Women’s sexual and reproductive health in war and conflict: are we seeing the full picture?

Abstract

It is well established that women’s sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) is negatively affected by war. While global health research often emphasises infrastructure and systematic factors as key impediments to women’s SRHR in war and postwar contexts, reports from different armed conflicts indicate that women’s reproduction may be controlled both by state and other armed actors, limiting women’s choices and access to maternal and reproductive health care even when these are available. In addition, it is important to examine and trace disparities in sexual reproductive health access and uptake within different types of wars, recognising gendered differences in war and postwar contexts. Adding feminist perspectives on war to global health research explanations of how war affects women's sexual and reproductive health might then contribute to further understanding the complexity of the different gendered effects war and armed conflicts have on women’s sexual and reproductive health.

Reproductive justice in the Colombian armed conflict

“…Drawing parallels to Abbey Steele's (2017) work, which shows that conflict has been driven by forced displacement through the targeting of political opponents and their (perceived) allies in Colombia, this study sheds light on how armed groups have also used women's SRH as a tool of warfare. These insights underscore that SRH is not incidental to war, but rather a pivotal element of military tactics (Hedström and Herder, 2023). The study adds to the scarce but growing literature on attacks on healthcare provision in conflict (Haar et al, 2021;Singh et al, 2022).…”

“…SRH has been identified as an important security issue, given its potential as a cornerstone for creating prosperous communities. However, scholars have highlighted its frequent neglect in humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts (Percival et al, 2014;Tanyag, 2018;Davies and Harman, 2020;Hedström and Herder, 2023). The impact of armed conflict on women's SRH, therefore, represents a critical area for research and policy, but we still do not know enough about why women's SRH is affected by armed conflict (Hedström and Herder, 2023).…”

“…The quotations presented have been edited for grammar and in relevant cases translated from Spanish. 5 For example, in Germany under Adolf Hitler (Pendleton, 1978), Italy under Benito Mussolini (Forcucci, 2010), the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin (Hoffmann, 2000), the US after the Second World War (Ross and Solinger, 2017, p. 38), Israel in relation to Palestine (Steinfeld, 2015), Rwanda following the genocide of 1994 (Staveteig, 2011), and Myanmar during ethno-nationalistic wars (Hedström and Herder, 2023). It is important to mention that some settings have not seen systematic sexual violence.…”

The role of the Field Epidemiology Training Program in the public health emergency response: Sudan armed conflict 2023

“…In the face of disrupted surveillance systems, the ability to predict health outcomes through cumulative data analysis and cross-source integration holds immense potential to bolster preparedness and response to epidemics ( 24 ). Moreover, risk assessments should not solely focus on infectious diseases but should extend to encompass noncommunicable diseases, mental health, sexual, reproductive, and maternal health ( 25 , 26 ). This comprehensive approach becomes pivotal in guiding effective and efficient health interventions during crises, ensuring a holistic response to diverse health needs.…”