Women Fish Vendors in a South Indian Coastal Community

Abstract

xi newlineABSTRACT newlineCoastal communities across India have shown higher morbidities especially communicable newlinediseases for a long time. Kerala underwent an epidemiological shift from communicable to newlineNon-Communicable Diseases, which has been reflected in the coastal communities too. But newlinethis transition is not uniform, in fact higher Non-Communicable Diseases are reported among newlinewomen compared to men in the coast. Poonthura, the coastal community selected for the study newlineshows higher gap between men and women with women having higher Non-Communicable newlineDiseases. Studies on Non-Communicable Diseases has generally looked at the risk behaviours newlineand potential factors but this study has tried to look beyond to understand how women s health newlineis shaped. The basic assumption of the study was that higher Non-Communicable Disease newlineamong women cannot be simplified to those risk factors, and the causes of diseases cannot be newlinelinear but multiple and interrelating aspects of women s social, economic and political newlinecondition. newlineThis study was done among the women fish vendors in Poonthura coastal community in the newlineSouthern district of Kerala. Study has adopted a qualitative approach with descriptive research newlinedesign to draw out women s experiences in the coast, market and society which has made them newlinesusceptible to Diseases. Women fish vendors shows higher use of health care facility compared newlineto men as there were targeted and systematic health intervention among women to improve newlinechild and maternal health in the earlier times and also women s interaction with women newlinecustomers outside the community during fish trade also have influenced their health seeking newlinebehaviour. This can be a reason why women have reported higher Non-Communicable newlineDisease, but cannot be the single reason as the study has shown women s multiple newlinevulnerabilities that led to diseases. The findings of this study shows that women s social newlinelocation, marriage, fertility, marital life, livelihood engagement and the associated experiencexii newlinein the coast, market and larger society, economic condition and health seeking behaviour make newlinewomen more prone to diseases especially Non-Communicable diseases. Livelihood plays a newlinemajor role in determining women s health and study shows a cyclical relationship between newlinelivelihood participation and women s chronic diseases. Increased livelihood participation will newlineincrease women s risk in getting more chronic diseases. At the same time, the chronic illness newlinein women or the health outcome of the women fish vendors affect their livelihood participation. newlineHealth issues can affect the production and decrease their income and decrease their access to newlinehealth care, making them more vulnerable to disease. The physical labour women generally newlineengage, including domestic and production activity exerts pressure on physical as well as newlinemental health which is manifested as chronic illnesses among women vendors. newline