Breaking the silence: Emotional and social stigma women with epilepsy face – The Hans India

Report on the Socio-Emotional Stigma Affecting Women with Epilepsy and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Epilepsy, Gender, and Sustainable Development

Epilepsy, a widely misunderstood neurological condition in India, presents significant non-medical challenges that disproportionately affect women. The social and emotional stigma associated with the disease creates profound barriers to personal and professional development, directly impeding progress toward several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report analyzes these challenges through the lens of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Analysis of Stigma and its Contravention of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

The societal response to epilepsy in women severely undermines their physical and mental health, directly conflicting with the objectives of SDG 3. The primary impacts include:

• Mental Health Burden: The constant fear of judgment and the unpredictable nature of seizures contribute to heightened levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. This contravenes SDG Target 3.4, which aims to promote mental health and well-being.
• Barriers to Seeking Care: Due to stigma rooted in superstition and misinformation, many women conceal their diagnosis. This silence prevents them from seeking timely medical treatment and emotional support, hindering access to essential health services.
• Emotional Isolation: The pressure to keep the condition a secret leads to profound feelings of isolation, even within family environments. This lack of a support system is detrimental to managing a chronic illness effectively.

The Intersection of Epilepsy Stigma and SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

The stigma surrounding epilepsy is heavily gendered, creating specific obstacles for women that compromise the goals of SDG 5. These gender-specific challenges manifest in critical areas of life:

• Marriage and Family Life: The prospect of marriage is a focal point of intense stigma. Families often fear that disclosing the condition will ruin marital prospects, forcing women into concealment and emotional turmoil. This undermines a woman’s right to an equal partnership.
• Discriminatory Beliefs: Pervasive false ideas that epilepsy is hereditary, incurable, or a sign of psychological instability lead to discriminatory judgments regarding a woman’s suitability for marriage and motherhood, infringing upon her autonomy and reproductive rights.
• Domestic Relationships: Within a marriage, seizures may be misinterpreted by spouses or in-laws as behavioral issues, leading to a lack of support, emotional strain, and the erosion of a woman’s confidence and standing within the family.

Economic Disempowerment in Relation to SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The stigma against women with epilepsy extends into the economic sphere, limiting their opportunities and reinforcing systemic inequalities, thereby obstructing progress on SDG 8 and SDG 10.

1. Workplace Discrimination: Women often avoid disclosing their condition at work for fear of being deemed unreliable or facing discrimination. This creates a dual burden of managing a chronic illness while navigating societal prejudice, which is contrary to the principles of decent work outlined in SDG 8.
2. Restricted Opportunities: The societal perception of epilepsy as a debilitating condition can limit a woman’s access to education and meaningful employment, perpetuating a cycle of economic dependence and social exclusion.
3. Deepening Inequality: By marginalizing women with epilepsy, this stigma directly contributes to the inequalities that SDG 10 aims to reduce, denying them the right to participate fully and equally in society.

Recommendations for Action in Alignment with the 2030 Agenda

To dismantle these barriers and align with global development targets, a multi-faceted approach is required:

• Public Education: Launch awareness campaigns to reframe epilepsy as a manageable neurological condition, not a character flaw. This is essential for achieving the health and well-being targets of SDG 3.
• Empowerment and Support Networks: Foster support groups and advocacy platforms where women can share their experiences without fear. Empowering women is a core principle of SDG 5.
• Advocacy for Inclusive Policies: Promote and enforce anti-discrimination policies in workplaces and communities to protect the rights of individuals with chronic health conditions, directly supporting SDG 8 and SDG 10.
• Holistic Healthcare: Integrate mental and emotional support services into standard epilepsy care to address the psychological toll of the condition and its associated stigma, thereby creating a comprehensive approach to SDG 3.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is epilepsy, a neurological disease, and its significant impact on mental health, including anxiety, stress, and depression. It emphasizes the need for proper diagnosis, treatment, and emotional support for women suffering from the condition.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The article specifically focuses on the challenges faced by women with epilepsy, highlighting how social stigma disproportionately affects them. It discusses discrimination in marriage and family life, where women are often forced to conceal their condition, impacting their autonomy and relationships.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article addresses the social and economic exclusion of women with epilepsy. It points out how stigma and misunderstanding lead to discrimination in workplaces and society, creating barriers to equal opportunities and reinforcing inequality based on health status and gender.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
     
     Explanation: The article directly connects epilepsy, a non-communicable neurological disease, to severe mental health issues. It states that the combination of the condition’s unpredictable nature and social stigma “can entail thus outrageous levels of anxiety, stress, and even depression,” highlighting the urgent need to promote mental well-being for this group.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
     
     Explanation: The article details the discrimination women with epilepsy face, particularly in social contexts. It notes that “The subject of marriage perhaps, among others, is the most difficult area where the stigma of the females with epilepsy is strongest,” and that they fear discrimination in work environments, which are clear forms of gender-based discrimination compounded by health status.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
     
     Explanation: The article advocates for empowering women with epilepsy to overcome social exclusion. It calls for giving “such ladies the boldness to let people know their experiences” and creating support systems to make them “feel less isolated and more powerful,” directly aligning with the goal of promoting social and economic inclusion for people with chronic health conditions (a form of disability).
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices.
     
     Explanation: The article highlights how women with epilepsy are denied equal opportunities due to societal prejudice. It mentions that women “are not at ease with opening up about their condition as they are scared of discrimination or of being called ‘unreliable’” in the workplace. The call to break stigma and advocate “for the right to exist in workplaces and families” is a call to eliminate discriminatory practices and ensure equal opportunity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 3.4: Prevalence of anxiety, stress, and depression among women with epilepsy.
  
  Explanation: The article explicitly states that the condition leads to “outrageous levels of anxiety, stress, and even depression.” Measuring the reduction in the prevalence of these mental health conditions within this specific demographic would be a direct indicator of progress in promoting their mental well-being.
• Implied Indicator for Target 5.1: Proportion of women with epilepsy reporting experiences of discrimination in social (e.g., marriage prospects) and professional settings.
  
  Explanation: The article describes how women are “compelled to conceal their epileptic condition” due to fear of discrimination affecting marriage proposals and job security. A reduction in the self-reported instances of such discrimination would indicate progress towards ending this form of inequality.
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.2: Level of public awareness and understanding of epilepsy.
  
  Explanation: The article repeatedly identifies “Misunderstandings” and “superstitions” as the root cause of stigma and exclusion. It posits that “Educating oneself among the best ways to counter stigma goes for epilepsy as well.” Therefore, measuring changes in public perception and knowledge about epilepsy through surveys would serve as an indicator of a more inclusive society.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

Source: thehansindia.com