n7498365

= = =**__ Week 2: Women's amazing body __**=

=
This weeks' lecture on woman's amazing bodies was quite interesting and very informative. I never thought much about the difference between gender and sex and how much they are different. The fact that we can choose the gender of our own children demonstrates that family and society plays a major role in shaping the future of our children.====== I was also surprised that women s' bodies are often seen as public property and the online magazine referred to as "Women's Bodies a Public Affair!" which I personally think is totally unacceptable as women are robbed of their privacy and freedom. Sara Mazloumsaki from Sara Jun magazine wrote "Who really owns our (women's) bodies? Do they belong to us (women), to our family, to our town, to our state, to our nation, or to the males of our societies?" There is so much scrutiny and public debate regarding female bodies around the world. Sometimes I wonder why many ladies take the surgical risk which include plastic surgery in order to look their best. However, not so much like men. As mentioned in the lecture ladies are always on the cover of most magazines which as a results increases pressure on ladies. Women are always under the pressure to be role models of the society which sometime negatively impact on their health and well being. "Women's Bodies a Public Affair! The images below shows how women's bodies are a public affair further influencing the media and society to scrutinise ladies more compared to men!



= = =__**Week 3 : Woman in Popular culture, Advertising and the Media**__= This week's lecture focused on a variety of issues related to women. The story of Eve thousand years ago reported that women are not trusted, weak-willed and prone to evil. I personally think this statement does not reflect all women as every individual is different. Women are generally considered weaker than men and often prevent them from occupying the leading roles in industries all companies. For example, the former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard faced difficulty gender issues during her time as the national leader. The link below provides the former Prime minister s' interview regarding gender issues and misogyny. [] Another issue that was raised in the lecture regarding women was use of public space. There has been increasing incidence of women being attacked, raped and killed which makes it difficult for majority of women to go out in public space. The idea of older women referred to as drying up, "shivering, and feeling useless" from the lecture notes left me thinking why is it because they have more wrinkles, unattractive therefore they can not be on magazine covers.Older women are also being discriminated from jobs and are forced to retire early compared to men. The following article described how women were being treated unfairly for example grey haired women working for BBC were meant to dye their hair so as to keep their jobs. This unfair treatment of women working for BBC has been condemned by many and has been reported as damaging society [] I also think this affect the older women s' health due to constant worry about whether their appearance does not affect their jobs therefore may cause stress which can lead to mental health related issues such as depression.

=__** Week 4:The "right" time to have a child: Changes in reproductive trends and outcomes for women **__= I am enjoying all the lectures so far. All the lecture content is relevant and applies to most women in the world. This weeks' lecture covered on a variety of issues that I personally find fascinating .The issue of when is the right time to have a child has always been a difficult one for most women. Personally, growing up I always wanted to have my first child at twenty five, have a career and a partner. As I became older I realised that it was not as easy to achieve all my goals at the same time. It was mentioned in the lecture that women over 35 have increased risk of birthing complications, caesarean delivery and congenital disorders. I think the age factor gives a lot of young women pressure to have kids before 35 in order to avoid being labelled "high risk" Raising a child has never been easy even for younger women or older that is why its difficult for most women to decide when to have a child. There are several issues related to having a child during young age which include missing school, being unemployed leading to poverty and difficulties in caring for the new born which may cause stress related disorders.The pictures below shows different reaction from new mothers. Some mothers have difficulties balancing work and family which can negatively impact on thier work performance. Meanwhile, some new mothers express that they quite enjoy motherwood.I also think it depends with the available support one recieves.



The issue of mobile phones and email has changed women's experiences in the world in many different ways. Women use social network more than men. [] In general women socialize more than men and therefore they use more social networks available such as Facebook and twitter. Women using social network have access to information such as to health and fitness, social support which can improve their health and well being. Another issue that was raised in the lecture was about abortion how it evolved. The issue of abortion is viewed differently by religious and non religious groups. I was quite surprised that in Australia abortion is legal in other state except Queensland. However, as discussed in lecture individuals seeking abortion can either perform it illegally in Queensland or travel to other states. I personally think Queensland should also legalise abortion. Children By Choice recommended the following "Queensland’s abortion law is antiquated and must be modernised so that it is clear, widely understood, and reflective of community attitudes and clinical practice" []
 * __ Feminism Technology and Fertility __**
 * Abortion**





=__**Week 5:Fashion industry and body image: Impact on women's health**__= This week's lecture was really good and covered on number of issues regarding fashion industry and how this impacts on women's health. The story of Barbie how its causing so much harm to young women. Barbie image has the perfect figure which many girls try so hard to look like Barbie. As a result many women spend lots of money on plastic surgery, some starve themselves and try to be like Barbie. In real life its not possible to survive like Barbie. As the following post demonstrate. According to Boston University student K. Wysocki: > " Barbie's neck is twice as long as the average human's which would make it impossible to hold up her head....Barbie's legs are 50% longer than her arms, whereas the average woman's legs are only 20% longer than her arms....If a woman had the same measurements as Barbie, she would not have enough body fat to menstruate (and obviously to have children)." > > > > The image of Barbie we all see is perfect and same as in fashion and women's' advertisements all we see are the perfect celebrities. What we don't see often in magazines are pictures of plus size models and people who are poor. There are a lot of issues affecting women such as domestic violence, rape, abuse and mental illness. These issues seems to be brushed off in the media and its all about fashion and appearance. I was quite surprised by the article which the magazine used plus size models and was referred to as " fashion s' last taboo" I personally think there is no problem in using plus size model on magazines. The majority of women around the world especially in developed countries are overweight and obese.Obesity is a global issue, therefore using skinny models does not reflect the real women of today. In fact these pictures are brushed off a lot. > [] > Elle magazine breaks fashion's last taboo: plus-size models on the cover >

Another issue that was discussed in the lecture was about fashion bodies and eating disorders. The problem is massive especially among young women. There are a variety of factors that influence these young girls. Family, peers and media may influence on what the young ones eat and what they say to them which could be detrimental. The following article explains how society influence eating disorders and how it impacts on women. Its quite surprising to realise that being thin is considered the ideal body and is associated with becoming successful in life. Therefore the majority of women starve or vomit after eating to try to remain thin. [] As a result some women face problem in life that they became too thin to menstruate which affect their fertility. Cosmetic surgery was also discussed in the lecture and statistics indicate that it has become popular among women. Women focus on appearance more than important issues in their every day lives. However, cosmetic surgery has its own downfall as some procedures are not successful as a result some complications may occur. I was surprised during the lecture to discover that there is leg lengthening surgery which is becoming popular among young women. I never thought women would have to undergo this lengthening procedure when high heeled shoes are available. Personally, why would someone put themselves through risk of anaesthetics and other possible complications related to surgery? Anyway the lecture highlighted that some women felt better after the procedure and may became motivated and move on to achieve their life goals. The lecturer also highlighted that there is no code of ethics around fashion and bodies and its up to the individual to decide what is best for themselves. =__**Week 6: Having a baby: a woman's health perspective**__= This week's lecture was about two philosophies of pregnancy and birth which are non-medical and medical model and how it has affected women's choices during pregnancy and birth. The lecture indicated that the non-medical approach is rarely in practice and pregnancy and birth have become pathologised.I don't agree with the idea of referring to pregnancy as a "**medical condition",** simple because its an individual 's choice to become pregnant in most cases except in rape cases and not all pregnancy require medical intervention especially in developing countries majority of deliveries occur at home or without an medical intervention. The developed countries have the advantage of advanced technology and due to high rates of litigation involving obstetrics they tend to take extra care sometimes unnecessary practices which may interfer with the natural process of labour or pregnancy. However, to a greater advantage the developed countries are performing well toward achieving the **millennium goal no 4 and 5** Pregnancy and child birth are pathologised in most developed countries and child mortality rates are very high in developing countries which may also be due to limited medical resources which include experienced staff, equipment and pharmaceuticals. Differences between public and private hospitals Women who give birth in public hospitals have very limited choice on how they plan to deliver their babies. However, women who choose private hospitals have a better chance of choosing the preferred mode of delivery. Most women give birth in private hospitals via caesarean section as the majority are considered to "posh to push". The lecture highlighted that most women who choose private over public are above 35 years and have increased pregnancy and birth complications therefore caesarean section will be the best possible option for them. Most of these women have good paying jobs and can afford private health.

Another issue that was discussed in the lecture was about home birth. Some women choose to deliver their babies at home with a private midwife. However, home birth has become very expensive since the government does not fund private home birth. This makes it hard for most women who prefer home birth to proceed with this plan therefore their choices are limited to either hospital or birth centre. Another issue discussed was of media and home birth. The media always discourage home birth and only releases headlines about negative outcome of home birth and discourages the public from choosing home birth. A story from the UK indicated that the media reports on negative home birth outcomes every week. Media scaremongering surrounding home birth. mother brainwashed over home birth”, mother dies as result of home birth Such headlines are quite common in the UK media discouraging women from home birth. This increases pressure on the hospital system as mothers with low risk have to deliver at the hospital. []



In this week's tutorial we discussed the issue of when is the right time to have a child? The majority of people would like to have a permanent job, income, car, house education and travel before they commit themselves to having children. However, I have realised that its not possible to achieve all your goals all together at one point in life. For example, I have two kids and a job but am studying and hoping to travel as well. As women we tend to judge others if they have no children and often refer to them as selfish. I think we should respect everyone 's decision about whether to have kids or not. I also think every women should decide when its right time for them to have children and this should reduce the pressure the community puts on women regarding parenthood. A lot of women suffer from perinatal depression due to a lot of pressure related to change of roles. Women require a lot of support during the time and this may increase their autonomy and assist them in overcoming some of these challenges. =__**Week Seven: Changing gender roles in families: Paid work, house work, and child raising**__= This week's lecture highlighted a number of issues directly impacting on women's social and emotional well being. The issue of gender and roles has come a long way, although today some families have managed to share work or roles between women and men. However, less women are taking up jobs/ careers such as engineering, information technology as society still identify them as men related trades. As a result women are misrepresented in most trades as men are left to occupy the leading position. The issue of men occupying higher positions in politics, industries has negative outcomes especially for women as they remain with lower wages than men and women are left with less paying jobs and have less superannuation.Women in leadership roles tend to face more challenges than men such as stereotyping regarding their ability to communicate effectively and fulfil the management role as expected. For example the former prime minister Julia Gillard was often criticised for her performance and was seen as incompetent to lead the nation. As a result she was removed from the prime ministership. During her exit speech Julia Gillard highlighted that she was often judged based on her gender. “The reaction to being the first female prime minister does not explain everything about my prime ministership, nor does it explain nothing about my prime ministership,” she stated. “I’ve been a little bit bemused by those colleagues in the newspapers who have admitted that I have suffered more pressure as a result of my gender than other prime ministers, but concluded it has had zero effect on my political position.” Despite this, she concludes by saying that the road for Australian women in politics will be less bumpy. “What I am absolutely confident of is that it will be easier for the next woman, and the woman after that and the woman after that. And of that I’m very proud.” [] I personally think Julia was treated unfairly because of her gender and as society we need to change our perception regarding gender and roles and encourage more women to take up leading roles in society. The issue of paid work was also discussed in the lecture and I think women who stay at home full time caring for children should also be paid. Caring for kids at home is a lot of hard work which is currently not considered as work. From personal experience house work never ends and is quite difficult to manage with young kids. As a result women at home full time have increased risk of becoming depressed due to stress similar to men employed full time. The issue of gender inequality is still a problem affecting many coutries world world. The United Nations' millenium goal number 3 is aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering of women in society. So far they have been such achievements such as improving equality in primary education, however violence aginst women and discrimination are still ongoing problems that require combined patnership effort from different sectors to adress. The millenium goal was set to be reached by 2015, however a lot has to be achieved by then which makes it difficult reach the goal by 2015.



=__Week eight : Domestic Violence__= Domestic violence has always been one of those topics that makes me feel a bit nervous and I always associated it with trauma and fear. I personally have not been a victim of domestic violence, but I am against domestic violence. Looking at the history this shows that domestic violence has been ongoing from a long time. The statistics clearly indicate that most victims are from lower social economic status. From the lecture I have also learn that there are different types of domestic violence which was an eye opener for me. The lecture highlighted that domestic violence against women often occurs in women less than 40 years. I was not aware as I thought domestic violence incidences are similar across different age groups of women. I have realised that most women would have secured a stable job, been in relationships and have reached a point in their life when they can make decisions about their future and have more power and can leave abusive relationship. Women stay in abusive relationship due to various reasons which the lecture indicated that women dependent on their partners for money and upkeep which makes them stay and hope that their situation might change. I do not agree with the idea of women staying in abusive relationships simple because they hope that it will change. In the tutorial I have learnt that if husband, partner or friend shows an sign of any form of abuse towards you this could be a sign to indicate that more of bad stuff may happen if future. As women we should always be vigilant in relationships and make decisions before its too late. The cycle of abuse clearly demonstrate how violence keeps happening.



As indicated in the lecture the Nature of the abuse cycle clearly indicate that abuse happens in phases and ongoing therefore it is up to the victim to seek help or leave the situation as the likelihood of it reoccurring is very high. Domestic violence affect women's health in particular women's health. http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence-against-women/mental-health-effects-of-violence/index.html. This article clearly indicate that women suffer from several health issues related to domestic violence. Society should all come together and fight domestic violence and encourage domestic violence victims to speak up and seek help.



= = = = = = =__**Week nine: Indigenous women's health**__= Indigenous women in Australia have poorer health compared to non-Indigenous Australians.The life expectacy gap which is reported as seven years in 2007 ( Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, n.d.). There are several issues related to the difference in life expectancy. There are high incidence of chronic diseases among indigenous such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases and cancer ( Australian Bereau of Statistics,2006). High incidence of chronic diseases explains the high mortality rates among the Indigenous.Indigenous women have childrern at a very young age which explains why most of the young girl leave school early.Approximately 10% of Indigenous children are reported to graduate year 12 (Creative Spirits, n.d.). This clearly shows that Indigenous children remain uneducated and their literacy level will remain lower compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous women experience high rates of domestic and family violence which has been reported as 45 times more compared to non-Indigenous Australians (Creative spirits, n.d.). I think the Indigenous women are more likely to be abused due to high levels of unemployement among the population. Most of the Indigenous men are unemployed and stay at home and rely on government social support which is very minimal to suatain their families. Due to stress of family demands the men are more likely to get frustrated and which could result in assulting their wives. Below is an example of quote from an Indigenous women explaining how she avoided being abused.
 * Violence**
 * " We used to hide in the cupboard at night; so that it wouldn't be our turn".—Marjorie Woodrow, Aboriginal woman [7]

Domestic violence and family violence in Indigenous communities has been associated with past colonial events such as genocide,truama, abuse, stolen generations ,loss of land and loss of culture,values and norms (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,2006). However, the Indigenous people are being violent towards each other which i think should not be the case. They should work together and try to create a better future for their families and continue with their cultural practices. The image below of an Indigenous women who was asulted by the husband with a knife several times.[|Violence against aboriginal women] The report indicated that violence was high due to alcohol and drug abuse among Indigenous men.The report also indictated that if any Indigenous person stabed another Indigenous there was no jury in Alice springs. I personally think its not right and I think any form of crime should be dealt with accordingly despite Indigenous status. The law must be revised and changed otherwise the incidence of family and domestic violence among Indigenous will remain high causing significant morbidity and mortality related incidences.

The issue of Indigenous identity wereby Anita Heiss and other famous Indigenous were attacked for identifying themselves as Indigenous is very sensitive. I would think its very unlikely for someone to identify themselves as from certain nationality when actually not.Why would someone identfy themselves as Indigenous when they are not ? Judging people by their skin colour is wrong for example I am Zimababwean and most people from Zimababwe are brown in complexion but there are some individuals who are very pale/light in complexion and may not be identfied as Zimababweans. Am i black enough for you by Anita Heiss adresses issues of sterotype she has come across for identifying herself as Indigenous because her skin colour is pale. References Australian Bereau of Statistics. (2006). Austral;ian social trends. Retrieved from [] Creative spirits. (n.d.). Aboriginal education. Retrieved from []
 * Indigenous Identity**

=__Week 10 :Healthy Aging of Women__= There are many health challenges faced by women as they age. The lecture highlighted some of the health issues old women face. I was unaware that women who smokes are more likely to experience severe signs of menopause ealier than non smokers at least two years ealier. Women who smoke may experience severe hot flushes, sweats and insomnia. A lot of women are worried about aging and will try all avenues to remain looking young.I personally worry about how i would look when am old, especially when i look at my old photos it worries me. When I was young I was often dissapointed for not meeting the age requirement to watch a movie or attend some occasions and was referred to as underage. I stiil remember how I was looking forward to be older and make my own decisions. The lesson I got from the lecture was to live a health lifestyle in order to age heathy and this will reduce some of the health problems women faces when they age such as osteoporosis,mental disoders and cancers. Also the lecture hihglighted that it was really important to health educate women about menopause early which I strongly think women should be aware and be prepared for menopause and be aware of what to express and might help with their coping. Also, as a woman I have realised how important it is to believe in myself by taking care of my physical and mental health as i age to avoid regrets in future.It is also important for all women to understand the stages of aging and be aware of what to expect. Above all it is important to age health. The pictures below demonstrate the stages of aging.



__**Week 12: Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Women Across the Ages**__
The lecture was quite interesting as a number of facts raised surprised me. In particular, the history of women and hysteria how women with hysteria were seen as having sexual dissatisfaction and were later referred to doctor or therapist for massage and stimulation of genitals until they reached "Hysterical paroxysm." Back then hysteria was classified as a medical disorder, currently hysteria is not medical diagnosis [] I think women were being treated unfairly then. Women were sexually abused by the doctors during stimulation and massage of genitals. I also think mental illness was not diagnosed properly therefore any women who presented with signs and symptoms of hysteria was diagnosed with hysteria.The pictures below display ways hysteria was treated in the nineteenth century.



Another topic discussed in the lecture was about mental illness and substance abuse in women across all age groups**.** Mental illness among women has been common since the 1800 and was believed that the women had some evil and disease of their soul which treatment was not available. Women who presented with the signs of depression were then seen as hysterical. [] According to the World Health Organization (2013) Women suffer from depressive disorders more than men. Also women are affected more with domestic, stress, domestic violence and substance compared to men (WHO,2013). Women are more likely to use substances in stressful situations than men as they use substance for fun or recreational. I think gender and roles can also influence mental health issues among women. Women in general have to look after the family, work cook and clean which can increase stress if the family members are not providing adequate support. The lecture also highlighted how women were treated, in the past being a good wife and having to organise everything for the husband such as cooking ironing. Another issue that also affect women who stay at home is lack of social skills and isolation which can cause stress and may increase their risk of developing depression. Furthermore, depressed women are more likely to drink a lot of alcohol and smoke further impacting on their mental health. Young women self medicate diet pills to improve their physical appearance which could affect their mental illness. Literature has identfied that mental illness has come a long way but why is the prevelance of mental illness not decreasing, in fact its increasing? As a society a lot more work is required, there is need for further reaserch in order to adress this problem and address the social determinants associated with mental illness.

__Week thirteen:International women's health : how the other half live and die__
This final week of lectures came so quick for me. Although there was no formal lecture for this week I have managed to browse through the power point slide notes. Issues addressed were women's health internationally how they live and die. Women's health has been seen as of particular concern around the world. The World Health Organization (2013), has identified women as facing major sociocultural and discrimination issues which has resulted in majority of them being disadvantaged and increasing their risk of infectious diseases. Although women in general experience higher life expectancy compared to men (WHO,2013), the lecture notes indicated that the majority of women suffer from mental health related illness from the young age groups. I think due to all the sociocultural factors such as unequal sharing of opportunities for girls such as education, work increases their risk. Most developed countries are doing well toward reaching the millennium goal number 3 which promotes gender equality and empowerment of women in society. However, a lot still to be done to address these inequalities women face. There are still huge differences in life expectancy among women in developed countries. In Australia, Indigenous women experience poor living conditions and they die earlier than the Indigenous .This clearly indicate that women in low social economic status experience poor living conditions and die earlier than people from higher socioeconomic status. Economic, social, environmental and political determinants of health are more likely to influence health outcomes for individuals as the lecture notes indicated that the lower social economic groups are less to likely to leave a healthy life due to these determinants. Health promotion in Australia requires partnership approach to address these determinants in order to reduce these inequalities among individuals. I have really enjoyed all the lectures and tutorial lesson for this subject. This week I have been quite sad about the idea of finishing these lectures. I will definitely miss all the Women's health teaching team. I think they are absolutely the best and I hope to use some of the ideas and knowledge in future.