Mother's social constructions of male involvement in maternity care in Chinsali District
Background: There have been gaps in research on male involvement in maternity care. The views of women regarding what they consider to be the roles of men in maternity care have largely been neglected. Purpose: To explore mother’s social constructions, from their lived experiences, regarding male involvement during antenatal, labour and postnatal care. Methodology: An exploratory cross sectional qualitative research design informed by the abductive research strategy was chosen to ground this study. Data was collected from two health centres. Theoretical purposive sampling interleafed with maximum variation sampling was used to enlist respondents. Ninety (90) women attending antenatal, labour and postnatal health care services were in turn enlisted. Thirty Four in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions with women numbering six to ten were conducted.Results: Men were involved in the care from antenatal to postnatal and seemed to be involved more in activities outside the health centre than activities inside the health centre. Men were involved more in the activities that required less effort or time than more effort and time. Women’ views regarding male involvement have dual motives and these relate to past experiences and what they envisage presently and into the future. The motives for agreeing or disagreeing with male involvement were based on women’ experiences focusing on benefits or threats of male involvement. Conclusions: Women do not seem to be eager to have husbands attend physical examinations and the birth of a child. A wide gender gap exists that no men may be fully involved in the whole mothering experience from antenatal to postnatal care in Chinsali. Research Policy Implications: The study recommends undertaking a quantitative survey with a larger number of women to solicit their positions. There is need to develop advocacy programmes that could reach out to both men and women in Chinsali. Women groupings like Alangizi, Bana Fimbusa and Traditional Birth Attendants could be reached out to by way of community mobilisation strategies. The Office of the Provincial Child Development Coordinator (also known as Gender Focal Point) within Chinsali should be involved in reproductive matters by changing the strategy of merely voicing out gender inequities and inequalities.
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