Paper short abstract:

This intervention intends to consider the right to health for foreign women and its barriers and issues focusing on two Italian regional case studies within considerably different contexts because of their management, policies and the organization of health services.

Paper long abstract:

Foreign presence in Italy, diverse and featuring a significant incidence of women, poses new political, social and cultural challenges, amongst which the issues connected with using health-related rights have a sizable importance. My intervention is born of a research in progress, considering the "actual" access and use of health services by foreign women in Italy, within considerably different regional contexts because of their management, policies and the organization of health services (Campania and Tuscany). Such an action does also focus on the role the network of social and health services, as well as the entities of the so-called Third Sector (NGOs and the like) has had and still has within the network policies connected with the effective use of health-related rights by immigrant women. Considering an universalistic national health system and an inclusive law system concerning health and immigration, several barriers still exists in Italy against foreigners (these obstacles may concern administration and management, economy, law, communication and culture), and they are intertwined with prejudices, stereotypes and significant inequalities between the different contexts considered. Taking the current crisis into account as well, the recent welfare cuts risk putting the extent of the acquired rights in jeopardy.

This research will consider the aforementioned issues starting with a methodological and interpretive approach, itself typical of medical anthropology, integrated with an exam of relevant statistics and network analysis. Participative observation has been carried out within some health facilities; health professionals, officers of the aforementioned Third Sector and foreign immigrant women have been interviewed