403
Views
6
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

“We have to ask and only then do”: Unpacking agency and autonomy in women's reproductive health in urban India

, , , &
Pages 1119-1137 | Received 13 Oct 2014, Accepted 06 Jan 2016, Published online: 19 Feb 2016
 

ABSTRACT

The limited autonomy and agency of women in developing countries is recognized as a key barrier to improving their reproductive health. Using an existing perinatal cohort in urban South India, we interviewed 36 women who had recently been through childbirth, and we carried out observations of family life and clinic encounters. Critical domains involved in women's agency and autonomy were women's participation in employment and group action and their mobility. Household decision making was considered a joint rather than individual responsibility. We call for a more nuanced understanding of these domains and their relationship to women's reproductive health, particularly for urban populations.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge support and help provided by Dr. Sumithra Mutthayya and members of the Nutrition Research team from St. John's Research Institute, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore. The first author is particularly grateful to all the women and families who so freely gave their time to this research.

Notes

1 Pseudonyms used throughout to preserve anonymity of participants.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.