Globalization and Woman's Health

Dr. Alexandra Nolen, Acting Director of the CEHD, in cooperation with the Karolinska Institute and the Training and Research Support Centre Tanzania was commissioned under the Karolinska/Training and Research Support Centre project on ‘Globalisation, womens occupational roles and womens health’ to prepare a background document reviewing literature on the relationship between

“Globalisation, occupation and women’s health,nutrition
and household food security in sub-Saharan Africa.”

Research overview.

Globalisation affects populations along a number of measures of well-being, and related policies can give and take away opportunities for improving people’s lives often with the same hand. Domestic policies as well as international trade policies shape the impact of globalisation, especially in terms of health effects, safety nets and many social issues. Populations in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), especially women, have been particularly hard-hit by some of the effects of globalisation, and often have not been able to capitalize on the opportunities for job-led, equitable growth that those in other countries have.

Globalisation has changed the nature of occupations as well as opportunities for income and health. This review was commissioned to looks at the impact of globalisation on women’s health, dietary patterns and household food security in relation to their changing occupational roles in agriculture, manufacturing and caregiving roles. Multi-level pathways ranging from the effects of macroeconomic trade policies to employment and working conditions to household gender relations play a role in shaping the lives and health of women and their families.

The findings are being used within the project, and with additional inputs from other sources the evidence will be published through the project in various peer reviewed publications in 2009.

Additional links:

Sida
Swedish National Institute

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