ShareKUWAIT: A day just for her, for fostering change, growth and empowerment for every woman out there. “Women’s Wellness Event”, the first-of-its-kind in Kuwait, took place on Saturday to shed light on the underestimated aspects of women’s mental and physical health concerns that inevitably impact the health of society as a whole.
“Well-being comes from finding ways to make yourself feel better, so find your own way.” This is how the event started, marked by an inspiring keynote speech by Sheikha Intisar Al-Sabah. Sheikha Intisar is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and visionary leader with previous significant initiatives in influencing women’s health worldwide. She said all previous scientific studies have stated that women are two to three times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than men, which raises a serious issue that deserves to come to light.
According to Sheikha Intisar’s expertise in women’s wellness sector, depression negatively reflects on a woman’s cognition, emotions and body altogether. Therefore, she emphasized the need for dealing with the three aspects for an effective healing approach, which aligns with the core aspects addressed in the event. This unique initiative covers a diverse range of sessions and workshops that go beyond mental health to encompass mental health as well, including the mind and body connection, silencing the inner critic and implementing different strategies for holistic well-being.
The community, which is mostly shaped by women, be it a mother, sister or wife, shows a great need for holding such awareness initiatives, especially because the area of women’s health is mostly overlooked by the society, said Tamar Dertavitian, director of Fawzia Sultan Healthcare Network (FSHN), the host organization of the event.
Clinical psychologist Dr Ayesha Kamal noted the main objective of this day is to identify and understand the large impact that social and political aspects of society can have on women’s health overall. “When we take into consideration the general stigma against seeking mental healthcare, or the emphasis that sometimes is put on family privacy, or going for physical checkups, we can see how this can affect women,” she said.
She referred to a common example that mostly reflects this stigma. “When women show persistent low mood, which might be a sign of depression or other serious mental health concerns, it is mostly brushed off to hormonal changes. Subsequently, this prevents women from seeking further care or getting the help they need,” she added.
Yet, events like these can change the narrative. Dr Kamal expressed to Kuwait Times her excitement for hosting this day, particularly because it is organized by women for women. “We are now moving beyond the hashtag of ‘Women support women’ as we are actually implementing it on the ground,” she said. She added she is feeling proud of having all these guests showing up, because this proves that more women are realizing the importance of prioritizing their health by wanting to learn more about how to take better care of themselves. It’s as if they’re acknowledging it out loud: “I am worth taking the time; I am worth investing in.”
