Ophthalmology
Finding sustainable ways to address gender inequity in eye health By Rashin Choudhry Program Development Advisor, The Fred Hollows Foundation
More than 20 million women are blind and a further 120 million live with vision impairment. We know that four out of five people who are blind do not need to be, yet women are 1.3 times more likely to be blind than men. In the Middle East, women are experiencing higher rates of blindness than men in countries where The Fred Hollows Foundation works. In Palestine, for example, women make up 70% of blind people aged 50 years or older. Blindness can hamper a woman’s ability to access education, generate income, or perform day-to-day activities. It can deny women in low- and middle-income countries their social inclusion, participation, and voice as well as an individual’s independence, choice, and autonomy. Barriers to accessing eye healthcare ser-
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vices vary from one country to another. They are created by biological reasons, misconceptions, traditional gender roles, and financial, social and cultural factors. Implementing a gender equity and mainstreaming approach is a must to achieve equitable access for men and women, but also close the gender gap in eye health. In countries like Pakistan, women often do not know about the eyecare services available or may not have someone to accompany her to the clinic. Taking services to the doorstep of women can help them to receive the care they need, especially in rural and remote areas. The gender of eye healthcare workers can also be a critical factor in influencing decision making among female patients to accept or decline treatment Poverty Almost 90% of women who are blind are living in poverty. Poverty remains a cause and effect for eye health patients as they
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are not able to access eye care. Community-based service delivery models can tackle the financial barrier and ensure women can access free or low-cost eye care. Men are our allies and can help to support women who lack decision-making power on their own health, as well as their financial needs and literacy. The Foundation encourages husbands, fathers, religious leaders, politicians, and female health workers to join its efforts in raising women’s awareness about avoidable blindness, promoting eye health services, and encouraging them to seek treatment. Pandemic The coronavirus pandemic has placed enormous burdens on healthcare systems. The negative impact has extended to people with pre-existing conditions, such as patients living with eye diseases like cataracts. It has severely restricted patients’ ability to see ophthalmologists, caused them to miss follow-up appointments, or receive treat-
