Barriers to Breath: Women’s Lived Experiences of Tuberculosis Care in India – A Feminist Study

Background- Tuberculosis (herein after referred to as “TB”) is still one of the most infectious diseases worldwide, and it affects poor and developing countries most heavily. India is the country with the largest TB problem, and hence global and domestic health policies focus heavily on it. But TB goes beyond just a medical problem - it is a disease that is tightly linked to various social inequalities, the suffering of the poor, caste discrimination, gender discrimination, stigma, and lack of health facilities, being the major ways in which these inequalities show up in disease distribution. TB for women is charged with moral and social implications, threatening women's different roles in the family, their chances for marriage, and their position in society. However, the stories of women who suffer, endure, and care in the context of TB are hardly ever reflected in the media or policy plans. Methodology- This thesis adopts a feminist analytical framework to centre the lived experiences of women with tuberculosis in India. Drawing on Simone de Beauvoir’s concept of woman as “the Other,” in conjunction with Indian feminist analyses of caste, kinship, and domestic hierarchies, the study interrogates the relational, moral, and cultural meanings of illness. The research employs qualitative methods, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with women diagnosed with TB, leading to the development of the Tuberculosis Women’s Experience Framework. This model enables analysis across three interrelated levels: micro (individual and bodily), meso (familial and domestic), and macro (institutional and cultural). Findings- The study reveals that women experience TB not only as a medical condition but as a moral and social disruption. Illness is frequently hidden due to the fear of stigma, rejection, and dishonour. Yet the research also surfaces subtle forms of resistance and agency—women negotiating care in secrecy, asserting their right to treatment, and navigating family obligations alongside personal recovery. These complex dynamics show how gender, caste, and social expectations shape both the experience and expression of illness. Conclusion- This thesis argues that feminist theory is not simply a lens of critique but an ethical stance necessary for inclusive public health research. By centring women's voices, it reconfigures TB from a solely biomedical issue to a socially embedded, gendered phenomenon. The study contributes to feminist scholarship, critical health studies, and policy discourse by calling for culturally grounded, gender-sensitive frameworks that honour the complexity of women’s illness narratives and their quiet yet profound forms of resilience.

Citation

Singh, A. (2026). Barriers to Breath: Women’s Lived Experiences of Tuberculosis Care in India – A Feminist Study [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.

Publisher

University of Chester

URI

https://chesterrep.openrepository.com/handle/10034/629999

Type

Thesis or dissertation