Economic violence exacerbates women’s reproductive health problems

Life (pseudonym), a 27-year-old married mother of four, says: “I had 4 miscarriages because I didn’t want to have any more children. Poverty, hunger and lots of leftovers!” I cannot feed my children; My husband is not working since Corona, he is sitting at home.

I worked as an escort for students on the school bus from 6 am to 3 pm. The monthly fee was 200 dinars, my husband took 100 dinars from them and we lived with the rest. Last time I had an abortion, “bleeding was my trick.”

I went to the (government) health center and he prescribed me medicine and vitamins and he asked me for tests. I could not do them because I had no money even though the amount was not huge. Apparently, “my children’s bread is more important” because my husband refuses to treat me or help with household expenses, telling me to “take care of yourself.”

I got tired again and stopped working with students, the school owners offered my services, I returned home due to a problem with my husband and a blow, I was anemic and my blood ratio was eight, my. Zero iron balance, a constant headache, dizziness and fatigue.

The health center doctor warned me not to practice treatments, examinations, cleanings, dilations and healings because of constant pain in my back, abdomen and pelvis. He beat me when I was leaving work.

Data and numbers.

Survey data released by the Department of Statistics for 2019 shows that women account for one-third of employment opportunities, as the percentage of opportunities created for women reached 35.3% of the total opportunities compared to men. 64.7% for males, and the percentage of female participants in the social security umbrella reached about 28.2% in 2019.

According to World Bank statistics for 2019, the Jordanian labor market participation rate for women is the fifth lowest in the world, and Jordan ranks 140 out of 142 countries on the Global Index of Women’s Economic Participation.

Organic connection?

Human rights expert, Dr. Nahla Al-Momani affirmed that there is a link and organic relationship between women’s economic empowerment and access to appropriate health care. Proper application, development of legislation and effective monitoring are high. Women, especially during pregnancy, childbirth and childbearing, can receive the highest level of necessary health services through their participation. This participation results in economic life as part of its rights.

She pointed out that under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women economic and health empowerment of women is one of the obligations imposed on the state and women have rights to be a part of economic life. They should enjoy health insurance and health care in all cases, including childbirth. All legislative, executive and judicial measures to ensure this.

Exhausting motherhood!

hope (pseudonym), a 30-year-old mother of eight, before I got married, I worked with my family on farms in the Jordan Valley, after marriage I continued to work (without pay), but with more responsibilities I had children, a house, a husband, repeated pregnancies and Childbirth weakened my body in the near term and I was always tired and stressed.

In one delivery, labor became difficult, the fetus died, I had constant pain in the abdomen and back and frequent bleeding. Despite the warnings, my husband refused to stop having children or use contraceptives. The doctor at the health center told me that if I continue to have children in my current situation, I will die.

After a while I became pregnant and was working in the farms, I felt very tired, but “my husband refused to leave work because he could not provide for the house.” One day, when I was in seventh grade. Month, I fell on the floor and fainted, and I was bleeding profusely.

After the examination, the doctor told about the rupture of the uterus and the loss of the fetus. Two weeks later, I went back to work because our financial situation did not allow it, and I had to help my husband, especially after losing the ability to have children.

An unpaid job?

The women’s solidarity organization “Tadamun” Sangha has confirmed that unpaid work is a serious obstacle to wage-earning women and creates economic violence against them.

In an earlier report by “Unity”, the greatest burden of unpaid work, including domestic work and care work, unfairly falls on women, and they compensate for the lack of public spending on social services and infrastructure to support the economy. They actually shift resources from women to others in the economy.

The economic effect?

A study prepared by the High Population Council on Access to Family Planning Information and Services in Jordan in 2021 following the Corona Pandemic showed that (25.4%) women were affected by the pandemic in terms of the impact of the pandemic on reproductive options. (Corona) Regarding the desire to postpone pregnancy, women attributed this change in childbearing preferences to the economic situation due to the desire to get pregnant in space due to the epidemic (28.6%) and the number of desired children (23.6%). for infection (44.2%).

Maternity protection!

Social security expert, Hamada Abu Najma, said maternity protection is a key factor in achieving gender-based equality at work, while protecting the jobs and wages of working mothers, while reducing poverty and promoting decent work.

Studies of the reality of women’s work indicate that we need to develop a comprehensive system of maternity protection, and this system includes the necessary safeguards to maintain the nutritional and health needs of mothers and their children, she pointed out. Essential to achieving gender equality at work, this includes protecting jobs and wages for working mothers, promoting decent work, reducing poverty and balancing work and family responsibilities.

The United Nations says…

UN Women confirms that only 20.5% of women are in the labor force in the Middle East and North Africa region, and 33% of women in the region participate in vulnerable jobs, compared to 23% for men. Women are overrepresented in low-wage occupations.

The United Nations attributes this to discriminatory legal frameworks, limited access to appropriate training, unpaid and unauthorized care work (high cost of childcare, housework) and poor working conditions, including low wages, often combined with a lack of protection. , social and cultural discrimination rules.