Theories of health and disability: feminist

Feminist Theories of Health and Disability

Feminist theories of health and disability focus on the gendered experience of health and illness.
They examine the way in which gender norms and roles shape health outcomes and experiences of illness.
Feminists highlight the gender bias in medical practice and research, where the male experience is often seen as the norm with women’s health issues overlooked or misunderstood.

Gender Inequality and Health

Feminists link gender inequality to poorer health outcomes for women due to multiple factors including discrimination, violence, poverty, and stress.
For example, the double burden of paid work and domestic work that many women across the world shoulder has been linked to poor health outcomes.
The medicalisation of women’s bodies is also a key feminist concern, with critics arguing that normal processes like childbirth are overly pathologised, leading to unnecessary interventions and a loss of women’s autonomy.

Intersectionality

Feminist theories of health also stress the importance of intersectionality, a concept arguing that health outcomes and experiences can’t be fully understood without considering the intersection of multiple identities like race, gender, socioeconomic status, and disability.
For instance, feminists point out that women of colour, working-class women or women with disabilities can face additional disadvantages in healthcare, leading to worse health outcomes.

Gender and Disability

Feminists also critique the intersection of gender and disability, noting women with disabilities face dual prejudice and disadvantage both as women, and as people with disabilities.
They point out that women with disabilities may experience additional barriers in accessing healthcare services, in part due to gender and disability stereotypes.

Critiques of Feminist Theories

Feminist theories have been criticised for sometimes over-emphasising gender to the detriment of other factors, such as social class or age, that also play a significant role in health outcomes.
Moreover, some critics caution against a universalising approach, arguing that women’s experiences of health and illness are highly diverse and not all women are equally disadvantaged.

It’s important to understand that feminist theories provide a valuable lens to explore health and disability, emphasising the central role of gender and intersectionality. However, these theories are one part of a complex picture and should be considered alongside other explanations.