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"We are not bad and we are not doing anything wrong" : exploring girls' menstrual inclusion in India

Jeppe Ottsen, Patricha LU (2020) SGED10 20201
Human Geography
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a surge in research on menstrual poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, and scholars are debating which interventions are the most appropriate. One of the leading theories is Civil Society Based Intervention which prescribes a mix of sanitary product-provision and menstrual education. This study contributes to the discussion by testing the Civil Society Based Intervention outside of the African continent. The action research is based on an exploratory case study in the village of Kherwara, Rajasthan, India. The research is a longitudinal cohort study, as it follows the participants over a year, gathering data through a baseline and a follow-up study. This is done by utilizing methods of focus group discussions,... (More)
In recent years, there has been a surge in research on menstrual poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, and scholars are debating which interventions are the most appropriate. One of the leading theories is Civil Society Based Intervention which prescribes a mix of sanitary product-provision and menstrual education. This study contributes to the discussion by testing the Civil Society Based Intervention outside of the African continent. The action research is based on an exploratory case study in the village of Kherwara, Rajasthan, India. The research is a longitudinal cohort study, as it follows the participants over a year, gathering data through a baseline and a follow-up study. This is done by utilizing methods of focus group discussions, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and qualitative observations. The thesis introduces and utilizes the conceptual framework of Menstrual Inclusion, based on parts of Goffman’s theory of stigma (1969) and Oxoby’s theory of social inclusion (2009). This allows a comprehensive assessment of the intervention, as the framework acknowledges and captures the complex sociological realities that menstruating girls navigate in their daily lives. The findings from this study indicate that the Civil Society Based Intervention is appropriate in the Indian context, but that it has certain shortcomings, as it fails to address issues of physical discomfort and pain, the discredited stigma, and the lack of water, hygiene and sanitation facilities in public spheres. However, as this study is exploratory in its design, replication in other settings is needed to make viable conclusions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Jeppe Ottsen, Patricha LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGED10 20201
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Menstrual Hygiene Management, Menstrual Inclusion, Menstrual Poverty, Women's Health, India
funder
SIDA, Minor Field Study programme (MFS)
language
English
id
9022709
date added to LUP
2020-07-02 10:59:22
date last changed
2020-07-02 10:59:22
@misc{9022709,
  abstract     = {{In recent years, there has been a surge in research on menstrual poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, and scholars are debating which interventions are the most appropriate. One of the leading theories is Civil Society Based Intervention which prescribes a mix of sanitary product-provision and menstrual education. This study contributes to the discussion by testing the Civil Society Based Intervention outside of the African continent. The action research is based on an exploratory case study in the village of Kherwara, Rajasthan, India. The research is a longitudinal cohort study, as it follows the participants over a year, gathering data through a baseline and a follow-up study. This is done by utilizing methods of focus group discussions, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and qualitative observations. The thesis introduces and utilizes the conceptual framework of Menstrual Inclusion, based on parts of Goffman’s theory of stigma (1969) and Oxoby’s theory of social inclusion (2009). This allows a comprehensive assessment of the intervention, as the framework acknowledges and captures the complex sociological realities that menstruating girls navigate in their daily lives. The findings from this study indicate that the Civil Society Based Intervention is appropriate in the Indian context, but that it has certain shortcomings, as it fails to address issues of physical discomfort and pain, the discredited stigma, and the lack of water, hygiene and sanitation facilities in public spheres. However, as this study is exploratory in its design, replication in other settings is needed to make viable conclusions.}},
  author       = {{Jeppe Ottsen, Patricha}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{"We are not bad and we are not doing anything wrong" : exploring girls' menstrual inclusion in India}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}