The panel discussion elaborated on ways to create awareness with the theme ‘It’s Your Choice: Take Charge of your own Reproductive Health’
Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, to mark the International Women’s Day week celebrations, held a panel discussion on reproductive choices of women. The panel comprised representatives from Cloudnine Group of Hospitals and Secretary General of Family Planning Commission of India, Kalpana Apte. With the objective of empowering and encouraging women to exercise their reproductive choice, the theme for the panel discussion was ‘It’s Your Choice: Take Charge of your own Reproductive Health.’
Experts discussed the need to empower women at all life stages i.e. before marriage, post marriage, through maternity and beyond, to make their own decisions, especially when it comes to reproductive health. Experts also shared different ways in which young adolescents can be counselled by their parents to be aware of their reproductive choices and take charge of their reproductive health. The issue of reproductive choice is critical in a country like India where patriarchal mindsets are very strong and gender equity is low.
Moderating the discussion, Dr Shantala Vadeyar, Group Medical Director, Fetal and Maternal Medicine, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals said, “Young and growing children have poor knowledge and lack of awareness about physical and psychological changes that occurs during adolescence and the ill health affecting them. It is important that we create healthy lifestyle, restricting advertisement related to junk food products, awareness creation about reproductive and sexual health, educating parents to prevent early marriage, teenage pregnancy and to counsel their children on nutrition and reproductive health is extremely important.”
Dr Apte said, “When women do not have control over decisions related to their reproductive health, or are not well-informed, it can lead to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted or unplanned pregnancies, and deaths during pregnancy. On the other hand, when women take control of their health, make informed reproductive decisions, and adopt suitable contraceptives, it improves their health; gives them more time and energy to focus on their careers and aspirations; increases family happiness and prosperity.”
Panelists also discussed various policies and programmes that work towards empowering women such as the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, Prohibition of child marriage Act 2006, national family planning programme and the national adolescent health programme.