Structural vulnerabilities and maternal health among Mexican indigenous populations

We will build a receptive and trusting environment to talk about reproductive and maternal health with Huichol communities in Mexico who are often suspicious that research organisations do not respond to their health and social problems. I will work with a trilingual anthropologist who speaks Huichol, Spanish and English, a Huichol health worker and a local not-for-profit organisation to form an art collective that will train local women to create modern textile products and provide a space to engage in open discussions about reproductive and maternal health while helping the women generate their own income.

A participatory arts process will allow the women to express their health concerns with support from artistic consultant Susie Vickery who will draw on her experience of participatory art in low-middle income settings, including Dekha Undekha. The resulting artwork will be presented at a launch event to which stakeholders will also be invited, and displayed permanently in the community.  

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Provision for Public Engagement.