Gender bias permeates many aspects of medicine in India, the WHO acknowledged the need for integration of gender into medical curricula. CEHAT, in collaboration with DMER and MUHS to facilitate gender perspectives in medical education in Maharashtra . An important contribution of the project has been the development of gender integrated modules across five disciplines namely Community Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Forensic Science and toxicology, Medicine and Psychiatry for MBBS course These gender integrated modules were tested through a quasi experimental research design to assess the feasibility of teaching gender integrated medical curriculum and also assess whether teaching such a curriculum can lead to positive attitude amongst the students towards gender. The report “TITLE” presents the experience of facilitating gender perspectives for medical students as well as positive changes in their attitudes. An important learning was the need to integrate gender across relevant medical topics throughout MBBS course. This reiterated the fact that gender as a social determinant cannot be relegated to only lectures/elective course; rather they need to be mainstreamed in to the medical curricula to enhance the understanding about the same.
CEHAT, in collaboration with DMER(Directorate of Medical Education and Research), KEM (King Edward Memorial Hospital) and the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) conducted ‘Evidence-based Clinical Practices’, a 1.5-day workshop aimed at increasing gender-sensitivity in the medical curriculum. The workshop was attended by mid to senior level medical practitioners and professors from all over Maharashtra.
The One Stop Scheme by the Ministry of Women and Child Development has presented the opportunity to influence the current crisis intervention services. Through this scheme, crisis intervention centres called One Stop Centres have been established or are underway in various states across the country with the objective to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces and to facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services including medical, legal, psychological and counseling support under one roof to fight against any forms of violence against women. For effective implementation of these OSC, counselors must work in coordination with the hospital within which or near which they are located. Violence against women has been recognized as a health issue under the National Health Policy, 2017. The link between violence and health has been acknowledged along with the recognition to create services to respond to survivors. In 2005, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, was developed to offer civil remedies and reliefs to women facing violence. In 2012, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was introduced. Both these laws have brought in the role of support persons and Protection Officers, generating a growing reliance on counselling services. It is imperative that counselors be trained to respond to different forms of VAW and children and be equipped with the perspective and skills in responding to VAW.
CEHAT has been instrumental in
developing an evidence-based model to respond to VAW and children. In 2014, the
MOHFW laid down the guidelines and protocols for medico-legal care for
survivors of sexual assault including psychosocial support. CEHAT had the
opportunity to present its evidence based work of having established Dilaasa, a
hospital based crisis centre in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of
Greater Mumbai. This evidence-based model has also featured in the leading
international medical journal Lancet.
CEHAT
is pleased to announce its National Course on counselling survivors of
violence. The course is aimed at building a critical feminist perspective on
the issue of violence against women and children and enhancing skills of the
participants in responding to survivors of violence.
Feminist counselling
has been accepted as one of the most effective counselling method for women
living in abusive relationships as it questions power and inequality within the
relationship. It encourages women to understand what they are experiencing in
context of inequalities that arise out of larger oppressive structures. This
form of counselling is gender-sensitive and has been used effectively while
engaging with various vulnerable groups including transgenders and boys.
AIM
We invite states to depute counselors appointed at One Stop Centres so that they are equipped with the perspective on violence against women and children and are prepared to respond to survivors sensitively using a survivor-centric approach. Hospital-based counselors (RMNCH+A, ICTC, etc.), social workers, psychologists and lawyers are encouraged to participate.
Applicants
must have at least 2 years of work experience in counselling in the area of
VAW, with a working knowledge of English and Hindi.
Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (Cehat) Mumbai, in
collaboration with Government Medical College Aurangabad,
Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Maharashtra
University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA)
is organizing a one day State level Conference on ‘Integrating Gender in
Medical Education’.
The second training of trainers’ programme of the GME project was conducted from 10th to 14th February, 2015, in Mumbai.
CEHAT conducted a short training of trainers programme for inducting new
participants in the Integrating Gender in Medical Education project.
This training was held on 14th and 15th Nov, 2014, at YMCA, Mumbai
Central.
From 18th – 20th October 2013, CEHAT organised a workshop at YMCA
International, Mumbai, to present strategies to engage with the health
sector for responding to violence against women.
Dr. Jill Biden, second lady of the United States visited Dilaasa, a
hospital based crisis centre for responding to violence against women on
24th July 2013. Dilaasa is a joint initiative of CEHAT and the
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), and demonstrates an
integrated health sector model for responding domestic violence and
sexual assault.
Mumbai, March 8, 2013: The International Women’s Day observed on 8th
March 2013 worldwide was celebrated with much enthusiasm in 5 of
Mumbai’s peripheral Municipal Corporation hospitals, including Rajawadi
Hospital, Ghatkopar, M.T. Agarwal Hospital in Mulund, Cooper Hospital in
Vile Parle, K.B.Bhabha Hospital, Bandra and K.B. Bhabha Hospital,
Kurla. More than a decade ago, CEHAT and the Municipal Corporation of
Greater Mumbai collaborated on an initiative to make the health sector
and health care professionals responsive to women facing violence.