Desigualdades de género y salud de las mujeres desde la perspectiva de la perinatalidad

In France, suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in the year following childbirth. This observation reveals a paradox: despite enhanced medical monitoring during pregnancy, which allows physiological health issues to be taken into account, women’s mental health is often ignored. Women are subject to extremely strong societal pressures, according to which the perinatal period is necessarily a happy one: these pressures not only prevent them from speaking out about their distress, but also mask disorders that are much more serious than the ‘baby blues’.

The perinatal period reveals gender inequalities in health, not only between women and men, but also between women themselves.

Firstly, medicine, historically designed by and for men, still neglects women’s specificities, leading to late diagnoses and inappropriate treatment. Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among women, illustrates this discrepancy: its symptoms, which differ from those in men, are less easily identified and delay emergency care.

There is currently insufficient research into the different effects on women and men of environmental degradation and exposure to toxic substances throughout an individual’s life, from conception in utero to death. Pregnancy and the early years of life are recognised as periods of high sensitivity to environmental factors.

The world of work is riddled with persistent inequalities: 20% of female manual workers or service employees lose or leave their jobs during pregnancy (Senate Report, 2023), and 27% of women report having experienced discrimination related to motherhood.

Finally, the widespread closure of maternity wards is exacerbating regional inequalities: 40% of women live more than 45 minutes away from a maternity ward, increasing the risk of infant mortality. France, once a model country in this area, now ranks 23rd in Europe, with 2,700 deaths of children under one year of age each year (INED, 2025) .

All these inequalities are exacerbated by women’s specific circumstances (origin, precariousness, disability, obesity, etc.). Women in precarious situations or with disabilities suffer a double penalty: homeless women forego healthcare, while only 58% of women with disabilities receive regular gynaecological care, due to physical barriers or medical violence.