Meera Navlakha’s article in Mashable, “These illustrations are challenging the lack of representation in women's healthcare” highlights how medical textbooks rarely showcase women of colour, contributing to medical bias in the healthcare field. When images aren't representative of women and POC, it can have negative implications for patients.
The Reframing Revolution is a solution to this issue by Peanut, a leading social network for women. The project provides a way to identify gaps in representation and avoid any potential mishaps. The founder and CEO of Peanut, Michelle Kennedy, said there have been many misdiagnoses and mistreatment of women simply because physical symptoms appear differently on women of colour's skin. In collaboration with the Founder of HerMD, Dr. Somi Javaid, and BioticArtlab, they developed digital images that were inclusive of the POC community.
When Serena Williams called out the medical complications she experienced with her pregnancy, she sparked a conversation about the many systemic barriers faced by Black women that affect their ability to receive proper healthcare. The 2019 HealthCare and Disparities Report revealed that white women were more likely to receive better quality healthcare compared to the large diaspora of non-white communities. Representation matters, and it can make a difference in lifesaving decisions in a health setting.
To read the full article: Mashable, 2022
The images from the gallery are royalty-free and are available for download: