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Global Health Justice

Category: Structural Violence

Structural violence refers to systematic and normalized social, economic, and political oppression of vulnerable populations. Structural violence includes income inequality, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, sexism, ableism, and other means of social exclusion leading to stress, poverty, trauma, crime, incarceration, lack of access to care, healthy food, and physical activity.

Those in power typically benefit from structural violence. As a rule, they will cling to their power at all costs, including through physical violence to preserve or enact systemic changes that reinforce power divides. We live within systems that are expressly designed to reinforce social disparities.

Global Health Justice: The Intersection of Religion and Structural Violence

Post categories: Social Determinants of Health Structural Violence
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Global health justice is a powerful ideal, striving for equal access to healthcare and fair health outcomes worldwide. Religion and religious organizations have and continue to play a pivotal role in advancing this cause, championing compassion, care, and justice for the vulnerable. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that there are instances when religion can be misused, leading to the victimization and tragic loss of innocent individuals. One such unfolding tragedy from the depths of the Shakahola forest in Kilifi…

Racism in Childbirth: Black Families Face Higher Mortality Rates in the wealthy USA

Post categories: Structural Violence
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Research uncovered an uncomfortable truth regarding childbirth outcomes: even affluent Black families are at a higher risk of maternal mortality than similarly economically privileged white families. This study shatters the commonly held misconception that financial resources alone can shield Black mothers and infants from the impacts of racial discrimination. Instead, it reveals the presence of deep-seated structural inequities within American society. The findings expose a broken healthcare system that fails to protect the lives of Black mothers and infants, perpetuating…

Worker Lives Remain a Serious Concern in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry

Post categories: Structural Violence
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On the 10th anniversary of the horrendous Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, the battle for safe working conditions and fair wages is still ongoing. The owner of the building, who falsified construction documents, was jailed and faces murder charges along with 35 cronies for the death of over 1,100 employees. While their trial slowly proceeds, workers continue to endure underpayment and harassment. Labor organizations, consumers, and multinational fashion corporations developed an Accord on Fire and Building Fire Safety designed…

Sudan’s Ongoing Crisis: Unpacking the Root Causes of Violence and the Elusive Pursuit of Peace Amidst Global Inequities

Post categories: Structural Violence War/Militarism Post tags:
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The violence in Sudan, particularly in Khartoum, is partly the fault of the international community. Sudan is still struggling to build a civilian-led government after decades of military rule, and tensions between different military factions have erupted into violence. The exploitation of resources, economic disparities, and political power imbalances have fueled grievances and conflicts within the country. International efforts to achieve peace through negotiations have often fallen short. Traditional peace agreements that split power between armed groups often allow further…

14,000 Nigerians Seek Justice Against Shell for Devastating Pollution Impacts

Post categories: Structural Violence
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The case of environmental pollution and resulting livelihood losses in Nigeria is a striking example of the impact of corporate activities on local communities. The legal battle launched by nearly 14,000 residents of Ogale and Bille against Shell brings to light the devastating effects of oil spills from the company’s operations. The affected communities have suffered severe damage to their ability to farm and fish, which has taken away their sources of income and livelihoods. In addition to demanding that…

Poverty and Exploitation in Jobs, Housing, Banking

Post categories: Global Theft Social Determinants of Health
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Desmond describes the structural role of exploitation in the persistence of poverty in the USA –  that is also highly relevant to poverty globally. While we try to promote programs to aid the poor, ‘we have not confronted the unrelenting exploitation of the poor in the labor, housing, and financial markets,” This simply means that we underpay the poor relative to the value they produce and overcharge them relative to the value of what they purchase. Such exploitation is endemic…

Violence and Sexual Harassment Against Women in Health Professions

Post categories: Structural Violence Post tags:
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Women make up 70% of the health care workforce worldwide. Sadly, female health care workers are faced with sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) at work every day perpetrated by male colleagues, male patients, and male community members. Oftentimes, SEAH experienced by women in the health sector goes unreported, unrecorded, and unpunished. In 2022, Women in Global Health (WGH) launched its #HealthToo platform to raise awareness and drive accountability for SEAH by enabling women to tell their stories anonymously. Learn…

‘Every chemist has a backroom’: the rise of secret Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya

Post categories: Structural Violence Post tags:
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In 2011, Kenya passed laws to decrease the rates of female genital mutilations (FGM), by imposing hefty fines on its practitioners, and increasing surveillance and enforcement. But the recent medicalization of FGM is posing a new challenge for the east African nation, which has a 15% medicalization rate: one of the highest in Africa. In Kisii county, FGM medicalization is standard. Two out of three cases of female genital cutting are performed by health practitioners, in contrast to much of…

[BOOKS] on Structural Violence

Post categories: Structural Violence Post tags:
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Structural violence refers to the social, economic, or political harm ingrained in the underlying systems and structures of a society, causing long-term suffering and disadvantage for certain groups or individuals. Here are some suggested books on the topic:   “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic” by James Gilligan (1997) Gilligan, a psychiatrist and expert on violence, explores the roots of violence in society, shedding light on the structural factors that contribute to its prevalence. This book is essential for understanding…

Food insecurity is driving women in Africa into sex work, increasing HIV risk.

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There are many underlying causes  that can reduce the burden of HIV if addressed timely. HIV can be spread through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and other body fluids. Among the possibilities are: Sexual contact with someone who has the HIV virus without using a condom A needle exchange or syringe exchange that results in an infection When an HIV-positive mother gives birth to a baby or breastfeeds Persons who exchange sex  In Sub-Saharan Africa, food insecurity forces women…