1900-2011 Women’s health: Trends and Changes.

To start our blog: we think it is important to examine the history of women’s and public health through the last 85 years. So our first post will be on that... We have chosen to concentrate on the last century, because, this firstly it has had the most effect on our modern public health, over these years there has been exciting progession in women’s issues: gender, societial, economic,political, the health and well being of women have all been critically questioned during these years. In this small frame of time, women in the western world, challenged their traditional roles as wives and mothers, fought immensely for the right and the roles of their bodies in society.

The earliest turning event in public health and womens rights can be seen during the Great War. During this time, war-torn countries were powerfully affected powerfully by many epidemics, in which this influence exceeded the amount of deaths as a direct result of the war. Many women served as nurses and worked in hospitals both in the US, as well as overseas, as physical and occupational therapists, namely “Reconstruction Aides.” These aides assisted in the prevention of further disease developments, as well as treating the previously diagnosed ones. In comparison to the literature, this was an important example as to how medicine differed from public health. During the last two years of the war, the greatest disaster of all took place. The influenza pandemic arose, causing between 50-100 million casualties worldwide (1918-1919). Researchers note that this was caused from superadded bacterial infections - which although it was beyond the nurse’s healing capabilities, it brought light to medical attention and major improvements in public health. The important roles of the women who served as nurses in the Navy and Marine Corps helped the expansion of public health by their services in which they later received decorations for.

During the Second World War, just like the First World War. Women donated countless hours and drastically put forth efforts to change the stigmatized health care during this time. Although there were several millions of fatalities during the war (more civilians than soldiers even), we can see both positive and negative contributions that ultimately both led to further developments in public health. For example, many negative factors deal with the spread of diseases from one continent to the other, which led to several illnesses and major diseases among the civilians residing in those areas.  This coerced scientists to research the different causes and seek prevention methods which are still being used today. The rapid advancement of science and technology eventually led to the discovery of these treatments, saving millions of lives. Since public health relates to prevention, we can see that these treatments further led to health promotion During this time Women challenged their role in the medical field, where traditionally, men were physicians, and women contributed in a more subordinate role, such as nurses, and care takers (Enrenriech. 2010). Without these opportunities it is hard to say when times would have improved for women had it not been for the war.

The women’s role in the war was not forgotten, when the soldiers returned home. Women were hesitant to return to the  “pre-war” lifestyle. Over the next few decades there were several uprisings in the feminist and civil rights movement. Campaigns on female-centric issues such as abortion rights, maternity leave, equal pay, and domestic violence, all played a major role in developing programs public support systems available to women.
During this time, global health took an international interest, which lead to the formation of the The United Nations, also leading to several programs and organizations, such as the WHO, UNICEF, and UNESCO. Today, these organization have played a major role in developing programs, that deliver health care and other initiatives to communities globally.
On a smaller scale Individual events have played a key role in defining women’s health throughout the last century. These cases studies are essential, as they have challenged women’s social and economical roles throughout the last century, at the same time critically examining the role of public health. Additionally, these cases challenge societies perspective on women’s health. These past event that have addressed key disputes, allowing public health to become more accessible system for women. Similarly, this has allowed women to create a support system that provides the proper resources and support in women’s health.

For example: In the early twentieth century, two women: Mary Mallon and Jennie Barmore, endured serious public scrutiny, because they both tested positive for typhoid, the women worked in the food industry, they were considered more dangerous to the public then men who tested positive for typhoid, because “cooking was a traditional and necessary activity for women”(Leavitt. 1999) This example addresses the cultural expectations of women during this time period, but also sheds light on the inequality and personal struggles women have faced in the past, and many still face today. In (2003) Stoller wrote an article that addressed the lack of medical care for women prisoners, in three different prisons throughout the United States. From this article it is obvious that women struggle to recieve the proper medical services and needs from the prison. This example is intertwined with ethical and medical issues,  providing health care to prisoners, but in our “modern society” should health care not provide services to all individuals, regardless from their economic or societal position?

Although we have come along way since the beginning of the 1900’s, there is still many aspects of women's health that have not been addressed on both a grass-roots and global level. Over the next few months we will explore these issues in more depth!


Best,
Anne and Vicki



Sources:
Enrenriech B. (2010) Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A history of women healers. 2nd ed. New York: the feminist press.
Leavitt Walzer J. (Ed.). (1999) Women and Health in America. 2nd ed. Madison: The university press.
Morgan S. (2002). Into our own Hands: The women’s health movement in the united states 1969-1990. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
Stoller N. (2003) Space, place and movements as aspects of health care n three women’s prisions. Social Science and Medicine 56: 2263-2275.
Rosen G. (1958). A history of public health. New York: MD Publications