Invest in Women - It Pays

Women Deliver conference, London

Although the work of the women remains mainly unrecognized and unpaid for, making sure that she remains healthy by investing in her wellbeing will benefit her entire family, the community and ultimately, the nation.

It has been reported that women's unpaid work doing household chores, caring for her own and other members of the extended family and contributing much of her time working in the fields equals about a third of the world's gross national product.

Being the pivotal center of the family a healthy woman will continue to provide for a secure environment for her children to grow and develop into adults who will eventually play their rightful role in society.

The return on investment in women is often not seen immediately but is evident in the long run.

The women who provide care for the family are often in the age group of 15 to 49. This is the same age group that is of child bearing age, having babies and seriously affected by the high maternal mortality in Malawi.

Investing in the reproductive health services for women who are child bearing age is investing in the nation as a whole. Effectively this is putting your money where you can obtain the best possible return.

Investing in women has a positive return in all spheres of life and providing good, accessible and affordable reproductive health care is essential to the progress and development of the family, and ultimately the country

Let's look at a day in the life of Nambewe who lives in a village that is situated many kilometers away from the city of Lilongwe.

At the age of 25, she is six months pregnant with her fourth child. She is unwell because of the malaria she had previously that caused her to have anemia. Although she is feeling unwell, she cannot rest because the work of caring for her family must continue. The demands on her are great.

Nambewe can't take time out from her daily chores to go to the clinic because it takes the whole day to get there, get treatment and return before dark. Last time she went, there were so many other women, she was unable to see a nurse before closing time and had to return to the clinic the next day to try her luck once again.

Sometimes there are no drugs at the clinic and she only gets her medication at the next visit. Nambewe knows that she has to get to the clinic for her iron tablets to increase the efficiency of her blood but cannot afford to be away from home for such long periods.

With all the problems associated with attempting to reach the clinic to access treatment, she is discouraged ad puts it off until another time. Meanwhile she continues to work and get sicker.

She cares for her family, works in the field to get food and sells any excess vegetables for cash to buy other things for the family. She is also able to pay for the school uniforms and books for her son and daughter. Because she is not monitored and given treatment when required, the chances of Nambewe having a problem free delivery is very slim. The probability is that she will have complications during delivery, have an under-weight baby or lose either the baby or even her own life.

Providing accessible and affordable reproductive services for women like Nambewe who lives in remote areas is absolutely essential.

Reproductive health services can save the lives of women who are in the productive years of their lives. These services are essential to making sure that women do not die from preventable causes during pregnancy.