Thanks
It is impossible to adequately thank all the people who made Where Women Have No Doctor a reality. This
book started as a good idea shared by a small group of women and ended up as a remarkable international
collaboration spanning 5 continents. Now we find ourselves wanting to thank everyone who helped, but
simply listing their names does not do justice to the tremendous and generous contributions so many have
made: from the groups of women who met early on to discuss topics related to women’s health care, and
who later reviewed chapters we wrote based on what they told us; to others who sent us original materials or
reviewed (often several times) different sections of the book; to others who wrote drafts of chapters; to the
specialists in women’s health care who reviewed parts of or the entire manuscript; and to the artists—women
from 23 countries—whose illustrations reflect just how diverse a project this was. We thank you all, for
through your combined efforts, this book now rightfully belongs to any woman who reads or uses it.
Wholehearted thanks to the following friends of Hesperian for their work on writing specific chapters, or for
contributing the time or ideas that helped complete them:
Abortion: Judith Winkler of IPAS, and Judith Tyson
Breastfeeding: Felicity Savage King, Helen Armstrong, Judy Canahuati, and Nikki Lee
Female Genital Cutting: Jane Kiragu, Leah Muuya, Joyce Ikiara, the women of Mandaeleo Ya Wanawake, Nahid Toubia
and Zeinab Eyega of Rainbo, Grace Ebun Delano, Abdel Hadi El-Tahir, and Inman Abubakr Osman
Mental Health: Carlos Beristain
Pregnancy: Suellen Miller
Rape and Violence: Elizabeth Shrader Cox
Sex Workers: Eka Esu-Williams
Women with Disabilities: Judith Rogers, Pramila Balasundaram, and Msindo Mwinyipembe
For the 2006 reprint, coordination: Pam Fadem
For the 2010 reprint, coordination: Jane Maxwell
Support for the 2010 reprint and 2012 update from Scilla Bennett, Iñaki Fernández de Retana, Shu Ping Guan,
Zena Herman,Todd Jailer, Susan McCallister, Kathleen Tandy, Dorothy Tegeler, Kathleen Vickery, and Sarah Wallis.
Advice from Maggie Bangser, Alan Berkman, Kathy DeRiemer, Madelyn Hamilton, Erin Harr-Yee, Ellen Israel, José
Jerinomo, Brian Linde, Jonathan Mermin, Syema Muzaffar, Melanie Pena,Tin Tin Sint, Melissa Smith, Linda Spangler,
Susan Sykes, Fiona Thomson, Lorna Thornton, Elliot Trester, Denise Tukenmez, Marco Vitoria, Curt Wands-Bourdoiseau,
Beverly Winikoff, and Susan Yanow; all were extremely helpful, as were the 4 authors.
In addition, we are deeply indebted to Deborah Bickel, Sara Boore, Heidi Broner, Regina Faul-Doyle, Susan
Fawcus, Blanca Figueroa, Sadja Greenwood, May Haddad, Richard Laing, Lonny Shavelson, Richard Steen, and Deborah
Wachtel for their constant availability and selfless efforts. It’s hard to imagine what we would have done without them.
Thanks also to the following groups of women in different countries who contributed so much of their time,
hearts, and minds to review these materials and enrich the book: in Bangladesh:The Asia Foundation; in Botswana:
Thuso Rehabilitation Centre, Maun; in Brazil: the Association of Community Health Workers of Canal do Anil,
and the health educators of Itaguai; in Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen: the many groups
of women who are members of the Arab Resource Collective; in El Salvador: the women of Morazán and
Chalatenango; in Ethiopia: the groups of women who met in Addis Ababa; in Ghana:The Association of Disabled
Women, Dorma Ahenkro, the schoolgirls of Wa, and the women of Korle Bu; in Honduras: the women of Urraco
Pueblo; in India: CHETNA, SEWA, Streehitikarini, the women of Bilaspur, Madhya Pradesh, and the exiled women
of Tibet; in Kenya: Mandaeleo Ya Wanawake—from the districts of Machakos, Kitui, Kerugoya, and Murang’a—the
Dagoretti Clinic Community Health Workers, the Mwakimai Self Help Group of Kisi, Crescent Medical Aid, the
women of Population and Health Services (PHS) of Nairobi, and the women of VOWRI, Nairobi; in Mexico: the
women of Ajoya, and the community health promoters of Oaxaca; in Nigeria: the Nigeria Youth AIDS Programme;
in Papua New Guinea: the East Sepik Women and Children’s Health Project; in the Philippines: GABRIELA, HASIK,
LIKKHAN, REACHOUT, and the People’s Organizations for Social Transformation; in Sierra Leone: the women of
Matatie Village; in the Solomon Islands: the women of Gizo; in Uganda: the Kyakabadiima Women’s Group, and
WARAIDS; and in Zimbabwe: the Women’s Action Group.
And heartfelt gratitude to the countless others who gave so freely of their time and talents, especially:
Hilary Abell
Jane Adair
Niki Adams
Christine Adebajo
Vida Affum
Stella Yaa Agyeiwaa
Baldreldeen Ahmed
Felicia Aldrich
Bhim Kumari Ale
Jennifer Alfaro
Sandra Anderson
Susan Anderson
Thomas Allen
Adrianne Aron
Fred Arradondo
Rosita Arvigo
Leonida Atieno
Kathy Attawell
Nancy Aunapu
Elizabeth de Avila
Enoch Kafi Awity
Marie Christine N.
Bantug
David Barabe
Naomi Baumslag
Barbara Bayardo
Carola Beck
Rayhana Begum
Medea Benjamin
Marge Berer
Denise Bergez
Stephen Bezruchka
Pushpa Bhatt
Amie Bishop
Edith Mukisa Bitwayiki
Michael Blake
Paulina Abrefa Boateng
Simone Bodemo
Nancy Bolan
Peter Boland
Bill Bower
Christine Bradley
Paula Brentlinger
Verna Brooks
Mary Ann Buckley
Sandra Tebben
Buffington
Sharon Burnstien
Mary Ann Burris
Elizabeth Bukusi
Elliot Burg
May Florence
Cadiente
Indu Capoor
Ward Cates
Mary Catlin
Denise Caudill
Barbara Chang
Amal Charles
Andrew Chetley
Casmir Chipere
Lynne Coen
Louise Cohen
Mark Connolly
Karen Cooke
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012