Exploratory Ethnographic Research

The ethnographic research conducted by The Population and Reproductive Health Partnership highlighted several social, cultural, and economic factors that underlie poor health including lack of opportunity and women’s circumscribed decision-making power

The ethnographic research conducted by The Population and Reproductive Health Partnership highlighted several social, cultural, and economic factors that underlie poor health including lack of opportunity and women’s circumscribed decision-making power

Doctoral and postdoctoral fellows carried out exploratory ethnographic fieldwork in Tsibiri, Dakace and Shika Dam the from March to December 2007.

The major objectives of the ethnographic assessment were to:

(1) examine the perspectives of women and men from a variety of social positions on reproductive health
(2) identify local belief systems and terminology used to label and interpret women’s reproductive health problems
(3) describe women’s health care-seeking behaviors
(4) understand how economic, political, geographic, social, and cultural factors influence the decision to seek treatment from health centers, and/or other health care practitioners
(5) identify opportunities and constraints to improving women’s reproductive health

The ethnographic inquiry highlighted several social, cultural, and economic factors- that underlie the poor health indicators found in the demographic survey including:

• lack of opportunity
• high female illiteracy
• early marriage
• high parity
• women’s circumscribed decision-making power
• extreme poverty and underfunded and dysfunctional school and health care systems

The Role of Marriage
This ethnographic work highlighted the primacy of marriage in defining Hausa women’s and men’s lives. Marriage is viewed as a sacred and contractual relationship in which women have the right to be provided for by their husband and husbands have the right to demand their wives’ obedience.  Research by our fellows revealed the subtle ways in which women exert power and independence. Women were found to use conformity to marriage norms and social expectations and tactics-such as deception and gaining the support of others within the household-to render the institution of marriage more flexible and amenable to manipulation.