Question

Pederson and colleagues (2014) contend that traditional health promotion initiatives targeting women have been problematic for several reasons. a. Identity one of these key concerns raised by the authors. (1 point) b. Provide one example of a specific health promotion effort or issue that illustrates this concern. (1 point)

Answer 1

a. Identity one of these key concerns raised by the authors.

ANSWER:

Traditional health promotion practices are a product of social norms which aim to uphold cultural ideas about gender roles and social relations. Many of these practices includes violence against women and girls like acid violence, breast flattening, cosmetic mutilation, dowry and bride price, early/forced marriage and marriage by abduction/rape, female genital mutilation and female infanticide.

b. Provide one example of a specific health promotion effort or issue that illustrates this concern.

ANSWER:

Female genital mutilation has long been defined as a harmful traditional practice. It is the forcible removal of all or part of a girl's healthy genitalia, and is a human, women’s and child’s rights violation. It occurs in 28 countries in Africa, some countries in the Middle East and Asia, and in diaspora communities elsewhere.

It can cause physical and psychological harm throughout the life of a cut woman. This includes haemorrhaging and shock at the time of the cut, problems with urination and menses, and obstetric complications. Girls are usually cut before age 12, and it is often a precursor to early/child marriage. Female genital mutilation persists because it is a social norm, linked with marriageability, which ensures that it continues, although the health consequences may be severe.