Exploring Tribal and Low-Caste Women’s Reproductive Health Priorities in Kherwara, India
Reproductive health is a crucial aspect of global health, yet marginalized communities often face limited access to care. Scholars suggest that improving maternal health for marginalized groups requires decentralized, community-based solutions that actively involve women in the development of programs and policies.
Drs. Cecilia Benoit, Andrea Mellor, and Ms. Patricha Ottsen was invited by a local Indian NGO Manav Aashritha Sansthan (MAS) to partner on a study that takes up this challenge. Using a strength-based approach and community-based research methodologies, we explored the health needs of rural, low-caste, and tribal women in Kherwara, Rajasthan, India. The outcomes included a series of recommendations for MAS to implement in their efforts to improve reproductive health services that are meaningful and relevant for lower caste and tribal women in Kherwara.
This research supported Ms. Ottsen in fulfilling the requirements for her Masters of Arts in the Social Dimensions of Health program at the University of Victoria.
Community Consultation
In the spring of 2025, Ms. Ottsen conducted a community consultation in cooperation with MAS, visiting local maternal and child health centres (locally known as Anganwadi Centres), birthing clinics, and conducting home visits with post-partum mothers. The goal was to explore low-caste and tribal women’s experiences of maternal health care and how the women's experiences overall could be improved.
Based on the information gathered from the community in Kherwara, Ms. Ottsen is leading a literature review on the scope and meaning of maternal health to tribal and low-caste women in India.
A local maternal and child health centre in Kherwara. Health care staff can be seen in the front, wearing scrubs.
Validation and Next Steps
In December 2025, Ms. Ottsen returned to Kherwara to share preliminary results and engage in dialogue with women, health care professionals, and MAS staff. The goal was to ensure the framework developed from the community consultation and literature review aligned with community priorities.
To support meaningful participation across language and literacy barriers, she used a visual tool called ‘maternal life course mapping’, presenting research findings using pictograms and drawings. Women were then invited to create their own maps. Illustrating their maternal health priorities, wants and needs. These community-generated maps were later analyzed collaboratively with the community partner, MAS, to ensure the framework remained grounded in women’s lived realities.
While this visit marked the end of the research activities under the CIHR Planning and Dissemination Grant, the findings have contributed to a new community-led maternal health initiative entitled Project Hope.
Partners and Funders
