Why should I care about gender?

Welcome:
Guest

Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities

Online from: 2007

Subject Area: Health and Social Care

Content: Latest Issue | Latest Issue RSS | Previous Issues

Options: To add Favourites and Table of Contents Alerts please take a Emerald profile

Document Information:
Title:	Why should I care about gender?
Author(s):	Jean O'Hara, (Estia Centre, King's College London, and the Institute of Psychiatry, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust)
Citation:	Jean O'Hara, (2008) "Why should I care about gender?", Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Vol. 2 Iss: 2, pp.9 - 18
Keywords:	Gender, Learning disabilities, Men, Mental health, Parents, Women
Article type:	General review
DOI:	10.1108/17530180200800012 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract:	Women have been discriminated against throughout history. Despite international efforts, there remain significant inequalities between men and women. In some countries women are still deprived of fundamental human rights. This article looks at the published literature on gender as it affects individual vulnerability and risk, and planning, organisation and delivery of health care, with specific focus on the mental health and learning disabilities literature. It acknowledges the important differences between the life experiences and social realities of men and women with learning disabilities, and discusses them in the context of recent government policy and guidance. It calls for urgent gender-specific research to understand the key issues facing men and women with learning disabilities, and a rights-based approach to access to education, health care and a competent and informed workforce.