Insight #5: When health issues crop up, women’s stability is often threatened. A complex interplay of health issues, workplace stress and limited workplace accommodations severely impact women’s ability to maintain steady employment, leading to job insecurity, work avoidance, and financial strain. This creates a cycle of instability in women’s lives.

Chronic health conditions (slipped disc, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, eczema, fibroid, cysts, irregular menstruation) significantly limit work capacity in women, especially for physically demanding roles requiring long hours of standing, heavy lifting, and climbing stairs.

This also interplay with workplace conditions which may exacerbate the condition, or lacking in health benefits.

• Workplace stress and difficult work environment contribute to emotional distress, further affecting women’s work performance and ability to create stability in their lives.
• Women often take on mainly ad hoc jobs, which are unstable and lower income, as their health limits their ability to maintain regular employment. This means they are one crisis away from sudden instability, if they are unable to work. Health problems and low, variable household income increase economic and emotional pressures on women, exacerbating the cycle of poor health and unstable employment.
• When women are employed with protection and benefits, they can still be forced to quit or have their contracts terminated if they are deemed to have taken too much medical/hospitalisation leave (see Mary’s story).

These health issues often go unaddressed due to fear, tiredness and opportunity cost relating to taking leave from work or having to set up alternative caregiving.

• Self care and health goals are often deprioritised in favour of family and survival needs.
• Many women prioritize their children’s health over their own, often delaying their own care while promptly seeking medical attention for their children.
• Structural barriers to seeking medical help include long wait times (polyclinics), dismissive behavior from healthcare providers, inconvenience, and lack of access to adequate women’s health information. Many women report feeling rushed, judged or not listened to during medical appointments.
• Access barriers include lack of awareness about facilities and cost, especially for specialized treatments or regular check-ups. Some women opt for cheaper alternatives, such as seeking treatment in neighboring countries or alternative medicine such as TCM.