Women in India do not enjoy their full reproductive rights. Highlight the interventions adopted to remove these barriers.

Reproductive health & choices are an important component of fundamental rights to life & personal liberty of women, under Article 21 as ruled by the Supreme Court in a recent judgement.

Despite above fundamental right, there exist barriers to its realization:

  • Inadequacy of healthcare infrastructure – Doctor/population ratio is below WHO recommended 1:1000. Also PHC/population ratio is also low.
  • Lack of awareness among families about importance of institutional deliveries.
  • Orthodox attitude leading to vaccine resistance, etc.
  • Patriarchal societal norms leading to early marriage & childbirth among women, leading to high rate of undernourishment and anaemia.
  • Societal practices like women eating last.
  • Lack of access to safe contraceptives.

Interventions to remove above barriers:

  • Nutrition support – Reproductive Maternal, Neonatal & adolescent health schemes focussing on nutrition of women & children, like Poshan Abhiyan.
  • Financial incentives to promote right behaviour. E.g., PM Matra Vandana Yojna to compensate for wages loss and provide adequate rest.
  • Conditional cash transfer based on 1st dose of vaccines.
  • Behaviour change approaches – Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna to encourage delayed marriage, etc.
  • Scholarships for girl students to promote higher education. E.g., Kiran Yojna.
  • Enhanced access to contraceptives via ASHA and schemes like Antara & Chhaya Yojna.

A comprehensive set of interventions are needed from societal and institutional to financial, to promote better reproductive health in women.

Originally written on May 17, 2023 and last modified on October 27, 2024.

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