India, May 2 -- Women's health has always been compartmentalised into largely adolescent health and maternal health, for which several government schemes exist. But what about women's health and wellbeing beyond maternity?

Fertility becomes, in effect, the fulcrum of a woman's life. This leads to an invisibilisation of women's health and illness. Women live longer than men but at least 25% or more of their lives is beset by ill health.

Dr Shivangi Shankar and Dr Sudipta Mondal found in their research that beyond the reproductive and childbearing years (roughly a 27-28 year span), women fall through the cracks in health programmes and policies. They use the term "quarter-to-midlife," to include all women between 25 and 60. A section of w...