Elderly women’s experiences of healthcare access in rural Bangladesh: a repressed voice

Many developing countries, such as Bangladesh, experience disparity in accessing healthcare services and rural elderly women are identified as the poorest citizens of
this country. The compounding effects of increasing longevity and co-morbidity result in these women requiring greater healthcare assistance than other population groups.
In spite of their health and medical care requirements, there is a lack of research about rural elderly women's healthcare access resulting in poor representation in government healthcare policies. This study aimed to explore the factors and issues that impact on healthcare access in Bangladesh for rural elderly women. A critical social approach underpinned by Jurgen Habermas and Axel Honneth was used to research the phenomena of healthcare inequalities for rural elderly women in Bangladesh.

Experiences an perceptions ofootfl t e rural elderly women themselves and local healthcare professionals were collected using face to face audio-taped semi-structured interviews. A combined thematic and critical discourse analysis provided an understanding and recognition of women's issues and the repressive relationships that existed. The results showed a number of determinants at the individual, institutional and social levels. These determinants included an exclusionary healthcare system, financial hardship, inadequate health knowledge, sociocultural marginalisation and gendered discrimination in relationships. These factors in combination inhibited the healthcare access for rural elderly women. The results have significant implications for the planning and funding of healthcare services in Bangladesh.