Hi all,
My name is Hannah Schwarz, and I am a PhD student in the Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
I am seeking a panel to present my work on co-creating a community-defined research agenda on adolescent experiences of chhaupadi, the cultural practice of menstrual seclusion in western Nepal using Human Centered Design and creative methods.
My talk will include presentation of multimedia creative outputs including songs, paintings, and collages and therefore may be a good fit for Innovative Session Formats and/or Directions in Social Sciences panels.
See abstract below. Feel free to contact me at has373@pitt.edu.
Thanks!
Hannah
Developing a Community-Engaged Research Agenda on Adolescent Experiences of Menstruation and Chhaupadi in Far West Nepal:
Leveraging Human Centered Design and Creative Methods
Hannah Schwarz, Puja Gartaula, De. Bhimsen Devkota, and Dr. Sara Baumann[1]
For menstruators around the world, menarche indicates the onset of fertility, but in Nepal a girl’s first period leads her into a complex landscape shaped by limited sexual reproductive health education, inadequate methods of blood capture, and restrictive cultural practices. The most severe cultural practice, chhaupadi, entails isolating in a menstrual hut or animal shed during menstruation and the postnatal period. Chhaupadi is predominately practiced in the mid and far-western regions of the country, poses severe risks to mental and physical health1–4 and fundamentally shapes adolescent girls’ participation in public life. Chhaupadi is deeply entrenched in religious beliefs,5 identity,1 and cultural norms. Therefore, nuanced, context-specific understandings of the practice are necessary to effectively navigate the sociocultural complexities of chhaupadi and improve sexual reproductive health outcomes among Nepali women and girls. This formative, community-engaged research partnered with adolescent girls and communities that observe chhaupadi in developing a research agenda that directly addresses local needs, challenges, and priorities. During four-day workshops that utilized Human-Centered Design and creative methodologies, participants explored multifaceted experiences of menstruation, identified areas for future research, and developed a vision for menstruation in their communities. Research outputs include multimedia creative works that participants showcased in community exhibits. This research elevates local experiences, knowledge, and ontologies to deepen understandings of, and needs related to chhaupadi to inform more effective, culturally grounded public health research and practice.
Works Cited
1. NFCC, USAID. Assessment Study on Chhaupadi in Nepal: Towards a Harm Reduction Strategy.; 2015.
2. Ranabhat C, Kim CB, Choi EH, Aryal A, Park MB, Doh YA. Chhaupadi Culture and Reproductive Health of Women in Nepal. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2015;27(7):785-795. doi:10.1177/1010539515602743
3. Sommer M, Hirsch JS, Nathanson C, Parker RG. Comfortably, Safely, and Without Shame: Defining Menstrual Hygiene Management as a Public Health Issue. Am J Public Health. 2015;105(7):1302-1311. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302525
4. Baumann SE, Lhaki P, Terry MA, et al. Beyond the Menstrual Shed: Exploring Caste/Ethnic and Religious Complexities of Menstrual Practices in Far-West Nepal. Womens Reprod Health. 2021;8(1):1-28. doi:10.1080/23293691.2020.1861413
5. Joshi S. Chhaupadi practice in Nepal: A literature review. World Med Health Policy. 2022;14(1):121-137. doi:10.1002/wmh3.491
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Hannah Schwarz
The University of Pittsburgh
has373@pitt.edu
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-20-2024 04:39 PM
From: Robyn Jones, CMP
Subject: Individuals seeking Sessions!
Post your message in this discussion if you are an individual seeking to join a session proposal in progress.
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Robyn Jones, CMP
Director of Conferences & Events
Association for Asian Studies
rjones@asianstudies.org
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