First-ever intra-party parliamentarian forum on women’s health to push for cervical cancer vaccine
NEW DELHI: The first-ever intra-party parliamentarians’ forum on women’s health in India will advocate for policies on women’s health, including sexual and reproductive health, that are often overlooked and underfunded, and receive insufficient attention in political and policy discussions.
The main aim of the forum, which has onboarded eight legislators from seven political parties, is to make women’s health a policy priority, supported by research, advocacy and consensus.
Among the main agenda items of the forum, which will kick-start its operations during the winter session of the parliament, is to push for the inclusion of the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in India, in the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
Speaking with TNIE, Dr. T. Sumathy, DMK MP from Chennai South, Tamil Nadu, said: “Women’s health never gets priority inside or outside parliament. It has been treated as a secondary concern in our policy priorities, even though it underpins not just individual well-being but the health of our families, communities, and economy.”
Welcoming the formation of a parliamentarian Forum, launched by the non-profit FRIDA Health, a women’s health advocacy lab, she said their immediate goal for the winter session of parliament is to hold policy discussions on the nationwide inclusion of cervical cancer vaccine in the UIP; menstrual leaves for girls and women, and gender-based budgeting.
“We plan to take up in the winter session of the parliament, the national launch of cervical cancer vaccine, which has been rolled out in a few states, including Tamil Nadu. We want a discussion on adopting the successful models of these states in rolling out the HPV vaccine throughout the country.”
The Union Budget 2024 prioritised the phased introduction of the cervical vaccine, with the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommending its inclusion in the UIP for girls aged 9-14 years. The other states where this vaccination has been launched are Sikkim and Bihar. India has reported over 80,000 cervical cancer cases in 2023-24.
On the issue of menstrual leaves, one of the provisions under the draft Menstrual Hygiene Policy, which advocates for a three-day leave for menstruating individuals in workplaces, the parliamentarian said they want an open discussion where the pros and cons are discussed.
The DMK MP is among the eight MPs who comprise the Forum. The others are Dr. Maddila Gurumoorthy (YSRCP, Andhra Pradesh), KR Suresh Reddy (BRS, Telangana), Vishal Patil (Independent, Maharashtra), Dr. Fauzia Khan (NCP, Maharashtra), Pradyut Bordoloi (Congress, Assam), Sulata Deo (BJD, Odisha), and Jothimani S. (Congress, Tamil Nadu).
“The parliament needs to discuss and come out with policies that focus on women’s health, from their reproductive rights to their mental health. These issues often remain under-addressed in our policy conversations. I believe it is my duty to amplify these voices in parliament and to work collectively, beyond party lines, for a healthier and more equitable future for women across our country,” said Dr Sumathy, who worked as an English lecturer before entering politics.
The forum, she said, will raise in one, strong voice the pressing health issues of women. “The forum will strengthen advocacy and policy action for women’s health in India.”
According to Prakshi Saha, founder of non-profit FRIDA Health, they have launched the forum with eight MPs from seven political parties across six states. “We are talking to several others. The membership will reach 15+ within the next month,” she told TNIE.
Talking about the forum, Dr Gurumoorthy said: “Women’s health is not just a medical issue - it’s a societal imperative. Forums like this create a space for dialogues, awareness, and action, especially in communities where health concerns are often underrepresented or misunderstood.”
“I chose to be part of this initiative because I believe that empowering women with access to knowledge and care strengthens families, communities and the nation,” he said.
“As a physiotherapist and public servant, I have seen first-hand how health - especially preventive and rehabilitative care - can transform lives. It is why I have consistently advocated for accessible wellness infrastructure, from physiotherapy outreach to CGHS centres. Health is dignity and every citizen deserves it,” the Andhra MP added.
Telangana Rajya Sabha MP Reddy said the gender health gap persists in India and is intensely magnified by socio-cultural factors. “For the nation’s overall growth and progress, we have to ensure that maternal mortality, breast and cervical cancer, malnutrition and anaemia are addressed with utmost priority.”
The 24-year-old non-profit founder said apart from providing research support to the MPs on critical women’s health issues, including sexual and reproductive health, women’s cancers, nutrition, anemia and access to essential healthcare services, they will also facilitate dialogue and collaboration between parliamentarians, international organisations, civil society, and healthcare providers to develop and implement effective women’s health policies and programs.
Talking about her journey, Saha said that, having worked with women and girls in grassroots communities, as well as being a lawyer and policy researcher, she thought to generate political will and consensus to advocate for better women’s health policies.
She stated that the immediate goal of the forum is to increase parliamentary engagement, including questions, zero-hour mentions, special mentions, and even private members’ bills, on various issues related to women’s health.
“We are also doing a mapping exercise of the past parliament sessions and measuring the total questions asked, the total zero hours allowed, and how many were about gender/health/women’s health! We will continue to update this tracker as operations of our forum kick-start from the winter session.”
In the long run, she said, they aim to see several policies related to women’s health implemented.
“I believe that data-driven policymaking will ultimately improve the quality of decisions made by policymakers and ensure that women’s health challenges are properly understood.”