Situating Sex, Gender, and Health in South Asia

This first chapter of the handbook begins with a brief account of the beginnings of scholarship and activism on sex, gender, and health, including in South Asia. It introduces key sex/gender concepts before contextualizing them in the varied histories and politics of the region while highlighting recent advances in sexual rights amidst the backlash. Subsequently, the authors provide a road map of approaches to integrating a sex/gender lens into understandings of health and illness, focusing on intersectionality, socioecological approaches, social and structural determinants, and rights-based approaches. While not an exhaustive review, the road map offers a foundational understanding to contextualize the content of the subsequent chapters and sections in this handbook. The chapter then provides an overview of what this handbook offers, highlighting what a regional perspective brings to discussions on health disparities arising from sex/gender differences, gender issues within health systems, gender and equity analyses of policies and programs, and the role of advocacy, movements, and social action. The diverse collection of chapters, authored primarily by individuals from South Asia, emphasizes the intricate relationship between gender, sex, and health in diverse settings while illustrating how gender is contextual, intertwined with power, and intersects with various identities and inequalities, influenced by historical, political, geographical, governmental, and legal/regulatory factors, as well as global influences. The authors suggest that the handbook provides space for alternative narratives and theories that challenge accepted yet unexamined assumptions about sex/gender in much public health research while centering voices and evidence that have been overlooked or underrepresented.