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please use this space for the group discussion and reflections on the readings


1. Into a New World: Young Women's Sexual and Reproductive Lives, a report from the Alan Guttmacher Institute.

2. Chapter 3 From Outrage to Courage on "A Violent Practice: Female Genital Mutilation" ( read pages 51-58 )

3. fact sheet by the World Health Organization on the practice of female genital cutting. (3 pages)

4. The piece involves a learning exchange between Peace Corps volunteer Elizabeth Oram and a local nurse Zainaba, from Mauritania.

5. Female Genital Mutilation: Guide to Laws and Policies edited by Anika Rahman and Nahid Toubia (7 pages)


week 3 discussion B is coming here

1. reflections on the topic "Human Rights and Health" Ch 1


2. reflections on the topic "Son Preference" Ch 2


Tatiana:
1. I was fascinated reading the Ch.1 - where the author defines two approaches to the definition of health and describes the consequences of these differences: the first one, which is the health closely related to the "environment" (including social norms, economic conditions and cultural preferences and biases), appears as more rooted in women's experiences, rather than an alternative one; the second, which defines health as a capacity of individual to keep up ones firmness and wellbeing. Women are primarily care providers - this is true for any culture any custom, this makes them depend more on the environmental factors, in contrast to the individualistic reasoning, which tries to argue that every one is responsible for ones health. This latter argument has its limitations, and the material of the Ch 1 describes this very vividly.

2. "son preference" is very disturbing reading. I started to muse what if a similar level of infanticide would be practiced for some ethnic group? ... then everyone would agree that it is genocide happening. How strange that we have to develop a quite sophisticated approach, in order to just start discussing this problem with the widespread girls infanticide. The material of Ch.2 makes me think that this problem is not a problem of abortion, or lack of birth control and maternity care (however these are lacking for sure in these South Asia regions) - the problem here is with the social devaluation of the girls and women themselves; devaluation of their contribution to the social goods, services and relations. And this should be addressed and changed. Women themselves should start put value to their work and services.




the discussion for the week 2 is here and add your reflections using "leave a comment"


here is the group Summary for the week 1 discussion
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