Category: Publications

Expanding the discourse around GBV

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Over the past two years, Sama has organised workshops with community-based organisations as well as short courses for youth. These spaces were utilised to unpack gender-based violence, improve the intersectional viewpoint, and hold systems accountable. Participants from approximately 100 community-based organisations in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha attended these seminars and short courses. This blog is based on the experiences of participants who attended Sama’s short courses and workshops. Continue reading

How subpar treatment options allow sickle cell disease to persist | Explained

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Suraj, five, was sent to the district hospital in Nuapada, western Odisha, after being ill with a persistent fever. He and his family had to run from one hospital to another, some even 250 kilometres from their hamlet. Finally, when his haemoglobin electrophoresis tests revealed SCD, he was admitted as a patient and referred for blood transfusions. Suraj’s tale demonstrates the difficulty that people like Suraj, who come from disadvantaged tribal communities, experience in accessing basic healthcare and diagnostics. Continue reading

Abortion law in India: A step backward after going forward

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In September 2021, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act of 2021 came into force, extending the upper gestational limit for abortion from 20 to 24 weeks. Although the amendment did not recognise abortion on demand as a pregnant person’s right, it was heralded as the next step in making Indian abortion laws more progressive. The recent Court’s decision to refuse an abortion to a woman with postpartum psychosis has undone the progressive strides made in 2021 and 2022. Continue reading

Training Modules on Addressing GBV for Healthcare Providers

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Sama has been developing a series of Training Modules for Healthcare Providers in order to increase capacity with information and awareness about gender-based violence, as well as to encourage Healthcare Providers to create enabling environments in health systems for survivors to report violence and seek care and support without any hesitation, apprehension or barriers. Continue reading

The ethics, equity, and governance of human genome editing need greater consideration

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Challenges exist around heritable gene editing, its potential medical applications, ethical implications, and the need for regulatory mechanisms in the field. In March this year I spoke at the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, held in London, about “The Role of Civil Society and Culture in Fostering Public Engagement on the Ethics of Human Genome Editing.” Continue reading