Married at the age of nine and gave birth to a son at the age of 14, who died soon due to inadequate medical facilities, Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi’s personal life led her to take up the medical field. She is regarded as the the first woman physician from India, who completed its graduation in Western medicine from the United States. She suffered the demise of her child due to the substandard healthcare facilities in India.
Like Anandibai, numerous women lost their babies and died during pregnancy due to poor healthcare facilities. Poor quality of care and inefficient access to healthcare contribute to higher mortality rates. For every 100,000 live births in India, 130 women lose their lives during childbirth in India due to inadequate treatments and diagnosis, as per the National Library Of Medicine. Since time immemorial, women have been excluded from society for no reason; their diseases were (are) often missed, misdiagnosed, or remain a mystery. The misogyny led to the poor diagnosis, treatment, and care of women.
In his book ‘Generation Of Animals’, Greek Philosopher Aristotle characterised a female as a mutilated male; this belief is still prevalent in Western culture. India, with its rich cultural heritage and diversity, has had a pool of female talent across industries; however, there remains a dearth of female scientists in the medical field. Since women understand the same sex better, they can address the health issues and challenges women usually face and come up with apt solutions. Indian women have been in life science for over a century; however, their representation in the field is limited.
As per an article published by Harvard Business School, women scientists are more likely to develop treatments that benefit women. However, many of their ideas never materialise into inventions. The female research team is 35% more likely than the men research team to develop better medical treatments that primarily benefit women. Almost 122 Indians per 100,000 die due to poor care and the healthcare system, revealing India’s death rate is worse than that of Russia (91), Brazil (74), South Africa (93), and China (46). The substandard health system has raised the need for female scientists to ameliorate medical treatments for women.
WHO also emphasises the proper care at the right time for pregnant women. Since all women require antenatal care, skilled care during childbirth, and proper postnatal support, timely management and treatments can make a significant difference between life and death for both the mother and child. India has a deep pool of talented women who have played a crucial role in science and medicine for over a century. From space technology to biotechnology, from missiles to mathematics and medicines, women are making groundbreaking contributions across various fields to improve the healthcare system.
According to the Global Association of Psychological Science study, women perform better than men in science. Women contribute approximately $3 trillion to healthcare globally, or nearly 5% of global GDP. The report also found that women make 80% of healthcare decisions for the family. In fact, the proportion of women among practising scientists is limited. There have been outstanding women scientists who have made significant contributions to life sciences, but they have not been recognised as leaders in scientific research.
There is a pressing need for more female scientists in the medical fields in India who can contribute to tackling life-threatening diseases like breast cancer, heart disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, diabetes, unintentional injuries, kidney disease, septicemia, influenza, and pneumonia. Throughout history, women have played a pivotal role in building societies, economies, and nations -creating an inspiring legacy. The improper care, diagnoses, and healthcare systems for women highlight the dire need and urgent imperative to increase the representation of female scientists in the medical field.
