Demonstrating the value of women

by | Mar 15, 2024 | Community Work, Research | 0 comments

Project’s Maternal Experience Study coming to a close

Last week, at the Canadian High Commission in Maputo, the project made a presentation of preliminary findings from its Maternal Experiences Study (MES). The MES is a longitudinal qualitative study of rural women’s experiences in maternal and reproduction health. Based on a series of indepth interviews over close to four years with 20 women from the communities in Inhambane where the project works, the study was designed to engage women in telling their own stories, and thereby to increase our understanding of their lives and issues. An overall objective was to identify what could help to improve their lives and propose some helpful interventions. A main strength of qualitative research is in its rich description and the women’s stories and words testify to their difficulties, their strengths and their contributions.

With the study coming to a close in March 2024, researchers prepared a presentation for discussion, entitled What do the women say? Listening to 20 women in rural Inhambane, which outlined the study methodology and preliminary findings. Based on an intersectional feminist, critical change approach, the study sought stories of women’s strength and agency within, and in addition to, those of violence, oppression and challenge. One of the key ideas to emerge was the contradiction that while women are main contributors to family and community social success, they are also the recipients of practices causing social harm.

The project will be making its findings public soon. Envisioned are a full-length report, as well as shorter pieces focusing on selected topics and on policy proposals. These will be in addition to the tools and presentations that were made over the course of the study.

In a study such as this, the contribution of our 20 participants, who took the time and had the courage to share their stories, is invaluable, and the project thanks them. The MES Principal Investigator is Dr. Sylvia Abonyi from the University of Saskatchewan, and the principal analyst is Lise Kouri, qualitative health researcher. Also contributing are members of the project team in Canada and Mozambique.

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Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the Mozambique-Canada Maternal Health Project. This project came to an end on June 30, 2024. You may continue to the site to see our final update and find out what we did, but please keep in mind that it is an archived site and will no longer be updated.

We now have a new project**: Sexual and Reproductive Health for Young Women in Inhambane**. We will be activating its website soon.

The new project builds on the old one, but with some changes to adapt to new realities. We will continue to seek improved, sexual, reproductive and maternal health and rights for women, now focusing more on adolescent girls and younger women, within the context of model communities of care, taking into consideration their families and their communities. We will continue to partner with community health communities (now 30 compared to 20) within selected districts in Inhambane (now 6 rather than 5). We will also continue to partner with the provincial health directorate (DPSI) to improve infrastructural and human resources in the health system. And we will continue to carry out helpful research and disseminate information.

Let us know if you would like to be notified when our new site is up!