Women and access to health care in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Barriers related to gender

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the barriers women face in accessing modern health care in the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We examined the experiences, perceptions and representations of the population and caregivers by conducting a total of 66 semi-directive interviews. In Goma, the use of healthcare facilities often requires the prior consent of the husband or head of the family. Within hospitals and health centers, sexual harassment appears to be a common practice that may discourage some girls or women from accessing health care. In the female population, young girls, single mothers and women victims of sexual violence face specific obstacles. Caregivers, far from being neutral technicians, are imbued with dominant cultural and religious norms; this has repercussions on the services provided. By relating gender to marital status, age, education level and socio-economic profile, we were able to understand the specific barriers faced by certain categories of women. However, women are not the only ones facing difficulties in accessing care. It would be interesting to track studies on other discriminated groups in order to gain a global understanding of the situation.