The gender gap in India's vaccination drive

WorklifeIndia

After a promising start in January, India's vaccine drive has been hobbled by challenges. A severe shortfall from May onwards left many searching for jabs. But logistics aside, another problem has cropped up – women are falling behind men in getting vaccinated.

According to recent data, of the total jabs administered so far, 54% have gone to men and only a little over 46% to women. Experts say women's health has always taken a backseat due to patriarchal social norms. Access to healthcare continues to be a challenge, particularly in rural areas, where nearly 65% of India's population lives. On top of that, unfounded beliefs that the vaccine may cause infertility or menstruation issues also are keeping women away.

What can be done to counter these challenges at the grassroots, as well as at a policymaking level? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the measures needed to bridge the gender divide in India's vaccination programme. Presenter: Devina Gupta Contributors: Shivangi Karmakar, sr project officer, DEF; Dr Tanya Seshadri, community health practitioner; Dr Gagandeep Kang, virologist, professor, CMC Vellore