Master's Project Title:

The Effects of Armed Conflict on Women

MCH Student:

Erin Galegher

Date of Defense:

2008

Abstract:

Armed conflict is a major source of mortality and poor health outcomes. The public health impact upon women is agreeably extensive. During the conflict phase of war, the direct and indirect health consequences impact women on many different levels. When women resettle into a third country, they bring the effects of war with them. The effects of trauma may reach beyond the individual recipient to the larger society.

The literature on the consequences of war infrequently uses a gender-analyzed approach. Epidemiological data is difficult to acquire during conflict, resulting in uncertainty in the magnitude of mortality and morbidity. The literature on post-conflict recovery is multi-disciplinary and ranges in themes from individualized therapy to social suffering. As the interest in armed conflict and public health merge, the research becomes more collaborative and the need to focus on vulnerable populations, such as women, more apparent.