What women want: livelihood pursuits and the prioritization of health in rural Mali and Burkina Faso

Abstract

ABSTRACT Conventional wisdom and some theoretical approaches to understanding gendered policy priorities link women’s prioritization of health with reproductive or compassionate care responsibilities in the family. Drawing on data from close engagement with women in their daily lives in rural Mali and Burkina Faso, this paper asks why women identify their health as a primary worry or concern. Women research participants’ experiences drew attention to the sphere of livelihood activities. Data from ethnographic observation and 104 interviews with women and 56 interviews with men generated data that informs our understanding of the lived experiences that produce policy priorities. Health was the most common concern identified by women research participants. The paper argues that women’s identification of the relationship between their health and their ability to pursue livelihood activities was the primary reason health was cited as an important worry or concern. These findings show how women’s concerns about health are at the forefront of their strategies to pursue livelihood security. Research participants’ experiences provide an alternate way to think about health as a gendered policy priority and highlight the need to examine the diversity of women’s economic engagement in challenging and changing economic circumstances around the world.