International Women's Day: Women more prone to vision loss compared to men

Every human is entitled to the fundamental, right to health, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, disability, language and religion among others. There has been a higher prevalence of uncorrected visual impairment or blindness in women.

Gender inequality has detrimental effect on the eye health of women globally and in India. Not only are women more likely to be affected by sight-related conditions, but they are also less likely to have access to eye health services. Due to this, eye conditions of women are more likely to deteriorate leading to permanent blindness.

In majority of families in India especially the rural areas, women often have limited liberty and ability to make decisions about many aspects of their own lives. Many families have rigid social structures that define the roles of men and women, usually encoded in religious, tribal, and social traditions. These constraints often define the circumstances under which women have or do not have the freedom to make decisions regarding their own health.

Financial inequity in India has resulted in lower priority on the eye health of women in the families. Majority of women in India do not have equal access to resources, such as education, employment, or healthcare compared to men.

The key challenges in the healthcare sector are low quality of care, poor accountability, lack of awareness, and limited access to facilities especially in the rural areas.

By prioritising and improvising the engagement of wider gender empowerment initiative, there is hope for filling the gender gap regarding women’s access to eye care system in India.

A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) study in individuals aged over 50 years was conducted by Sightsavers in the Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh and Alipurduar district in West Bengal. It was found that the prevalence of blindness in women were more as compared to men.

Sightsavers through its Eye Health Programme has initiated to break the gender barrier that exists affecting women’s access to eye health in India. Eye health services that are provided within a barrier free environment, which are inclusive by design and are sustainable” Sightsavers’ priority focus is to address the barriers experienced by people with disabilities and women and girls.

Sightsavers ensures availability of affordable, quality eye health services in rural districts, urban slums, government schools and to the overworked truckers community. Sightsavers focuses on raising awareness about eye health, training health care workers, school teachers and community volunteers and strengthening their capacities.

The author is Global technical lead - eye health ASIA at Sightsavers. Views expressed are personal

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