Gender, health and the afterlife of colonialism. Engaging new problematisations to improve maternal and infant survival

Historical gender inequalities, many of which have roots in the colonial and post-colonial past, underlie the low rates of skilled birth attendance and delays to seeking healthcare in Mexican indigenous communities which can lead to preventable infant and maternal deaths. Challenging gender inequalities continues to be problematic and data is weak due to under-reporting. 

I will work at the intersection of public health, decolonisation theory and feminist ethnography to generate evidence and strategies to improve maternal and infant survival.

I will generate decolonising knowledge about gender and indigeneity and I will also set up a process of evidence-informed gender-responsive healthcare in the community. I will also systematically gather data on infant and maternal mortality from the community. My work will initiate an evidence-based gender-responsive strategy to improve maternal and infant outcomes in Mexican indigenous communities.