Mothers, wives, and farmers: Stories of women ‘gone mad’

Abstract

ABSTRACTLoosely translated as postpartum depression or psychosis, bughat is often perceived as a natural reaction of women to pregnancy and childbirth in some rural areas of the Philippines. Previous studies on bughat also illustrate the phenomenon. However, during my five-month research in rice-farming and Hiligaynon settlers’ communities in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, Mindanao, bughat seemed to have gone beyond the confines of pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum recovery. Extreme forms of it drove women into temporary or permanent states of mental imbalance. This was the embodied reaction of women to the situation of rice farming communities that rely on people’s manual labor, had gendered community relations, and where women faced multiple burdens. It demonstrates the limited strength and capacities of women in fulfilling their roles as mothers, wives, nurturers, and farmers. However, because this condition is perceived and labeled as such, women do not seek or receive proper medical intervention even if they suffer bughat or are already in a state of mental impairment. The prevalence of extreme cases among women from poor households is also a manifestation of the socio-economic and political conditions in Mindanao.