Lived Experiences Of Women Research Articles

The normalisation of sexual violence revictimisation in regional and rural areas: Our failure to respond

AbstractSexual revictimisation has devastating consequences for victim/survivors, yet there is limited research exploring women's experience of revictimisation in regional/rural areas. Using a community‐based participatory research (CBPR) approach, this paper reports on a qualitative study that employed a material feminist lens and Nixon's theory of “slow violence” to explore women's lived experiences of sexual revictimisation. In‐depth interviews were conducted with victim/survivors (N = 11) living in regional and rural areas of Australia. Findings show that the failure of family, community and services to respond appropriately to participant's disclosures of violence and abuse was deeply entangled with rural infrastructure, isolated landscapes, fear of social isolation, victim‐blaming discourses, idealisation of men in the community and limited relationship and sexuality education (RSE) in schools. These components collectively formed a manifestation of “slow violence,” which accumulated over the participants' life spans and gradually normalised relational violence. This paper draws attention to a complex interplay of cultural, material and interpersonal elements, including the culture and spaces of rural/regional communities, that establish conditions enhancing the likelihood of women experiencing sexual revictimisation.

Combining Physician Expertise and Women's Lived Experience to Educate Health Professionals about Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Physician Champions from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and trained women Speakers from FASD United, who have given birth to a child with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), co-present to healthcare providers (HCPs) in medical residency programs as part of an educational intervention. They present FASDs as a biological and social problem surrounded by stigma that prevent pregnant women from talking openly to their HCPs about their alcohol use or alcohol use disorder (AUD) and getting the medical help they need. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 ACOG Champions and nine FASD United Speakers and a thematic analysis assessed how the co-presentations can enhance HCPs' understanding about FASDs and address stigma associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. Interview findings indicated that both Champions and Speakers emphasized the need for HCPs to be nonjudgmental and create a safe space for open dialogue. They reported that residents were moved by mothers' personal stories, wanted to understand AUD better, and asked about the type of help HCPs can offer women. Combining physicians' expertise with mothers' personal stories of lived experiences of FASDs directed at residents, who are more reflective and open at this phase of their careers, moved them from a fact-based to an empathy-based approach to learning that is critical to address the stigma surrounding women who may be using alcohol or struggling with an AUD during pregnancy. Collaboration between national organizations allowed this intervention to be widely implemented across the country.

Issues of identity, perceptions and isolation: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of women's experience of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.

The objective of this study was to explore the personal experience of women with MRKH, a rare condition characterised by congenital abnormalities of the genital tract. There are very few qualitative studies into the lived experiences of women with MRKH. Interviews were conducted with 13 women with MRKH and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four superordinate themes are discovered: maintaining a viable female identity; acceptance and coping; normality, secrecy and shame and the isolating impact of a lack of knowledge amongst the medical profession. This study also suggests that societal ideals of a 'normal woman' are influencing how MRKH impacts on the self-experienced psychological health. It is suggested that the psychological wellbeing of women with MRKH could be improved with continued multidisciplinary support beyond the initial diagnosis and alongside any vaginal correction.

Similar, but Different: Gender Differences in Working Time Arrangements and the Work–Life Interface

Gender inequities can be partly traced back to gender differences in working time arrangements. In fact, it is established knowledge that women as compared to men are more (less) likely to work part-time (overtime). Based on social role theory, however, we also expect gender differences among part-time and overtime workers, such that women and men differ in why they work part-time or overtime. In a preregistered and highly powered study conducted in Germany (N = 3,844–17,361, depending on the analysis), we observed that, on average, women were more likely than men to work part-time (i.e., fewer than 35 hours per week) because of personal or family obligations. Moreover, in comparison to men, women were less likely to work overtime (i.e., at least two hours per week) to attain additional income, but more likely to work overtime to step in for colleagues. Altogether, people had “gendered” reasons to work certain hours. Furthermore, as people’s paid working time arrangements are intertwined with their lives outside of the workplace, we examined women’s and men’s work–life interface and observed that women (as compared to men) deemed it less acceptable to be available for work-related issues during leisure time. We discuss implications for future theorizing and for practitioners who aim to design work schedules that consider the different lived experiences of women and men.

Understanding the Nature of Family Violence Against Women With Insecure Migration Status in Australia.

Feminist researchers have diversified understandings of family violence by examining how women's experiences are influenced by gender and its intersections with other social inequalities. This article seeks to contribute to intersectional and transnational feminist scholarship on violence that examines the influence of structural factors such as insecure migration status on the nature of women's lived experiences in Western industrialized countries. It reports on findings from a study with migrant women who experienced family violence in Victoria, Australia when their migration status was "insecure," and examines similarities and differences in the forms and patterns of violence and abuse women described.

The lived experiences of women workers in Africa's transport sector: Reflections from Abuja, Cape Town and Tunis

This paper draws on ethnographic research conducted 2019–2022 in three quite diverse city regions - Abuja, Cape Town and Tunis - to understand women's lived experiences of work in the road transport sector. The strength of connection between male identity and motor-mobility in Africa is ubiquitous and has rarely been questioned by transport sector actors. Women are still largely absent from the story, constrained at least partly by hegemonic norms of femininity and an ‘affective atmosphere’ that deters female entry. However, there are occasional cases across Africa where women have dared to disrupt this masculinist enterprise, either as employees or entrepreneurs. This study explores and compares women transport workers' everyday experiences, drawing principally on in-depth interviews with those in customer-facing roles (taxi and bus drivers, bus conductors). Relevant public sector organisations and major transport employers were also consulted, while focus groups with community groups of men and women explored their attitudes to women employed as transport workers, and with school-girls investigated their career aspirations and views regarding employment in the sector. A final section looks to the future, post-COVID-19. Although new opportunities occasionally emerge for women, they need much more support, not only in terms of skills training, but also through flexible working opportunities, union recognition and action, microfinance and financial management training. This support is essential in order to expand the visibility of women transport workers and thus make the wider transport milieu less overwhelmingly male and more welcoming to women transport users.

Life Experience of Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy at Jayapura General Hospital, Indonesia

Introduction: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and is the most common cancer among women. Cancer is a term used for malignant tumors, which are tumors that grow rapidly, infiltrate surrounding tissues, metastasize, and can cause death if they don't get proper treatment and therapy. One of the treatments for cancer is chemotherapy; the negative effects of chemotherapy treatment for patients can affect life. This study aimed to find out in depth the life experiences of women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
 Methods: The research design used is qualitative research using a phenomenological approach. The technique used is purposive sampling, with a total of 10 participants. This research was carried out at the Jayapura General Hospital in April 2023 using the in-depth interview method. 
 Results: Subjects felt the side effects during chemotherapy, the impact during chemotherapy, adapting to reduce physical changes after chemotherapy, the support received during chemotherapy, and expectations of chemotherapy.
 Conclusion: Chemotherapy provides hope for patients but also causes uncomfortable side effects for patients. Efforts to educate and strengthen chemotherapy patients are important.

Hospital practices and biosocial characteristics in the abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding in mothers

Objective: hospital practices and biosocial characteristics in the abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding in mothers will be determined. Methodos: quantitative research, carried out in the community of San Pedro and Llucian between the months of September 2022 and February 2023 with a cross-section. Where 20 lactating women participated, who completed non-probabilistic inclusion criteria selected by the simple random test method, an interview was applied as a data collection technique and numerical and statistical results were presented. The results were tabulated using the SPSS software, framed the research in the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: the academic level was the most representative because the higher the education graduate, the higher the risk of abandoning breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life. Conclusion: it is finally concluded that the biological and social aspects are responsible for causing a great impact in terms of the desertion of exclusive breastfeeding, in addition it has been possible to determine the importance and benefit of compliance with hospital practices in order to minimize the Effect of women's life experiences after childbirth

A conceptual understanding of the impact of interconnected forms of racism on maternal hypertension through Black Women’s lived experiences

RationaleSignificant racial disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the U.S. have persisted over time, with Black women disproportionately bearing the burden. Studies have documented how experiences of structural racism contributes the disparities we see. However, most of these studies have focused on how domains of racism operate simultaneously, yet little is known about how these domains are interconnected and adversely impact health during pregnancy for Black women. To address this gap in the literature, this study explored how various domains of racism interconnect to shape Black women's lived experience during pregnancy, with a particular focus on factors maternal hypertension. MethodsUsing a Charmaz grounded theory approach, this study presents qualitative findings from focus groups with Black women living in Greater New Haven, Connecticut and conducted between August 2020 and October 2020. ResultsWe identified five domains of racism and four ways these domains interconnect. These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of structural racism and the ways interconnected marginalization across domains creates novel pathways that adversely impact health. ConclusionsOur results show how institutions interact at various levels to create distinct health barriers for Black women that need to be addressed through holistic policies and interventions. To truly dismantle structural racism, we must attend to the underlying ideologies that allow these inequities in resources and opportunities to continue, especially capitalism and white supremacy. As we continue to challenge these larger ideologies, policy is a key tool to mitigate the health harms caused by structural racism.

Women disproportionately shoulder burdens imposed by the global COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractThe current study focused on how the sudden onset of the pandemic magnified existing inequalities for women in the United States. A total of 2115 participants responded to an online survey regarding pandemic‐related changes to household and childcare responsibilities, employment, mental and physical health and safety, housing, worries and stress, and coping strategies. We employ an intersectionality analytical framework to understand how existing systems of oppression differentially impacted women's lived experiences during the early stages of the pandemic in the United States. Particularly, we investigated how gender, race/ethnicity, and class intersected to impact women's adaptability to the pandemic crisis. We also included motherhood status as a possible variable that may change women's pandemic‐related experiences. Finally, we include women's narrative responses to provide context to their quantitative responses and to help fully represent perspectives that can often be rendered invisible. We leveraged the findings of the current investigation of the impact of the COVID‐19 global pandemic on women's lives to make suggestions for changes that can support women with this and future pandemics and disasters.

WOMEN AND ILLEGAL DRUG USE IN ZIMBABWE: CAUSES AND EFFECTS

Illegal drug and substance use has lately become an enormous social problem in this modern era of globalization, being prevalent in both developed and developing countries. Illegal drug use has been treated as a masculine phenomenon while the lived experiences of women who use drugs were swept under the carpet. This article uses a mixed-methods research approach to explore the causes and effects of illegal drug use among women in Zimbabwe. A total of 180 respondents were sampled using simple random methods from two provinces, Harare and Mutare. In addition to 180 women who used drugs, ten key informants were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews. A number of determinants were established that push women into illegal drug use activities. These include poverty, unemployment, peer pressure and commercial sexual transactions. The study established that women who use drugs are exposed to various harmful practices after intoxication. There were reported cases of violence, exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, family and health neglect among other effects. The article concludes by suggesting a number of recommendations in order to reduce the incidences of drug and substance use by women.

An unacceptably high burden of anaemia and it’s predictors among young women (15–24 years) in low and middle income countries; set back to SDG progress

BackgroundAnaemia is a major global public health problem, considerably affects young women in resource limited countries. The available researches on anaemia focused on children, pregnant women, or all women of reproductive age. However, women's biology and life experiences vary dramatically across 15 to 49 years, putting young women bear the higher burden of anaemia, mainly in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Therefore, this study assessed the burden of anaemia among young women (15–24 years) in 24 LMICs which conducted Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) between 2016 and 2021.MethodData analysis was carried out with STATA version 14. The forest plot was used to explore the pooled prevalence of anaemia. Multilevel binary logistic regression was fitted to accommodate the hierarchical nature of the DHS data. Accordingly, a model with lowest deviance (model III) was the best-fitted model. All variables with a p-value ≤ 0.2 in the bi-variable analysis were fitted in the multi-level multivariable model. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI and p < 0.05 were presented to declare statistical significance.ResultThe pooled prevalence of anaemia among young (15–24 years) women in 24 LMICs was 41.58% (95%CI: 34.51, 48.65). Country wise, Mali (62.95%) and Rwanda (14.13%) constitute the highest and lowest prevalence of anaemia. In this study, young women who lived in the poorest wealth status, had no education, were underweight, perceived distance to the health facility a big problem, larger family size, and women who had ever terminated pregnancy were associated with increased odds of anaemia. Whereas, young women who were overweight and not breast feeding had decreased odds of anaemia.ConclusionThe unacceptably high burden of anaemia among young women setbacks the SDG target; to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. Therefore, it is highly recommended to take relevant interventions to reduce the burden of anaemia targeted the young women who are uneducated, have low socio-economic status, limited access to health facilities, and lived in larger family size.

Women's Career Challenges and Opportunities (A Study of Career and Job Satisfaction among Bangladeshi Women)

The purpose of this research is to learn more about women in Bangladesh and their perceptions of career options and job satisfaction. Women's labor force participation has increased dramatically in Bangladesh, as it has in many other developing countries. But despite these improvements, women still face several roadblocks in the workplace. Women's professional development and job happiness can be aided by policies and environments that take into account the unique obstacles they confront. The study uses a Univariate, Bivariate, and multivariate method, collecting information through both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. Participants are professional women from a wide range of fields in Bangladesh. Quantitative surveys analyze issues including work-life balance, gender bias, education status, women's violence in the job sector, support from family members, promotion prospects, and job satisfaction. The qualitative interviews dive more deeply into the women's lived experiences, shedding light on the difficulties they face and the strategies they use to overcome them. The study has both theoretical and practical significance. For practical purposes, this research will improve our understanding of the most significant obstacles to women's careers and participation in development processes and the most effective ways to overcome them. This paper will also be useful as a source of information for feminist groups and other organizations with the goal to advance women's rights and equality.

How do women at increased risk of breast cancer make sense of their risk? An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Offering breast cancer risk prediction for all women of screening age is being considered globally. For women who have received a clinically derived estimate, risk appraisals are often inaccurate. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of women's lived experiences of receiving an increased breast cancer risk. One-to-one semi-structured telephone interviews. Eight women informed that they were at a 10-year above-average (moderate) or high risk in a breast cancer risk study (BC-Predict) were interviewed about their views on breast cancer, personal breast cancer risk and risk prevention. Interviews lasted between 40 and 70 min. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four themes were generated: (i) encounters with breast cancer and perceived personal significance, where the nature of women's lived experiences of others with breast cancer impacted their views on the significance of the disease, (ii) 'It's random really': difficulty in seeking causal attributions, where women encountered contradictions and confusion in attributing causes to breast cancer, (iii) believing versus identifying with a clinically-derived breast cancer risk, where personal risk appraisals and expectations influenced women's ability to internalize their clinically derived risk and pursue preventative action and (iv) perceived utility of breast cancer risk notification, where women reflected on the usefulness of knowing their risk. Providing (numerical) risk estimates appear to have little impact on stable yet internally contradictory beliefs about breast cancer risk. Given this, discussions with healthcare professionals are needed to help women form more accurate appraisals and make informed decisions.

A narrative inquiry into women's experiences of menstruation at the workplace in Namibia.

Menstruation's effects on workplace productivity and its impact on women's careers are rarely discussed in public discourse. This paper presents an analysis of thirteen women's accounts of their menstrual experiences at work. The study aimed to understand women's lived experiences of menstruation in the workplace in Namibia and to make recommendations for best practices and policy formulation to help female employees cope with menstruation at work in Namibia. The study adopted a qualitative, phenomenological narrative inquiry research design, and thirteen participants working in various institutions and companies in Namibia were selected through a snowball sampling procedure. Individuals who agreed to participate in the study were given a link to a Google document containing reflective questions. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the narratives. The study findings show that most participants experienced various menstrual-related symptoms ranging from unbearable physical pain or discomfort to heavy bleeding and psychological distress. Menstruating women face workplace challenges, such as a lack of emergency sanitary products and unsupportive superiors. Based on the narratives analyzed, we conclude that menstrual-related symptoms affect work productivity. Participants highlighted that they perform better and are considerably more productive on their non-menstrual days. Participants advocated for a shift in policy to allow flexibility to work from home or get menstrual leave when experiencing severe menstrual symptoms. Such a change will go a long way in making the workplace more accommodating to women.

Women and Stoic ethics in early modern England

AbstractThis paper provides an overview of women's engagement with Stoic ethics in early modern England (c. 1600–1700). It builds on recent literature in the field by demonstrating that there is a positive gender‐inclusive narrative to be told about Stoic philosophy in this time—one that incorporates women's specific concerns and responds to women's lived experiences. To support this claim, we take an interdisciplinary approach and examine several different genres of women's writing in the period, including letters, poems, plays, educational texts, and moral essays. In these writings, we argue, a distinctive conception of Stoic therapy emerges. Women embrace well‐known aspects of the Stoic philosophy—such as living in agreement with nature, the importance of self‐government, and the ideal of freedom from the passions—but they also allow room for the cultivation of eupatheiai or life‐affirmative feelings, such as feelings of respect, affection, and good will toward other people.

Critiquing Islamic Feminism from a Social Psychological Perspective

Islamic feminism represents a feminist discourse that seeks to reinterpret the Qur'an from a contemporary egalitarian perspective, challenging the traditional and patriarchal interpretations of Islam. By doing so, Islamic feminists aim to reclaim an ethical vision of the Qur'an, especially concerning verses that have historically deprived women of equal rights within the family and society. Through their efforts, Islamic feminism introduces new discourses and debates on gender relations within an Islamic context, fostering a greater gender and religious consciousness and furthering the cause of gender equality. This paper takes a critical approach to Islamic feminism, employing a social psychological perspective on gender, using Abdulkarim Soroush's theory. According to Soroush, revelation is understood as the prophet's inspired expression resulting from his religious experience. It is not a direct word from God but rather Muhammad's interpretation of a divine experience. In this context, the paper examines the lived experience of the prophet as a man in a specific historical epoch where women's lived experiences were not adequately represented. It highlights how the revelation or the Qur'an is rooted in a male lived experience. The paper begins with an overview of Islamic feminists and Islamic reformists, both of whom strive to view the revelation as the prophet's word rather than attributing the non-scientific content of the Qur'an directly to God's word. Subsequently, it delves into a critique of Islamic feminism through the lens of Abdulkarim Soroush's theory on recognizing the revelation as the prophet's word. Additionally, the paper draws upon gender theories from the field of social psychology to provide a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter.

Negotiating Toilet Access: A Qualitative Exploration of Women's Incarceration

Norms and behaviors about toileting in prison can expand understanding of women's lived experience of incarceration. Knowledge about this subject is significant because access to clean, safe toilets is a human rights issue, and toilet habits can impact social, mental, and physical outcomes. Three focus groups were conducted with 15 incarcerated women about their quotidian prison toilet experiences. While the toilet was physically available, institutional regulations, social norms, and women's individual psychologies limited their access and utilization. The ways in which toilet use was negotiated with self, peers, and are described, and the implications of these findings are discussed.

A Phenomenological Analysis of Women's Life Experiences with Burn Trauma

Most of burn survivors often face numerous challenges and may require comprehensive medical care, rehabilitation, psychological counseling, and financial assistance. The purpose of this study was to explore how female burn survivors experience their changed lives after traumatic experiences. In particular, this study focused on how the injury impacted on the participants' life and how to deal with their challenges. Max van Manen's model of four fundamental lifeworld existentials was used as the analysis framework in order to look into actual post-burn experiences of ten female participants. Through individual in-depth interviews, verbatim transcription and content analysis, the overarching themes included 6 thematic headings and 12 sub-themes. It points out that healthcare professionals, community organizations, and government agencies can work together to establish support networks in order to help them cope with the physical and emotional trauma of their injuries, and promote their overall well-being.

A qualitative study of how and why gym-based resistance training may benefit women's mental health and wellbeing

PurposeThis study used photovoice methodology to explore women's lived experiences of gym-based resistance training, and the potential mechanisms by which resistance training may promote wellbeing. MethodsTen women aged between 18 and 27 years from various locations across England each generated a total of three photographs illustrating 1) what they like and 2) what they dislike about gym-based resistance training, and 3) what gym-based resistance training means to them, and completed a subsequent photo-elicitation telephone interview via Zoom video conferencing software. Data were analysed through an iterative deductive and inductive process, firstly using Ryff's psychological wellbeing model (Ryff, 1989) as a thematic framework, and then inductively to further explore the data. ResultsFive themes linking gym-based resistance training and mental health and wellbeing were identified: (1) self-acceptance, (2) personal growth, (3) flow state, (4) social affiliation and (5) autonomy. Through engaging in resistance training participants exercise self-direction (i.e., autonomy) and have the opportunity to develop positive relations with like-minded others. The activity itself can facilitate the achievement of the “flow state” of mind. The setting, pursuit and achievement of meaningful “intrinsic goals” can result in feelings of personal growth and realisation a more positive self-regard. ConclusionGym-based resistance training provides various paths to wellbeing. Greater emphasis of these wellbeing benefits in public health messaging may encourage more women to engage in gym-based resistance training.