A lifetime of academic work and advocacy: An interview with Bina Agarwal
摘要
This interview with Professor Bina Agarwal, one of the foremost development economists in the world, explores the intersection of gender, land ownership, and health outcomes, situated within the broader theme of political economy and health. The conversation draws on her decades of groundbreaking scholarship and advocacy, beginning with her landmark 1994 book, A Field of One’s Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia. Professor Agarwal elaborates on how women’s ownership of land and housing correlates significantly with reduced domestic violence, improved child nutrition and survival, and stronger intra-household bargaining power, all of which carry direct health implications. She challenges conventional unitary models of the household, arguing that gender and caste inequalities exist within families that enjoy class privilege to access private medical care. In order to truly understand this connection we must look beyond social determinants of health to the structural and political conditions governing resource allocation.