In 2022, women are still worse off than men, so for #IWD2022 I am sharing a personal blog, as well as two important events.

Scroll below for the details of the two events: 1) deinstitutionalization, and 2) ageing with rights.

Apart from the reality that dementia affects more women and girls than men and boys, my personal blog for International Women’s Day 2022 is about just a few of the many other inequities, biases, as well as discrimination and stigmas women and girls experience, compared to men and boys. 

For example, although it is 2022, we are still facing the continuing inequities between women and girls versus men and boys, such as

• lower pay rates
• less women in paid employment
• fewer female CEOs
• fewer women on boards
• continuing discrimination and stigma towards and against women and girls

There is also a gender bias against women in health care, for example medical doctors are less likely to believe female patients, compared to their male patients, and female patients with male surgeons have worse outcomes.  An example referred to in Medical News Today in 2021, medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH and written by Jayne Leonard on June 16, 2021 states, “Overall, women experience more chronic pain than men. Despite this, a 2018 reviewTrusted Source of 77 articles shows that medical professionals are more likely to dismiss women patients as too sensitive, hysterical, or as time-wasters.”

Although studies in the area of female versus male physicians’ impact on relational care of their patients are limited, researchers concluded in “Physician Gender Effects in Medical Communication: A Meta-analytic Review”, that “Female primary care physicians engage in more communication that can be considered patient centered and have longer visits than their male colleagues.”

In another study (2016), “Do women make better doctors than men?” it was found that “The sicker you are, the bigger the benefit of having a female physician.” To me, as a woman living with multiple serious health conditions, this is truly appalling, but thank goodness for the increasing emergence of women in medicine.

To all the women reading this, we still have a lot of work to do! 

Men, you have even more to do to combat these inequalities, and the stop the stigma, gender bias and discrimination women and girls are still experiencing, due to the attitudes of men.

Although it’s late, I’m highlighting an important event being held today.

Every year, TCI  runs a campaign on “#WhatWENeed” and in 2021-22, keeping in tune with the global momentum and efforts within the UN, our theme is De-institutionalization. TCI, in partnership with Inclusion International, DRF, Validity Foundation, IDA, CIP, BAPU Trust, and IMHA, is conducting a series of 4 webinars on De-Institutionalization.  

This is the 4^th and last webinar and TCI is excited to have amazing speakers from around the world, sharing their expectations and experiences of Deinstitutionalization.  The first three webinars were hugely successful, on the topics, “Creating enabling environments for De-institutionalization”, “Building community support and psychosocial ecosystems” and “Access to Community Services for People with Disabilities following De-Institutionalization”.  

To listen to the experiences and expectations of individuals regarding intersectionality, gender spectrum, and DI, we are pleased to share that the # 4 webinar on “Gender and De-Institutionalization” will be held on 8th March 2022 (Tuesday) from 4 pm- 5:30 pm IST. 

Topic: Webinar # 4 – Gender & De-Institutionalization

Time: Mar 8, 2022 (Tuesday) – note, I have not lsited all time zones.

• 16:00 PM India
• 21:00 PM Adelaide, Australia

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95082318136?pwd=eFl2L3NvMjVPb2IvVUo4UzNvaXBlQT09

Meeting ID: 950 8231 8136

Passcode: 718389 

For your reference and sharing in your networks, please find the videos here:

• https://youtu.be/h33kyHy2brY
• https://youtu.be/EqML1fQaN74
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SunkKYyMJ9k 

Finally, please join the Dementia Alliance Interntional Age With Rights campaign rally event. Registrations and more details can be found here.