CALL FOR CHAPTER PROPOSALS  [DEADLINE EXTENDED]

 Disease and Discrimination: Sickness and the Woman Question

 Edited by- Dr. Sourav Kumar Nag

Contact mail-womanquestionsubmission@gmail.com

Sickness is primarily a biological condition- an abnormality that is harmful to organism caused by external pathogens or internal disorder. Every living organism is subject to sickness, elementary or chronic or both. Biological differences in men and women determine the sex specific diagnoses and treatment of diseases. However, gender plays a crucial role in determining medical intervention and treatment provided to the female patients. Diseases affect both men and women though diseases deepen gender discrimination and sufferings of women. Women have less access to health care resources than men. In many cases, women are compelled to depend on the male members of their families to have access to health care resources. In many families, the female victims suffering chronic diseases are often treated as burden and are neglected. The situation worsens during pandemics.

            The recent outbreak of Covid-19 has made the gender discrimination related to health issues remarkably prominent and visible. Women make up 70% of all health and social services staff globally (World Economic Forum). Pandemics affect both men and women in different ways though the impact of pandemics on women appears to be more mutilating than on men. A WHO pamphlet on the impact of Covid-19 on women (April 9, 2020), offers an insightful summary of the various aspects of gender discrimination during the pandemic. The greater morbidity rate among the men has significantly undermined women health issues. Reports have been published on domestic violence on women and girls. The sex workers suffer poverty and hunger more during these days. In the developing countries, thousands of students will never return to their schools and the number of dropouts will surely multiply. Many girls will be married and sent to their in-laws' instead of to schools in the coming years.

            This edited volume will focus on the gender discrimination women suffer due to illness with special emphasis on the present Covid-19 situation. Research contributions from various disciplines that address the following topics are sought from scholars, faculty members and independent researchers for the edited volume.

The topics may include but are not limited to-

1. Sickness, Sex and Gender

2. Sickness and Gender Discrimination in Economic, Cultural and Societal Spaces  

3. Pandemic and Gender Discrimination  

4. Ailment, Women and Literature

5. Madness and Literature

6. Sickness, Gender and Film Studies

7. Sickness and Liminality

8. Sickness and Religion 

9. Sickness and Popular Media (TV Shows, Short Films, Theatre, Movies, Web Series, Songs)

10. Empowering Women to Survive Diseases and Discrimination

Please note that there is no processsing or publication fee. The edited volume will be published by a reputed international publisher (Routledge has shown interest). 

Please send 200-500-word abstracts/proposals for chapters and any question to  womanquestionsubmission@gmail.com by 31 October, 2020. The deadline for full chapters, 4000-5000 words, in length (including notes and works cited) will be 31 March 2021. The list of accepted proposals will be informed by mail on 15 December 2020.