Rethinking interventions for women's health

Since its birth in 1971 Bangladesh has made impressive progress especially in the social sector. The population has doubled but fortunately the trebling of food production has contained the food shortages and famines that previously characterised this land. Net enrolment in primary schools has exceeded 85% and the gender gap has disappeared. Both infant mortality and total fertility rates have more than halved. Life expectancy has risen by 50% with women now living longer than men. Such gains have benefited disproportionately groups that were hitherto marginalised such as women and poor people. How did these gains occur? Bangladesh has seen many good public-health interventions such as oral rehydration therapy immunisations vitamin A distribution clean water and family planning along with increased national commitment to reduction of inequities as described in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and other documents. Actions that favour marginalised groups such as a stipend for girls in schools and a food incentive to attend school for pupils from poorer families have also contributed to a reduction of inequity. The independence war defeated religious dogmatists effectively ending their resistance to new ideas such as family planning and emancipation of women. Then came the rise of non-governmental organisations that promoted progressive values and that scaled up their interventions for womens empowerment education health and family planning to reach the whole nation. (excerpt)