On March 23, Purdue announced the
beginning of the Women’s Global Health Institute. The institute is the result
of the past 20 years of work in women’s health research at Purdue. Connie
Weaver, head of the department of nutrition science and director for the
Women’s Global Health Institute, has been working specifically in the field of
women’s research since the late ‘80s. According to Weaver, for many years
research grants were awarded only when the research focused specifically on
men’s health. The reason for this was because many researchers did not want to
factor in variables involving women’s menstrual cycles and hormones when
conducting health research. Sarah Sayger, medical director for Purdue
University Student Health Center, has noticed the inequality and had this to
say, “There have been some very large studies in the past on heart health which
predominantly involved male test subjects, then the results were applied to
women, as well,” Sayger said. “The generalities were not always accurate.” Weaver
started noticing a little over a year ago that researchers at Purdue were
independently working on research that could benefit women specifically, but
that no one had connected the research into one condensed study. After
conversing with Susan Butler, the donor of the money used to found the new
institute, Weaver realized that starting the Women’s Global Health Institute
would be the best option to really bring to light and remedy the lack of
woman-focused research globally. If the institute accomplishes research for
enhancing women’s health, it could have a positive effect on men as well.
It’s hard to believe that even when
it comes to the health care industry, there is gender inequality. Gender inequality
is seen globally, but often we don’t think that even here in America, women are
treated unequally. We don’t seem to notice, because most of the inequalities are
under the radar; take this story for example, I’m sure most American women were
unaware of the fact that just because women have menstrual cycles grants were
not awarded to researchers to study women’s health issues, for their benefit.
The truth is that gender norms and values give rise to gender inequalities. Most people are taught at a very young age
what their roles are in society. For example, baby dolls are for little girl
and only little girls (in most homes),
while toy tool kits are channeled towards young boys. These norms and values
are based upon the society in which they are created. I think it’s time our society
recreates the norms most of us live by, starting with the unequal treating of
women simply because they are women.
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