Women In Health Inequalities In The UK

In recent generations, women’s lives in the United Kingdom have changed dramatically. Women are playing an increasingly active role in economic, political and public life. In the UK, they make up nearly half (46.4%) of those in employment, making a crucial contribution to our economy. 28% of women with young children under five are now combining paid work with their family responsibilities. Women are increasingly represented in all areas of political and public life – as heads of companies, chairs of public bodies, councilors, Members of Parliament (MPs) and leaders and active volunteers in their local communities, although there is clearly more progress to be made. But still woman are getting less paid than man. Women in full-time employment

These differences have a huge impact, because they result in people who are worst off experiencing poorer health and shorter lives. Some differences, such as ethnicity, may be fixed. Others are caused by social or geographical factors (also known as 'health inequities') and can be avoided or mitigated. Local authorities are uniquely placed to tackle health inequalities, as many of the social and economic determinants of health, and the services or activities which can make a difference, fall within their remit. The challenge is to reduce the difference in mortality and morbidity rates between rich and poor and to increase the quality of life and sense of wellbeing of the whole local community. Health inequities are differences in health status or in the distribution of health resources between different population groups, arising from the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. Health inequities are unfair and could be reduced by the right mix of government policies. Every day 21 000 children die before their fifth birthday. They die of pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea and other diseases. Children from rural and poorer households remain disproportionately affected. Children from the poorest 20% of households are nearly twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday as children in the richest 20%. Maternal mortality is a key indicator of health inequity. Maternal mortality is a health indicator that shows the wide gaps between rich and poor, both between and within countries. Developing countries account for 99% of annual maternal deaths in the world. Women in Afghanistan have a lifetime risk of maternal death of 1 in 11, while a woman in Ireland has a risk of 1 in 17 800. Tuberculosis is a disease of poverty. Around 95% of TB deaths are in the developing world. These deaths affect mainly young adults in their most