Beauty Myth and Women’s Movement: women’s health vs beauty,

Construction of Women and Ethics in Media 

Mother: Aurat, Mother India, Mamta; Tawaif: Sadhana, Pakeeza;

Alternate constructions of Women in parallel cinema: Arth, Astitva, Ankur

Films by Women and on Women: Paroma, 36 Chowrangee lane, Aruna Raje’s Rihaee, Kalpana Lazmi’s Rudali and Darmiyan, Khamosh Pani

Women in/and Science

Environmental impact on health – toxics, pollution, rise in cancer.

Womanhood as disease: Notions of Health, well-being, disease – the medicalisation women’s bodies, leisure, exercise.

Gender biases in science and positive and negative development of technology: impact on women. Some case studies eg: smokeless chulha; community toilets; vaccine; fortified/genetically modified food items.

‘Herstory’ of Healing

Women as healers, and their persecution and marginalization.

Feminist critic of major health system: ayurveda, homeopathy, allopathy, unani

Corporate take-over of health.

Self-help initiatives by women’s groups, people’s movements- reclaiming knowledge, strengthening community based healing practices, holistic health and healing.

Resources:

Films, groups working on women and health issues.

Case studies to law and women’s health. Rather than a separate sub-topic on this, there will be illustrative case - law in the relevant sections. Eg. Net En case; Medical negligence; embryo transfer; mental health and the lunacy law; medical examination in rape, etc.

Contemporary issues in reproduction

Population policies-(i) state and (ii) international dimensions of the politics of reproduction (iii) the patrilineal family: abortion, contraception and foeticide: declining sex ratio

Sexual health of women versus reproductive health.