Homeopathy is Witchcraft? Have we gone back to the middle ages?

The article in The Sunday Telegraph, May 16 2010 entitled "Homeopathy is NHS witchcraft" is pure sexism. It starts off saying that doctors, especially junior doctors are saying that homeopathy is witchcraft and should not be funded because it can't be proved as effective. The article ends with the worry about the huge increase of female doctors who may be wanting to take maternity leave. How are these two issues related?

The connection is the sexism inherent in calling Homeopathy as witchcraft and not seeing male doctors as fathers who also need time off to look after their children.

Reading it made me feel as if the witch finder, now as a doctor who can't see beyond the limited definition of scientific evidence, is allowed a free rein to decide what is right. It reminded me of my recent trips to the doctor and how he could only see my blood test as evidence and not how I was feeling. He even sniggered when I told him that I was less concerned about my borderline low thyroid functioning and more concerned that I was feeling exhausted. The two are connected but somehow that didn't seem to enter his mind. All he was concerned about was my blood test results. Feelings aren't apparently evidence, so neither is being helped by a homeopathic treatment that heals and makes life easier!?

This article concerns me because homeopathy and allied-health are very female dominated professions and it feels as if the witch finder of today doesn't need to hang or burn women as witches anymore to kills them. All he has to do is to economically kill women by discrediting their professions and their knowledge. All this article is about is a bunch of doctors screaming to preserve the reducing resources for themselves by discrediting homeopathy and by focusing on the increasing female doctors who can have babies. It is the same old trick of finding a scapegoat - women again, for the problem of reduced funding. The male doctors clearly don't think that their careers need to be effected by becoming a father.

I hear disturbing reports that killing women economically by not investing in their skills and professions during a time of financial hardship is already happening.

If you have any stories, please post them. I think we need to talk about this in order to stop it as much as we can and not internalise it as our fault or failing.