Download the symposium Programme Booklet

An inter-disciplinary symposium at the University of Oxford to explore the implications of gender on healthcare in South Asia. Addressing the biomedical, historical, socio-economic, and political dimensions of this topic, the symposium will serve as an exchange of knowledge and skills between researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of gender and health.

We invite participation from across disciplines, both within the UK and on the Indian subcontinent.

Sessions:

1. Reproductive health, non-communicable diseases, and beyond

Chair: Professor Jane Hirst (Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford)

Session Keynote from Professor Manisha Nair (National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford)

Speakers:

• Shivashri Chockalingam (University of Warwick), ‘The cardiometabolic risk profile of Asian Indian women during 3-5 years post-delivery: Prospective follow-up of STRiDE cohort’
• Swetha Sampathkumar (University of Warwick), ‘Uptake, Engagement and Acceptance of a co-developed remote Gestational Diabetes Prevention Program (GDPP) in India—A Mixed Methods Iterative Feasibility Testing’
• Bincy Mathew (Independent Researcher), ‘Healthcare access and social determinants of health during COVID-19 among homeless women in Delhi’
• Mallika Tharakan (Karnataka Health Promotion Trust), ‘"Communitization" for Action: Access to stigma-free NCD services for rural women through engagement with decentralised self-governance bodies- Experiences from Karnataka, India’

2. Mental health and stigma

Chair: Dr Nicole Votruba (Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford)

Session Keynote from Professor Pallab Maulik (George Institute for Global Health)

Speakers:

• Gracia Fellmeth (Population Health, Oxford), ‘“A child may smile at you, but you may not receive that smile”: a qualitative study of women’s awareness of perinatal mental health conditions and the acceptability of being asked about mental health in two regions of India’
• Tina Khanna (Social Policy and Intervention, Oxford), 'Psychological distress among young women during pregnancy and the role of partner support: a qualitative study from rural India'
• Madhurima Vuddemarry (Association for Socially Applicable Research), ‘Sex differences in suicide and self-harm burden and policy attention to them: A global analysis of 204 countries and territories’
• Paul John Philip (Central University of Rajasthan), ‘Depressive Symptoms among Older Adult Women in West Bengal: Association with Multi-morbidity and Implications for Policy’

3. Gender as a socio-political determinant of health

Chair: Vyoma Dhar Sharma (Oxford Department of International Development)

'Fireside Chat' with Professor Patricia Jeffery (School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh)

Speakers:

• Shilpi Sikha Das (Jawaharlal Nehru University), ‘Sexual violence against women from a Public Health perspective: A case study from India’
• Alankrita Anand (University of York), ‘The authority to care: Understanding young married women’s access to care in rural Bihar, India’
• Misimi Kakoti (The George Institute for Global Health India), ‘Assessing the Gender Responsiveness of Bhutan’s Cervical Cancer Plan and Related Strategies’
• Md Moslah Uddin and Dr David Lawson (University of Manchester), ‘Gendered Social Capital as Determinants of Health: from the Perspective of Extreme Poor Women in Bangladesh’

4. Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion

Chair: Professor Jane Hirst (Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford)

Session Keynote from Renu Khanna (SAHAJ-Society for Health Alternatives)