Women's Health: Strength Overlooked
A woman's body is not merely the carrier of life; it is the feeling of creation. When that body is overlooked in nourishment, in conversation and in respect, it does not merely fall ill — it falls silent.
Health — the chapters
20 of 20 chapters written
Lifestyle and the body
Mind and society
Infection and environment
Science and Jain thought
Summary · AI
- In India 57% of women live with anaemia, 32% with thyroid or hormonal imbalance, and 28% with mental strain.
- The crisis is not limited to pregnancy or menstruation — it reaches PCOD, menopause and strain of mind.
- The cause is not poor nourishment alone — it is treating a woman as a means of service rather than someone to be honoured.
- The remedies here come from Jain practice: giving up the night meal, samayik and silence, eating once a day, and monthly vows.
This summary was written by AI and may contain mistakes; the article itself is authoritative.
This is an English translation of the original Hindi. Translation may have changed the meaning a little; the Hindi original is the authoritative version.
A woman’s body is not merely the carrier of life; it is the feeling of creation. It is not only blood that flows in it — it is a current of compassion, patience and making. But when that body is overlooked — in nourishment, in conversation and in respect — it does not merely fall ill; it falls silent. Women’s health has become a wide and many-sided problem in India, one that must be understood not through medicine alone but through feeling.
This crisis is not limited to pregnancy or menstruation; it reaches thyroid disorder, PCOD, anaemia, strain of mind, and the difficulties that follow menopause. It is a test not of the body but of society — of how far it recognises strength.
The extent of the problem
According to the National Institute for Women’s Health report of 2024, in India:
- 57% of women live with anaemia
- 32% of women suffer thyroid or hormonal imbalance
- 28% of women know strain of mind or despondency
These figures are signs not only of medicine but of culture — that we gave a woman a role, not a place.
The undercurrent of the causes
The crisis in women’s health is not caused by poor nourishment alone. It is the outcome of a life in which:
- a woman is taken as a means of service, not as someone to be honoured
- her body is seen only for work, not for rest
- her mind is taken only as enduring, not as feeling
- her health is tied only to childbirth, not to life
Jain thought says — “शक्ति का सम्मान ही धर्म का विस्तार है” (the honouring of strength is itself the widening of dharma). A woman is held to be the sign of strength, restraint and practice. But when that strength is overlooked, dharma too falls silent.
The effect on society and the feelings
The crisis in women’s health does not stay within the body. It affects how they see themselves, their relationships, and their part in society. When a woman is tired, it is not her body alone that tires but her whole family.
PCOD, thyroid disorder, and the difficulties after menopause lead them towards unsteadiness of mind, hesitation in company, and a loss of confidence. This leaves them far from conversation, and cut off from themselves.
The direction of a remedy: the inspiration of Jain practice
To come out of this crisis we must attend not to medicines but to formation. If we give a woman not merely a role but a place; if we understand her body not as work but as something to be honoured — then this crisis will not merely lessen; it can disappear.
In the Jain way of living, a woman is strengthened through restraint, silence and samayik. Practices such as restraint in the timing and quantity of the evening meal, eating once a day, meditation and vows give her inner strength, hormonal balance and steadiness of mind.
Practical remedies:
| Measure | The Jain view | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|
| Giving up the night meal | The practice of restraint | Balanced digestion, steadier hormones |
| Samayik and silence | Conversation with oneself | Peace of mind, less strain |
| Eating once a day, and nourishing food | Discipline | Weight balance, more energy |
| A monthly vow (restraint in food) | Practice | Inner strength, steadiness of mind |
The place of policy and education
If the crisis in women’s health is to be ended, not medicine alone but feeling and respect must be given a place in policy. Conversation about women’s health in schools, a policy of monthly rest at workplaces, and the encouragement of women’s dignity in the media — together these can build a gentler society.
NITI Aayog’s Women’s Wellness Strategy 2025 proposes that India should set up community health centres for women, a nutrition kit scheme, and forums for mental health counselling.
A sign that inspires: strength remade
A woman who had struggled for years with tiredness, hormonal imbalance and self-doubt decided to remake her life. She kept restraint in the timing and quantity of her evening meal, took up the practice of silence, and gave samayik a place in her day. Slowly her body grew strong — but more than that, her awareness woke.
This was no miracle, but the result of restraint, practice and respect.
Conclusion
The crisis in women’s health is not the body’s tiredness alone — it is strength overlooked. If we give a woman not merely a role but a place; if we understand her body not as work but as something to be honoured — then this crisis can not only be controlled but defeated.
This chapter is a call — that we join women to the dignity of the Jain way of living, give them the gift of silence, restraint and practice, and fill society with strength.
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