Women’s Health, Culture, and Ethics—Anthropological and Socio-Ethical Aspects in Global Health

Improving women’s health depends not only on clinical, biological, and economic factors, but also on sociocultural factors. This requires attention to diverse norms at local, national, and global levels, which influence women’s opportunities to have their health needs cared for by individual behaviors and societal structures. Studies from social and cultural anthropology,, but also from social ethics, have provided crucial insights and impulses. With examples primarily from Africa, some health discourses are addressed in which the responsibility towards the cultural and social embeddedness of women and at the same time their universal rights can lead to conflicts that can be solved with an appropriate understanding of culture, health, and human rights.