- Despite assurances, promises, reiterations, hard-fought struggles, questioning, and belligerently seeking parity and equality from different platforms for such a long period of time, women tend to find themselves side-tracked when it comes to matters of great importance. Women have seen how all those talks of extending equitable treatments at par with male counterparts continue to be conveniently ignored even now demonstrating time and again of men’s superiority in every veritable field previously considered as male domains.
- Without expecting any diluted conduct on the anachronistic belief which was erroneously premised women as less physically capable in comparison to a male, females have proved their worth beyond doubt in every single field. Unfortunately, the biased bearing on matters of greater significance continues to witness unfair disposition towards women though the factual scenario amply demonstrates to the contrary. It is not out of place to mention that, unlike men, women have a unique gift from Mother Nature to carry forward the legacy of humanity itself by shouldering the unparalleled responsibilities of giving birth to off-springs.
PC: Margaryta Kirakosian
- Apart from impregnating women, men can only stand aside and extend support to ensure women deliver the babies uneventfully putting at risk their own health and safety. Not for nothing, it is mentioned with absolute gratitude that women are reborn when they deliver babies after going through tremendous physical and mental duress of nine months. Ideally speaking, women should be accorded primacy in every single issue churning in society by default. Sadly, what is happening on the ground is anything but prejudiced dealing not befitting for a progressive society priding itself for being forward-looking.
- Look at the way how pregnant and lactating women are facing doubts and feelings of neglect as others around them line up to get vaccinated even as multiple covid waves ravage the universe. As the reports suggest, women have not been part of most covid vaccine clinical trials. In fact, women have long been considered as afterthoughts in most medical trials. Additionally, pregnant women are usually excluded from such biomedical research for protective reasons. Consider this, emerging small-scale data suggest that pregnant women might be at greater risk of complications from severe covid making it a priority group.
PC: Claire Gillespie
- It is no rocket science to understand that our physiological structure and components are not similar and hence make imminent sense to document women’s experiences during medical crises. It is appalling to note women have not been adequately attended to during the pandemic as the clarity on the matter is only emerging with time. Though covid vaccine development and drug testing have lately incorporated regarding women and other marginalized groups, there still remain big data gaps because of the traditional sidelining of women. More needs to be accomplished for sure.
- Firstly, women’s hormonal fluctuations are hardly factored into many tests largely for the convenience of the researchers rather than on account of effects in real life. Indian population is hit hard by the devastating second wave and millions of pregnant and lactating women are forced to rely on experts and data that only suggest they should have the choice to take the vaccine. The medical fraternity including biomedical scientists should devote quality time to emerge with tangible data enabling pregnant and lactating mothers to receive the vaccine without any ambiguity.
