Department of Public & Community Health
Women's Health
Although the Department always utilized a gender-sensitive approach
in its work, its formal engagement in the area of women's health--as
opposed to pre- and post- natal care--began in the late 1980's.
Beginning by joining hands with Women's Affairs in Nablus--a women's
non-governmental organization aimed at improving the skills of
women and assisting them in moves into public life--the Department
conducted a study, a first of its kind in the country, focusing
on women's health perceptions and needs in the Old City of Nablus.
Focusing on women's health needs within the urban context, the
study yielded a considerable amount of data-- available at the
Department for anyone to use--pertaining to, among other things:
women's health status, their perception of their own health and
the health of others, issues of poverty and health, birth histories
and family planning utilization rates, and, significantly, problems
in the receipt of health care services, particularly as encountered
in the urban setting.
This information was widely used to argue the case of an expanded
view of women's health that goes beyond reproduction. Furthermore,
the data contributed to the generation of new research schemes,
and the inclusion of training schemes for women's health into
Departmental training and teaching activities.
During 1994, the Department became one of the founding members
of The Palestinian Women's Health Coalition
and was voted as the Coalition's institutional coordinator for
the coming three years. Thus, the department currently houses
the Coalition and its coordinator. Faculty and staff at the Department
have joined hands with the Coalition in conducting policy-oriented
studies in the area of women's health, focusing, at the moment,
on the health needs of menopausal and adolescent women.
Faculty and staff at the Department are also linked to other groups
and institutions working on women's emancipation issues. One of
the faculty members at the Department is a founding member, researcher
and lecturer at the newly developed Women's Studies Program at
Birzeit University. Departmental linkages include, but are not
exhausted by: membership in the Reproductive Health Group for
the Arab World operated by the Population Council, Cairo, Egypt,
as well as advisory committee membership in the World University
Service in the UK which provides funds for the training of Palestinian
women to become researchers. Department members are also involved
in women's issues through advisory committee membership in the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics as well as in the United
Nations Developmental Program committee which is in the process
of planning for the production of UNDP's Human Development Report
for Palestine.
Return to Focus DCPH page