Submission ID 130863
| Issue/Objective | Since the start of the millennium, the government of India has made substantial efforts to reduce maternal mortality. However, significant disparities persist, particularly among low-caste and tribal women, who continue to experience some of the world's worst maternal health outcomes. These inequities are shaped by factors such as poor working conditions, food insecurity, and inadequate maternal health services. These challenges are further compounded by a mismatch between available services and local understandings of maternal health, obscuring the structural and social conditions that shape the women's experiences. To fill this gap, this participatory study in Kherwara, Rajasthan, India, aimed to co-create a contextualized maternal health framework with healthcare workers, NGO staff, and low-caste and tribal women. |
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| Methodology/Approach | To explore the factors influencing maternal health disparities among low-caste and tribal women, the research team engaged women from these groups in identifying maternal health priorities, needs, and concerns, using Maternal Life-Course Mapping (MLCM), an innovative, visual, participatory method , designed specifically for this study. This process resulted in a place-based, contextually grounded definition of maternal health. |
| Results | The MLCM proved to be a low-barrier tool for Kherwari women to share their aspirations for positive maternal health outcomes. The women selected symbols representing both mother and baby, highlighting the importance of the mother-infant dyad. Participants consistently identified in-laws, husbands, and religious actors as key stakeholders in their health, while asserting their own agency in health care decisions. Above all, women emphasized improving household economic conditions and food security as their primary concern, given its direct impact on their health, as well as their ability to rest and recover. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | These findings demonstrate the potential of using MLCM as a tool to centre community voices in maternal health research. They also underscore the importance of creating space for women from disadvantaged backgrounds to articulate the challenges they face in realizing health for themselves and their infants, and of ensuring these lived experiences meaningfully inform policy and practice. Future research should explore the applicability of MLCM in other contexts to assess its broader relevance and utility. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Patricha Jeppe Ottsen University of Victoria Andrea Mellor University of Victoria Cecilia Benoit University of Victoria Zahra Premji University of Victoria |
