Feminist Peace Network

As if with the lack of hospitals, medical personnel and medicine weren’t bad enough when it comes to obtaining medical care in Iraq, we learn that it has become dangerous for male gynecologists to provide care to women. according to  IRIN,

“Extremists say that [male] doctors are not allowed to see the private parts of women and two male doctors were reportedly killed last week after leaving their clinics. A message was left near their bodies saying that was the end for any doctor who insists in invading the privacy of Muslim women,� Mayada added.

An Iraqi Medical Association (IMA) spokesman, Walid Rafi, told IRIN it knew of at least 22 male gynaecologists who had been sent threatening letters.

“In one case the extremists tried to carry out their threat. They kidnapped the son of a doctor and only released him after the doctor had closed his clinic in Karada district, in Baghdad,� Rafi said. “We are worried about women’s health in this country. Few of them have access to good medical care and now with the fear of male gynaecologists, few remain in the job and this could have a serious impact in the coming months.�

While this situation has definitely been exacerbated by the climate of extremism that has filled the vacuum of civil leadership created by the U.S. invasion, it should be noted that medical misogyny is also found in other Arab countries.  As we wrote last week:

Women in Arab countries often do not go for treatment when they find a lump because of the shame of being seen by a male doctor or lab technician,

“One Saudi woman didn’t pay attention to the cancer growing in her breast because she was afraid of risk to be referred to a male doctor. Another was divorced by her husband on the mere suspicion she had the disease, and a third was dragged away from a mammogram machine because the technicians were men.�

Filed under: Uncategorized, Atrocities