard during medical appointments. That means you must be prepared to advocate for yourself and your health with medical professionals. Here are some ways how:
Bring a family member or friend to your appointment
Write down your questions in advance
Get a second opinion if that's an option
Look up practice or practitioner reviews from past patients
Make sure you understand the treatment and healing plan
Lean on Resources and Organizations
One of the factors about women's health and the gender disparity that weighs on me is the clear connection between income barriers and access to quality healthcare and resources. That being said, each of us women should take agency and ownership of our choices and options. Here are websites, organizations, and resources that are dedicated to women's health:
Planned Parenthood—Planned Parenthood is a leading provider and advocate for high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care, as well as the largest provider of sex education in the United States. The organization operates nearly 600 health centers nationwide, offering services such as STD testing, birth control, abortion, and more. Planned Parenthood also engages in advocacy efforts to protect and expand access to sexual and reproductive health care and education.
Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention—The Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention (AWHP) is a non-profit dedicated to advancing policies that ensure all women and girls have access to quality preventive care. They work with diverse healthcare stakeholders to promote equitable health access and prevent disease progression to improve women's health outcomes.
Women's Health Resources from AAFP—This comprehensive list of resources on women's health covers clinical recommendations, preventive services, and patient care across various stages of a woman's life, including pregnancy and reproductive health. It aims to support evidence-based and patient-centered care.
The Society for Women's Health Research - The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) is dedicated to advancing women's health by promoting research on sex differences. SWHR focuses on identifying gaps in clinical research, raising awareness of women-specific health issues, and advocating for health policies that improve outcomes for women. They engage in interdisciplinary research, educational initiatives, and policy advocacy to address women's health across all life stages.
Look, at the end of the day, this article just scratches the surface of how women's health is tied to gender equality and how we can work towards being healthier and happier as women. But we all have to start somewhere: having tough conversations, listening to our friends, mothers, sisters, and ourselves, and advocating for ourselves and our health.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories about how you have navigated the healthcare system or improved your health and life. Let's connect and chat!
