Health and Socio-Cultural Problems of Women in Rural Butajira
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Date
1998-12
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Studies on the social and cultural problems affecting the
health of women is rare in Ethiopia. This study
illustrates the common socio-cultural problems
influencing the health of women and the women's
perception towards health and illness in rural Butajira.
Qualitative and quantitative methods ·,~ere employed to
develop the data collection instrument and actual
collection of data, respectively . A total of 675 randomly
selected rural women participated in the study . Over 94
percent of women are illiterate and only 8 . 7 percent of
girls are sent to school . The mean ·",o r "'ing hour for
rural women in Butajira is 15 hours. Very higl:
proportion (96 . 6%-) women are victims of FGr'l. The
decision making power of women at 3. house bold leveJ. is
10\.\1 . vlomen have almos t no access to informatioD, atYJut 88
percent of them never listened to the radio for the last
six months . About 97 percent of women reported trat they
are suffering from some kind of infectious ,- obstetrics or
mental illness at the time of the survey . Punishment
from God, lack of nutritious food, exposure to cold, evil
eye and evil spirit possession were the major perceived
causes of illness. The participants mostly use herbal
medication during sickness or buy drugs with out
consulting health workers in response to illnesses. They
give high regard to traditional healers, witchcraft and
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religious leaders to solve health problems . The women by
large have no idea on how to promote health except t hat
they resume individual or group prayer . Therefore, it
is concluded that women in rural Butajira are surrounded
by traditional taboos and social problems affecting
health .
In order to improve the situation of women the health
service strategy needs to be devised after considering
what women believe, what they actually do and need.
Such strategies should be based on local problems and the
involvement of locally accepted healers
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Keywords
Health and Socio-Cultural