Tag Archives: women’s health

AFTNews, AFTNews, Mental Health, Women's Health

WHO calls for greater attention to violence against women with disabilities and older women

Older women and women with disabilities face particular risk of abuse, yet their situation is largely hidden in most global and national violence-related data, according to two new publications released today by the World Health Organization (WHO). The health agency is calling for better research across countries that will help ensure these women are counted, and that their specific needs are understood and addressed.

Where there is evidence on gender-based violence amongst these groups, data shows high prevalence. One systematic review found greater risks of intimate partner violence for women with disabilities compared with those without, while another also found higher rates of sexual violence.

“Older women and women with disabilities are under-represented in much of the available research on violence against women, which undermines the ability of programmes to meet their particular needs,” said Dr Lynnmarie Sardinha, Technical Officer at WHO and the UN Special Programme on Human Reproduction (HRP) for Violence against Women Data and Measurement, and author of the briefs. “Understanding how diverse women and girls are differently affected, and if and how they are accessing services, is critical to ending violence in all its forms.”

Intimate partner and sexual violence are the most common forms of gender-based violence globally and affect around 1 in 3 women. Older women and women with disabilities are still subjected to these types of violence, but also face specific risks and additional forms of abuse, sometimes at the hands of caregivers or health care professionals. These include coercive and controlling behaviours such as withholding of medicines, assistive devices or other aspects of care, and financial abuse.

Among women aged 60 years and older, a review conducted by WHO found that physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence remained the most frequently experienced forms of abuse. However, as partners aged, some women reported a shift from predominantly physical and/or sexual violence to psychological violence, including threats of abandonment and other controlling behaviours.

Older women and women with disabilities can be extremely isolated when violence occurs, making it more difficult for them to escape and report the abuse. Stigma and discrimination can further reduce access to services or information, or result in their accounts of violence being dismissed by responders.

“Gender-based violence is rooted in unequal power and control over women,” said Dr Avni Amin, Head of the Rights and Equality across the Life Course Unit at WHO and HRP. “For older women and women with disabilities, their dependency and isolation are further exploited by perpetrators, increasing their risk of abuse. Services must be responsive to their needs and identify appropriate contacts through the health and care systems, so that all women experiencing violence can access empathetic, survivor-centered care.”

WHO recommends several measures to address evidence gaps. Noting that older women are currently represented in only about 10% of data on violence against women, this includes extending the age limit for survey participation. They also suggest incorporating questions relating to different types of violence, encompassing a broad spectrum of disabilities.

The two briefs, Measuring violence against older women and Measuring violence against women with disability, stress that older women and women with disabilities and their representative organizations should be engaged in all phases and aspects of survey design and implementation, to ensure they are appropriate and user-friendly. Formats like Braille or EasyRead can expand accessibility.

The briefs are the first in a series on neglected forms of violence and were developed as part of the UN Women-WHO Joint Programme on Violence against Women Data, through HRP. They are intended for use by researchers, national statistics offices, social care and welfare services and others involved in data collection on violence against women. Funding has been provided from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Alongside the briefs, WHO has developed a survey module to support data collection on violence against older women, to be used alongside existing surveys. Resources to support inclusion of measures of disability in such surveys will be released later in the year.

Related link: Violence against women (who.int)

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AFTNews, Features Thailand, Travel & Wellness, Women's Health

Zulal Wellness Resort Launches ‘Mother-To-Be’ Retreat

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Prenatal programme to nurture and empower women at any stage of their pregnancy

Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, the Middle East’s largest wellness destination and the world’s first family wellness offering, unveils its new Mother-to-Be retreat. The two- to eight-night prenatal programme combines tailored nutrition, holistic therapies, pampering spa treatments and gentle movement to enhance wellbeing and ready mothers for the most important chapter of their lives. Zulal Wellness Resort’s peaceful setting, surrounded by the tranquility of Qatar’s northern desert and the Arabian Gulf, is ideal for mothers to be looking to relax and prepare themselves for the birth of their child. Their journey will be guided by a team of licensed maternal care experts, nutritionists, chefs, therapists and personal trainers.

The ‘Mother-To-Be’ programme is open to women at any stage of their pregnancy and can be tailored to include partners. Beginning with a holistic consultation, a personalised selection of activities will enable mothers to handle the physical changes that occur during pregnancy, ease aches and pains, improve sleep and strengthen the body in preparation for childbirth.  In addition, they will have time to bond with their partners and their babies.

A wide range of activities and treatments are available, including postural corrective therapy and Gyrotonic movement to relieve pain and swelling and improve posture; acupuncture to alleviate symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and heartburn; meditation and breathing exercises to support mothers during labour; and prenatal yoga, massage and aromatherapy to relax the body and mind.

A core part of the retreat is quality prenatal nutrition. A nutritional consultant will provide tailored advice about making healthy food choices and maintaining a balanced diet, and three bio-individualised wellness meals are included per night of stay.

The Mother-To-Be retreat is inclusive of accommodation, wellness meals, consultations and treatments, with a minimum stay of two nights.

Visit www.zulal.com or follow @zulalwellnessresort on Facebook or Instagram for more information.

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AsiaFitnessToday.com Zulal Wellness Resort Launches ‘Mother-To-Be’ Retreat is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. Source: https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/strongzulal-wellness-resort-launches-mother-to-be-retreat

Fit Tech & Gadgets, Wellness, Women's Health

Women’s health mobile app, ‘Nyra’ launches in Bahasa Malaysia

Vivant, the digital health technology start-up, today announces the launch of ‘Nyra’ in Bahasa Malaysia to help women of all ages seamlessly track their feminine health, fertility and fitness – allowing them to better manage their wellbeing, schedules and avoid surprises.

Nyra is designed as a one-stop solution for women of all ages juggling multiple health and wellness goals to accurately track their period, fertility, ovulation, as well as physical activity, symptoms and diet. From information entered into the app, Nyra provides personalised health and fertility insights, giving women full control over the entire feminine health journey – from preconception to pregnancy and post-pregnancy. 

In addition, Nyra’s market-leading in-app chat feature allows women to connect directly with a doctor at their fingertips, for private one-to-one conversations on health matters including fertility, contraception, sexual health and everything in between. The app also enables women to keep track of medication and supplement intake through customisable reminders.

Adrit Raha, Chief Executive Officer, Vivant said, “We are seeing a major opportunity to tap into the potential of digital platforms to transform women’s health in Malaysia, as well as the rest of Asia and the Middle East. While women’s health can be a sensitive subject in Malaysia, Nyra aims to empower women to break through existing barriers and take full control of every aspect of their feminine health and wellbeing, informed by accurate and personalised health insights.” 

Nyra is the first product launched by Vivant under its Nyra women’s health brand, which expects to see an expanded range of products in the region across the women’s health spectrum including pregnancy, post-pregnancy care and re-entering the workplace. 

“At Vivant we see an incredible opportunity for growth in Malaysia as consumers are increasingly turning to digital channels to manage aspects of their daily lives such as banking and shopping. Health is a traditionally underserved area that is starting to see strong demand. We are excited to bring Nyra and its spectrum of capabilities to this dynamic market as e-health begins to truly take off,” added Vishal Doshi, Director, Malaysia.

Nyra is available on Apple and Google app stores.