Gender Studies: News and Views, the bilingual newsletter of the Centre is published twice a year. It is distributed to the academic and non-academic communities. The content is intentionally diversified and included a message from the editorial board, special articles on gender issues, report of major events, book reviews and movie talks, as well as other current research activities.

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L A T E S T   I S S U E

Isse No.18 (April 2001) Editorial Board: Eleanor Holroyd, Siumi Maria Tam, Lee Antoniette Marie, Fiona Li. From the Editorial Too frequently women's health has been associated with their reproductive health. Nowadays we are witnessing an increasing awareness both in popular magazines and in the professional literature of the ways in which women's health is affected by their roles and living conditions. One focus on women's health has been the disorders that are more common in women than in men. Societal influences on women's health point to the fact that stressors or illness that regularly occur more in one sex or another are likely to be linked to the position of women and men in society and reflect societal pressures and economic status. Furthermore, little attention has been paid to the specific consideration of women's roles and expectations. Women's changing social roles, such as declining family forms, divorce, and increases in the fulltime employment of women have been documented to lead to an increase in role burnout. Increasing numbers of women in all cultures are juggling childcare, housework, and paid employment with resultant mental and emotional health issues. Another key issue in women's health is domestic violence. It is the leading cause of injury to women between 15 and 44 years of age in the US. In addition, with increasing employment of women it is suggested that many women will experience sexual harassment at some time in their lives. Gender differences in behaviors such as smoking, physical activities, and alcohol consumption confer risks. In the US and increasingly in other modern societies the leading cause of death in older women is coronary heart disease and HIV is the leading cause of death among younger women. There is an increased awareness of the need for effective programs designed to change behaviors such as smoking and unprotected sex that can prevent such diseases. However such programs need to be carefully planned. Conflicting public health messages on health attitudes and preventive practices are evidenced by the contradictory guidelines on mammography screening and cervical cancer screening seen in many countries. Thus contemporary approaches to women's health is picking up on societal and policy issues to provide new directions and changes based on increasing knowledge. In this issue of the newsletter, the submission of the Hong Kong Federation of Women's Centres to CEDAW provides a comprehensive review of government strategies and targets for women's health specifying issues of accessibility, gender sensitivity and promotion of health. A particular focus is the recommendations made for a focused women's health program. Alice Loke's paper discusses the gender bias that exists in professional-client relationships and offers suggestions for overcoming such barriers. The compilation of abstracts from the Chinese University's international conference on "Globalization and Women's Health" provides an overview of key concerns in the Asia region for the new millennium, including grassroots initiatives and policy perspectives. Vivenne Wee's short report picks up on issues that affect women's health in terms of disease and susceptibility to disease, the lack of preventive practices, environmental pollution, and exposure to toxins. A consistent theme of many of these reports is women in poverty and minority groups and their experience with accessibility and acceptability of the health care system. Localised initiatives to recitify these health problems are well documented in accounts from Mainland China. In addition, Antoinette Lee provides new insights into subjective experiences of premenstrual disorders among Hong Kong Chinese women, reflecting new approaches to reproductive health care where gender differences are most pronounced.

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Issue No.17 (April 2000). Editorial Board: Siumi Maria Tam, Wong Wai Ching, Elizabeth Dawson, Fiona Li. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Issue No.16 (October 1999). Editorial Board: Siumi Maria Tam, Wong Wai Ching, Alice J. T. Yuen Loke, Fiona Li. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.15 (March 1999). Editorial Board: Catherine W. Ng, Ping Ping, Cathy J. Potter, Yip Hon Ming, Fiona Li. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.14 (May 1998). Editorial Board: Pun Shuk-han, Antoinette Lee, Agnes Lam. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.13 (November 1997). Editorial Board: Wong Wai Ching, Yip Hong Ming, Serena Chu, Agnes Lam. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.12 (April 1997). Editorial Board: Day Wong, Toni Mehrain, Agnes Lam. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.11 (December 1996). Editorial Board: Tu Chia-chi, Kitty Tsang, Sheila Twinn, Serena Chu. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.10 (June 1996). Editorial Board: Eva Hung, Jane Jackson, Kitty Tsang, Susan Ma, Serena Chu. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.9 (September 1995). Editorial Board: Eva Hung, Eleanor Holroyd, Susan Ma, Yip Hon Ming, Maria Wong. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.8 (May 1995). Editorial Board: Yip Hon Ming, Eleanor Holroyd, Eva Hung, Queenie Lee, Susan Ma. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.7 (September 1994). Editorial Board: Choi Po King, Eleanor Holroyd, Christo Lai, Queenie Lee, Susan Ma, Yip Hon Ming. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.6 (December 1993). Editorial Board: Choi Po King, Equeen Leung, Eliza Lee, Grace Mak, Paul Robinson. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.5 (March 1993). Editorial Board: Maria Siumi Tam, Equeen Leung, Trisha Leahy, Tessa Stewart, Grace C. L. Mak, Yip Hon Ming. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.4 (September 1992). Editorial Board: Yip Hon Ming, Choi Po King, Equeen Leung, Bernard H. K. Luk, Tessa Stewart. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.3 (March 1992). Editorial Board: Grace C. L. Mak, Choi Po King, Ngo Hang Yue, Tessa Stewart, Janice Wan, Yip Hon Ming. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.2 (September 1991). Editorial Board: Choi Po King, Yip Hon Ming, Kwok Pui Lan, Tessa Stewart. (Can be ordered thru GRC)

  Gender Studies: News and Views, Newsletter issue No.1 (March 1991). Editorial Board: Yip Hon Ming, Choi Po King, Choy Lee Man, Kwong Pui Lan, Tessa Stewart. (Out of Print)