On the third week of living in Mysore, India, I met Nirosha, an 18-year-old university student and Bollywood dance instructor. At first she was my Bollywood dance instructor, but shortly after we met, we became great friends. Nirosha and her family of four welcomed me into their homes to have a glimpse of the life they live in Mysore, India. During one of my visits in Nirosha’s home, equality of women in India was a subject that came up in our conversation.
The treatment towards women in Indian society was a key point in understanding the accessibility and use of healthcare among women. Nirosha understood this as well, she made is known that although in her nuclear family there were no preferences between the male sibling and the female sibling, many families in Southern India exercise this inequality between their children. She stated that in many cases, female children are rarely taken to seek medical intervention, whereas male children are taken immediately; she reported that this is due to the fact that the male as seen as most valuable since he will become head of household someday and generator of income. When asked what possible solutions she thought could address this inequality and its influence on health care accessibility, Nirosha stated that there wasn’t one single solution that could be applied because the problem roots from societal and cultural customs; she mentioned that in order to improve health care accessibility for women, measures such as mass education on health concerns affecting women in India should be done, as well the growth of mobile health clinics focusing on women health concerns. Nirosha emphasized on the importance of education for families on the dangers of giving preference to male children. She also emphasized that although the Indian Government has implemented laws such as the prohibition of sex selection, more laws to protect women should be established and practiced without the exclusion of any women regardless of religion or socio-economic status. Living in India for one-month learning about a range of factors that affect health care accessibility for women and children, Nirosha’s perspective was similar to that of other people I encountered in Mysore, India. As a member of society, Nirosha stated that promoting education among her circle of family and friends was crucial to promote change in the accessibility of healthcare in India, specially among women in rural communities.
Learning about the efforts of a young woman in India towards health care accessibility among women in India further taught me that there are many factors that affect health care accessibility, and that one simple solution is not a guaranteed fix to the flaws in the system. Although change may take time, it is the voice of women such as Nirosha, which will contribute to the way in which women are perceived. Change begins with education of those that are close in radius, then those benefits will be amplified throughout time.