FemmeFocus Junction

  Practicing as a gynaecologist I experience numerous challenges from day to day. Tackling difficult deliveries in labour ward, dealing with acute haemorrhage in Caesarean section, and breaking bad news to patients about a cancer diagnosis or a pregnancy loss. The emotional impact can vary widely depending on factors such as the stage of pregnancy, personal circumstances, cultural and religious beliefs, and previous experiences with pregnancy. Many people experience profound grief and a sense of loss following a miscarriage or stillbirth. This loss can be compounded by the hopes, dreams, and expectations they had for the pregnancy and the future of their family. It's normal to feel sadness and even depression after a pregnancy loss. Some people may struggle with feelings of emptiness, despair, or a sense of failure. Individuals may blame themselves or feel guilty about the loss, even though pregnancy loss is often beyond anyone's control. This guilt can be especially common...

    Ever since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be a working woman. My mother was a housewife and would occasionally teach music at home. As a little girl could sense, she felt bored and frustrated looking after me and my brother 24/7. With my dad working out of town most of the time she felt very lonely, and her lack of financial independence made her life more challenging. I made it to medical school in my Middle Eastern hometown, immigrated to South Africa, and now I am a qualified Gynaecologist. It has been an amazing Journey. Now I am a mother to a 15-month toddler. I would not have survived with my full-time job without the help of my mother looking after the baby.  With my dad always being away from home, only now he can understand the challenges of motherhood and raising babies. Recently FIGO ( International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics) had a talk with women in the healthcare sector of various low and middle-income countries. One of the bigges...

  International Women’s Day is coming up on the 8 th of March. This year the theme is” Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.” The history of female empowerment is complex and shaped by social, cultural, and political shifts. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the suffrage movement sought to secure women's right to vote, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for gender equality. The first wave of feminism focused on legal rights, but subsequent waves addressed broader issues.   The mid-20th century witnessed the second wave, emphasizing reproductive rights, workplace equality, and challenging societal norms. The introduction of birth control pills in the 1960s further empowered women to control their reproductive choices, and it allowed them to be able to make more career choices. The 1970s and 1980s brought strides in workplace equality, with more women entering previously male-dominated professions.   The third wave, emerging in the 1990s, embraced diver...

I would like to use this platform to promote women's health. I am an obstetrician and gynecologist. I encounter a lot of women from various age groups with different needs. It may be a teenager with severe dysmenorrhea, a teenage pregnancy, a postpartum woman, or a post-menopausal woman. I try to provide them with proper physical and emotional guidance.  There are many advances in the medical field, but there is more room for research and medical advances in women's health.