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

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.