Women’s Health in Rural Tamil Nadu

Rural women are the most marginalized communities in Indian society. They have been denied from mainstream social and economic development which affects overall economic growth. Many welfare policies are being launched and executed in favor of rural people and women, who have been historically marginalized. They continue to be plagued by various issues such as unemployment, poverty, poor health and so on. Rural women, in particular, have poor health status, despite its links to their productivity and human capital. In this aspect, WHO defines that “better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as the healthy population lives longer, is more productive, and save more”. Rural women have limited access and opportunities to make use of health care policies. Rural women face various kinds of problems such as maternity, mother feeding, reproduction, malnutrition and sanitation which are directly affecting GDP. The major objectives of this study are to identify the awareness of key health issues related to women and children in rural areas and to find out the perception of women about the various government schemes and initiatives for tackling health issues in rural areas.