Status of women affected by leprosy in India.pptx

Leprosy is a debilitating disease with deep-rooted stigma causing fatal consequences to social life of the affected person whether male or female. This presentation does not attempt to prove the impact of leprosy on men’s life as less harmful than that of the women. What the study revealed is that leprosy acts like a double whack on women who is already at a challenging situation due to the gender disparities in the Indian social context. Dependency upon men and family makes the life of women more vulnerable due to discrimination and exclusion. The study team has come across women in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka whose family life was jeopardised due to leprosy.

1. Women affected by leprosy Vijayakrishnan

2. “The various religions practised in India as well as the personal laws based on them consigned women to a status inferior to that of men.” - S ahab deen maurya

3. Status of women in India 20 th century reformists and Mahatma Gandhi – the chief mentor of India’s freedom struggle - wanted a better status of women in India, through promotion of women’s education and abolition of discriminatory rituals. However statistics indicate poor status of women even today – demographic indicators like sex ratio and child sex ratio are still biased against women, with 940 women to 1000 men in 2011 (latest census in India) Birth of girl child brings gloom in many Indian families Sharp difference in literacy rates of men and women (18 and 35% of illiteracy) The findings of NFHS 2021 reveal significant gender disparities in land ownership. In rural areas, only 17–18 per cent of households have at least one female owning land, and women own just 9–10 per cent of rural plots. 10/31/2025

4. Gender factor in leprosy Leprosy acts like a double whack on women who is already at a challenging situation due to the gender disparities in the Indian social context. Women suffer more discrimination and exclusion due to leprosy Leprosy disability reduces the chances of economic survival of the woman as it is true for the men as well. However the negligence and isolation accorded to women increases their chances of worsening of disabilities and human suffering trapping themselves into a vicious circle of poverty, rejection and de- habilitation . Women tend to hide early symptoms more than men “Elimination” has resulted in significant lowering of the profile of leprosy and an all-round reduction in fund allocations covering a variety of thematic areas around leprosy Reduced medical and paramedical staff, research, awareness generation programmes, and NGO projects. People in most parts of the country find it difficult to avail essential leprosy services like timely diagnosis, nerve function assessment, reaction management, reconstructive surgery, self care counselling and care and protection of insensitive feet. 10/31/2025

5. Conclusion Year 2022 2023 2024 % of female among the total new cases 38.57 39.71 40.07 10/31/2025 P oor case detection rates for the female in India. In the Indian context women are less mobile and less free to seek medical help The intervention projects in India should take special care to make their programmes women friendly in strategy, timings and approach. The problems faced by women are harder in the cases of delayed diagnosis due to complications, reactions, disabilities and stigma. Consequently, in the domestic context, women fall easy prey to discriminatory behaviour from family members and community through regular, day-to-day and close-knit interactions.