Abstract:
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies and programs are driven by
agendas that are often far removed from health. These agendas, in turn, are
shaped by sociopolitical forces and processes that operate at global, national,
and/or local levels. Sri Lanka’s public health system is internationally acclaimed
for delivering free and accessible maternity care. The country’s maternal health
indicators, superior to those reported from most other South Asian settings, are
cited as evidence of its reproductive health achievements. This chapter employs a
critical feminist political economy of health lens to examine dominant narratives
of reproductive healthcare in Sri Lanka. It draws attention to four “macro”
processes, namely, medicalization, commercialization, co-optation, and marginalization, that critically shape SRH in Sri Lanka. A gender lens that links
sociopolitical forces and processes with SRH policies and programs helps to
throw light on often neglected social justice and equity concerns that must be
addressed in efforts to advance SRH in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
