Intersection Between Gender Equity and Solving Infertility Issues

Abstract

AbstractFor several decades or perhaps centuries now, we have been discussing gender equity and related issues like male hegemony, acceptance and equal treatment of women/LGBTIA at workplace, sensitization of children and adults towards equity and empowerment. The aim of this paper is to explore and understand whether the same challenges and opportunities also exist when solving for infertility, specifically from the child’s perspective. Traditionally the focus on issues of infertility is from the adult perspective, this paper aims to look at it from the child’s perspective—the child born to solve infertility. Infertility is very traumatic and inequitable and few people talk about it and how will this silence help solve issues? Any child/human needs happiness and protection to thrive, how does inequity provide an environment for either? In fact, neither infertility nor gender equity are just “social justice” issues but are a “right to live” issue. The underlying issues envelope individuals to the extent it suffocates their “right to life” issues like being able to live freely at peace and happiness. While the circumstances of one’s birth either based on gender or caste or religion or race or creed or physically challenged or mentally challenged or born differently via Surrogacy are NOT in any person’s control, the issues surrounding their ability to live freely and pursue happiness in peace are often intersecting. As COVID has taught all of us in 2020 that there is great uncertainty coupled with complex issues and entire life gets disrupted overnight for individuals, families, communities, governments. We overcome that collectively. Similarly, inequity causes uncertainty and entire life gets disrupted for the affected. We must work together to overcome it. It is important to delve into this intersection of similar issues and raise awareness together instead of a piece-meal approach. Looking at the issues collectively may help us understand each other, build harmony and eventually work together to solve issues. Sometimes, we get caught up in a “Me First” approach with an end result of “We Last”. There are multiple issues crisscrossing each other; like a Rubik’s cube of inequity. Rather than debating the differences, let us work together on the commonalities of the underlying issues. This exploration is a hope that we can come together objectively and begin solving Rubik’s issues of inequity. Perhaps we start at the point of the intersecting issues, a commonality among us. And move away from a “Me First, We Last” paradigm. Lastly, as MeToo movement has shown that it is not just about sexual harassment or assault but when one tries to “solve” by asking for equity and justice, they often fall prey to decades and perhaps centuries of inequity, patriarchy, power, money, suppression of lies, stereotypes; not something which can be solved by one person and it takes time. Similarly, “solving” infertility issues also takes time and is not something to be solved by one (girl) child when facing the same issues. At the very least, is exploitation and abuse of a voiceless girl child to “solve infertility” in adult an equitable solution and by denying rights of a girl child, what have we really achieved from the perspective of gender equity?KeywordsInfertilityGender equitySocialMedicalEconomic issuesSensitizationEmpowermentEquityPatriarchyLGBTIA