Islamabad, January 10 (IANS). Even greater barriers to access to health services for women in Pakistan lie beyond poverty – lack of proper documentation, fear, marginalization and gender inequality. This has come to light in a media report.
In an article written in Dawn newspaper, Tahera Hasan, lawyer and founder-CEO of Imkan Welfare Organization, said that women in Pakistan have less identity documents than men. They often depend on male relatives to obtain or produce documents.
According to Hasan, “The absence of identity documents, coupled with restrictive social norms and institutional power imbalances, systematically excludes women from public services.”
She said experiences from a community-run maternity home show that the reason women stay away from health services is not due to lack of awareness, but due to fear, administrative exclusion and the economic, social and emotional costs of dealing with a system that was not designed for them.
When undocumented, women face abuse, especially in maternity services, the report said. In many cases they are refused treatment or are interrogated and publicly shamed. Stories of such incidents spread rapidly through communities, leading to collective disengagement from formal health services.
Reliance on traditional midwives and home births is still widespread, as the institutional health system is often viewed as a punitive experience rather than a protective one. Women prefer home delivery due to fear of abuse, especially in male-dominated and overcrowded government hospitals.
“Even if the services are free on paper, travel expenses, frequent visits due to referrals, test fees and time away from home or income-earning work—all add up to make even a hospital visit a heavy burden for low-income families,” Hasan said.
Private health services also do not provide relief because their costs are high. Along with this, there is increasing concern about excessive medicalization of childbirth. According to the report, many families say that they are pushed towards cesarean operation even when normal delivery is possible.
Hassan explained, “Women do not avoid health services because they are careless or against modern medicine. They avoid because the system exposes them to humiliation, financial pressure, and administrative risks.”
He said that awareness campaigns alone are not enough. What is needed is the design of a health system that recognizes documentation as a barrier, addresses gender power imbalances, and recognizes dignity as an essential part of care.
–IANS
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