I took the opportunity to present a paper based on my research (Feticide, the woman and the doctor) and represent the CSSR (and Rhodes University) at the Free State Provincial Health Research Day this week. It made sense, as I make use of the public health services provided in the Free State and work to assist with the training of medical students in this province as well. Both days were extremely well organised and I enjoyed the fast pace of presentations and variety of topics covered. The overall theme for this year was to focus on health care policy implementation within the Free State Department of Health and all presentations added value to this discussion.
One aspect that I found distinctly amiss however was positioning or reflection regarding sexualities and reproductive policies. Critical health psychology and particularly the feminist lens were glaringly absent in work presented as well as during discussions. Once again it seems that we need to make concerted efforts to purposefully enter spaces, such as ‘mainstream’ medical health research conferences and presentations in order to add our voices to these discussions until they become familiar enough to be heard.
My presentation was quite well attended and the amount and type of questions afterwards indicated the immense lack of information regarding late termination of pregnancy, even among our health service providers. Yes I was referred to as ‘the radical feminist’ during one statement, but I also managed to explain the many social and psychological nuances to late termination of pregnancy and feticide that are felt by the woman, her support structure and the health service providers involved to that same audience. Was it successful? I’m not sure. But, perhaps in future they may see the face of feminism as someone rather ordinary who cares about the very human rights of all and just maybe they will read a little broader and listen a little longer.