Perspective Of Actors Research Articles

Documenting the Perspectives of Sub-Saharan African Policy Makers, Researchers, and Activists on the Reproductive Rights, Population Dynamics, and Environmental Sustainability Nexus

While high fertility levels in sub-Saharan Africa pose multiple challenges for economic, social, and environmental prospects, the perspectives of actors from this region have not been well documented. We offer a selection of viewpoints from 42 countries in sub-Saharan Africa along four main dimensions: perceptions of the role of population growth for broader societal implications; the representation of sub-Saharan Africa in discussions of population growth; the integration of population dynamics and reproductive health and rights in environmental considerations and instruments; and the sensitive nature of the topic of population growth. A mixed-methods qualitative project was conducted, using an online survey of 402 participants followed by 18 in-depth interviews, to collect the views of policy makers, researchers, and activists in sub-Saharan Africa. We find overwhelming agreement that population growth has negative implications for environmental sustainability and other social welfare outcomes. We find broad support for the integration of population dynamics and reproductive health and rights dimensions at international environmental meetings and in environmental sustainability instruments. Participants also stressed the under-representation of sub-Saharan Africa in discussions of population dynamics and in international environmental governance. Overall, this paper contributes to a better understanding of sub-Saharan African perspectives and attitudes on the interconnectedness of reproductive health, population dynamics, and environmental sustainability.

Changing determinants of international conservation funding committed to major deforestation regions in South America

International conservation funding to low- and middle-income countries has increased significantly in recent years. However, understanding of the underlying factors driving the geographic distribution of such funding remains limited. This study aimed to identify the relative importance of five factors (i.e., conservation targets, threat levels, costs, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and preexisting investment) that potentially influence conservation funding allocation at the subnational level in major deforestation regions of South America between 1987 and 2013. Overall, we found that funding was mainly allocated to remote areas with high species richness and carbon storage, while areas with high threat levels were often overlooked, especially until 2008. After 2008, international donors committed more funding to areas with high carbon storage, but not areas with high species richness, suggesting the prominence of climate-related concerns over biodiversity conservation. Although often advocated, we did not find evidence supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities being important in explaining funding allocation. However, we identified a strong preference for the Amazon as a charismatic ecoregion. Our findings underscore the diverse and changing factors that drive conservation funding, highlighting the importance of subnational analyses in aligning international conservation funding with local conservation needs from the perspectives of different actors. We hope that our study will contribute to the ongoing conversation on diverse values in conservation and inform decision-making for future funding allocations.

The Role of Actors in The Desa Siaga Program in Watupute Village, Mowewe Subdistrict, East Kolaka

This research aims to analyze the role of each actor involved in realizing health services so as to be able to find out each actor's perspective regarding health services through the Desa Siaga in Watupute Village. Apart from that, it is necessary to determine the actions of each actor in order to improve the health service system in Watupute Village. This research method is descriptive-qualitative by determining the research sample using purposive sampling, data collection through observation, document study, interviews with several actors involved in this program, and data analysis using the Miles and Huberman model. The results of this research were able to identify the actors involved in health services in Watupute Village, namely, the Health Departement of East Kolaka, Desa Siaga cadres, Watupute village government, and the Watupute village community. Each actor has a role in developing health services through Desa Siaga. However, there are still actors who cannot carry out their roles, so achievements in program implementation are not optimal. In determining actions, the Health Office of East Kolaka has determined regulations that must be obeyed in implementing the Desa Siaga, the Watupute Village Government has provided a budget that comes from village funds, the Desa Siaga cadres have carried out their duties in implementing the Desa Siaga, and the community has participated in the success of the village program. Standby. Based on the results of this research, the researcher suggests equalizing perceptions between actors so that there is a understanding and health services in Watupute village can run effectively.
 

The Implied Who

This analysis applies theories of recognition explicated by Frantz Fanon, Nancy Fraser, and Pierre Bourdieu towards the semiotic analysis of Le Joli Mai (1963), The Battle of Algiers (1966), and La Haine (1995). This article argues that embodied affective histories (constituting the habitus) seek to be validated and recognised at the level of the individual, the collective group identity, and the nation-state. The films analysed constitute attempts at recognition within the global Bourdieusian field of cinema through means of semiotic communication. In doing so, this project hopes to analyse film from a social action perspective, focusing on the effects of the film with audience interaction in mind, and how toexplain the role audiences and publics have within the conceptualisation and execution of semiotic communication within the context of a postcolonial film.

Creating a shared mental model of performance: Coaches’ perspectives of key position-specific soccer actions

Important decisions surrounding talent identification (TID), talent development (TD) and (de)selection within elite youth soccer are often grounded in the subjective opinions of coaches. These opinions often stem from coaches’ observations of player performance, which have been shown to be susceptible to several biases. Additionally, previous research has failed to establish specific criteria on which such opinions are based, aside from a coach's own intuition and practical experience. This study aimed to create a communal language and aligned criteria for the specific purpose of evaluating players’ performances. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with nine experienced coaches (13.6 ± 10.8 years) from a professional UK soccer academy to identify coaches’ perceptions of key position-specific soccer actions, performed during differing moments of the game, for evaluating individual match performance. Thematic analysis of the interview data permitted the extraction of several themes , posited to encompass the position-specific soccer actions highlighted by the coaches. Themes for outfield positions included attacking skills; defending skills; movements to receive, create or exploit space; receiving and releasing skills; support play; end product; press, recover to the ball, man or space; and tactical understanding. Goalkeeper themes included tactical understanding, positioning relative to the ball, danger, teammates and opponents, play forward, support play, choice of action and range of distribution. This study highlights an applied approach of creating a shared mental model for appraising player performances, which can facilitate discussion and knowledge exchange between coaches and practitioners, with the intention of improving decision-making around TID, TD and (de)selection decisions.

Coordinated topics as transitional enablers towards higher-level conceptualisations of the range concept

This paper discusses findings from an ongoing study investigating mental mechanisms involved in the conceptualisation of linear transformations from the perspective of Action (A), Process (P), Object (O), and Schema (S) (APOS) theory. Data reported in this paper came from 44 first-year linear algebra students’ responses on a task regarding the range of a linear transformation. Our analysis revealed parallels between Levels/Stages of the range concept and the use of representations of matrix multiplications. More importantly, these representations appeared to have been the enablers of transitions from lower to higher APOS Stages for the range. Conversely, mental mechanisms employing other means showed little to no progressions, some, furthermore, revealed faulty knowledge structures.

End-of-life care at home as a therapeutic landscape within a compassionate communities approach

This article argues that a compassionate communities approach towards the end of life is a type of therapeutic landscape with particular characteristics. The emergence of public health approaches within palliative and end-of-life care has gained momentum internationally, with the concept of compassionate communities as one of its components. This qualitative case study explored the lived experiences of compassionate communities towards the end of life from the perspective of key actors at three different research sites providing palliative care, two of which were hospice settings and one a community organisation. The data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and contact diaries of people living towards the end of life (primary participants), their family members, friends, as well as volunteer befrienders and health professionals. Although there were differences in the compassionate communities approach across all three sites this study identified shared characteristics. First, home as the preferred place of care with physical, social, and psychological symbolic meanings; second, formal and informal care interfacing within and across inner and outer circles of care; third, the essential role of volunteer befrienders within the inner circle of care which strengthened the interface between the formal and informal care. The relational aspect between formal and informal care was considered to be significantly important. The characteristics of compassionate communities approaches within a home-based setting, meet the criteria for a type of therapeutic landscape, a place of maintaining well-being towards the end of life.

How do embarrassing service disruptions impact bystanders' word‐of‐mouth, complaining, and avoidance? The moderating role of self‐construal

AbstractIn public settings such as retail, an embarrassed consumer may be witnessed by others. Thus, vicarious embarrassment may be even more ubiquitous than embarrassment itself. However, the impact of observers' individual characteristics on reactions to embarrassing service disruptions is not clear. To close this gap, the current research examines how observers' self‐construal, or their perception of the self in relation to others, systematically alters observers' responses to embarrassing service disruptions. The data for this research was collected from 674 US respondents recruited amongst undergraduate students at a large North American university (study 1, n = 193) and from an online subject panel (study 2, n = 281 and study 3, n = 200). Across all three experiments, the authors demonstrate that vicarious embarrassment is conditional on observers' self‐construal. Specifically, the results demonstrate that observers with a predominantly interdependent self‐construal experience stronger vicarious embarrassment than consumers with a predominantly independent self‐construal. This occurs because they are more likely to take the actor's perspective. These differences manifest whether we operationalize self‐construal as a measured individual difference or use a prime to induce self‐construal situationally. Furthermore, observers with a predominantly interdependent self‐construal alter their word‐of‐mouth, complaining, and avoidance intentions, effects mediated by perspective‐taking and vicarious embarrassment. The current research contributes to theory and practice by introducing self‐construal as a boundary condition to the vicarious embarrassment literature.

The Challenges of Tobacco Fiscal Policy Implementation in Mexico From the Perspective of Key Actors.

Raising tobacco taxes is considered the most effective strategy to avoid smoking initiation and discourage its use, especially among vulnerable groups. However, few low- and middle-income countries have adopted high tobacco taxes. Raising taxes is, therefore, an opportunity to strengthen and accelerate tobacco control. The objective of this study is to analyze the barriers and facilitators to the tobacco tax increase in Mexico. Based on the Governance Analytical Framework, data were generated through 17 in-depth interviews with key intersectoral actors for fiscal policy. The interviews were transcribed and coded according to Hufty's theory of governance. Robust scientific evidence, intersectoral coordination, and the presence of "champions" boosted progress in tobacco control (facilitators). The main barriers were the incomplete implementation of the World Health Organization-Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) and MPOWER package and lack of commitment ("political will") by government decision makers and legislators, misinformation about the effects of tobacco taxes, and strong tobacco industry interference. Robust evidence is necessary but not sufficient to advance the implementation of the MPOWER (WHO-FCTC) actions. To achieve tobacco tax increases and public policies that protect people from unhealthy products in general, the implementation of policies or legal frameworks against industry interference in the development of public policies is imperative. By analyzing the barriers and facilitators to increasing the tobacco tax in Mexico, this study identifies two key messages: (1) The need to sensitize legislators and the general population to the problem of smoking not only through epidemiological data but also through testimonies that highlight the life experiences and adversities faced by people who smoke. (2) The need for a regulatory framework to prevent industry interference in public affairs and conflicts of interest. The same framework could be very useful for public health policies to control the consumption of ultra-processed food products or alcohol.

Diterpenoid and phenolic constituents from corn silk (Zea mays) with PTP1B inhibitory activity

Chemical investigation of corn silk resulted in the isolation of nine secondary metabolites, including a new ent-kaurane diterpenoid, zeamaysditerpene A (1) and eight known compounds, stigmaydene A (2), stigmaydene J (3), stigmaydene L (4), stigmane D (5), demethyltorosaflavone D (6), chrysoeriol 6-C-β-boivinopyranosyl-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), deoxypodophyllotoxin (8), and α-peltatin glucoside (9). Their structures were elucidated using a combination of spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIQTOF mass spectra. The absolute configuration of 1 was deduced by applying electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation method. Among the isolates, only 6 displayed significant inhibition against PTP1B activity in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 10.7 ± 0.1 µM. Furthermore, molecular docking simulation was carried out to explore the action perspective of 6 inside the enzyme PTP1B. This finding suggests that 6 might be a potential lead for the development of a new anti-diabetic agent.

The many faces of sustaining Open Access publishing

Watch VIDEO. The concept of sustainability has often been used in both research on OA publishing systems, and as a desirable design principle in thinking of and building any future OA publishing business model. At the same time, the term has gained considerable attention across other domains, mainly in relation to environmental sustainability or sustainable development (especially with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs), which makes it even more important to draw a clear demarcation line between such uses. Despite its social importance, the financial and resource-related sustainability of OA publishing hasn’t been clearly defined and largely differs across countries. The presentation is aimed at formulating questions that could lead us to gaining transparency and reaching a consensus on the way the term ‘sustainability’ will be used henceforth, especially in the theoretical and practical research of funding OA publishing (diamond OA in particular). It outlines some of the results of discussing this issue within the DIAMAS project with European OA publishers, learned societies, advocacy organisations and researchers. One of the first obstacles in reaching a better understanding is crossing the linguistic barrier and acknowledging that the term has not always gained equal traction across countries and when used, it has multiple connotations in all languages. The span of meanings could range from simply being durable and existing in the long term, or to enduring without having negative implications for other aspects of the ecosystem, such as depleting resources others might need or affecting their survival. It is also important to acknowledge the fact that stakeholders involved in OA publishing vary and therefore perceive sustainability (and the ways to achieve it) in different ways: we often witness strategies such as more successful fundraising, efficient use of resources or shared resources, or cost reduction measures. While sustainability goals may range from cost recovery only, to enabling reinvestment or guarding against ‘hard times’, or sustaining revenues ‘at the same level’ - even if that includes high profit margins or companies with shareholders. The building blocks of the scope and meaning of ‘sustainability’ have evolved from answering questions on the object or unit of sustainability (What is sustainable? Is it a journal, a publisher, a business model or a wider publishing ecosystem?) as well as on the sustainability actors or players (Who is a sustainer? Who holds responsibility for sustainability? Which stakeholder/group of stakeholders?). A conclusion that emerged suggests that a univocal and obvious definition of ‘sustainability’ is unlikely to be achieved as it is dependent on multiple perspectives of actors in the ecosystem and is necessarily involving dynamics and transformative practices. In short, this presentation hopes to give the audience a deeper understanding of what sustaining OA publishing means in different contexts. It will encourage listeners to question their perceptions of sustainability before possibly coming to new conclusions to address the topic more thoroughly in their local contexts, and to consider how we collectively take steps towards more unified terms and definitions.

Policy instruments to reduce food loss prior to retail – Perspectives of fruit and vegetable supply chain actors in Europe

Food loss and waste burdens the food system with an unnecessary use of natural resources such as soil, land and water as well as with the avoidable generation of further climate-relevant emissions. These negative externalities may provide a rationale for public sector intervention where feasible and efficient.Semi-structured interviews with 22 experts (farmers, producer organisations and retailers) in Germany and a questionnaire survey with 215 suppliers of a retailing company from Germany, Spain and Italy were conducted. The material reveals the perspectives and claims of relevant actors in upstream fruit and vegetable supply chains on political intervention.Stakeholders identified policy instruments from four overarching thematic categories: (I) communicative and cooperative policies, (II) subsidisation and food prices, (III) regulation and political framework conditions and (IV) questioning of necessity and effectiveness of food loss interventions. Four further categories of private sector measures were identified: (I) mechanisation, innovation and process optimisation, (II) communication and cooperation, (III) reconditioning and repackaging and (IV) processing, alternative marketing and redistribution.Issues that should be addressed by policy include consumer education and awareness, supply chain cooperation and power relations, food prices, marketing standards, alternative marketing and processing and promotion of technologies, infrastructure and agronomic practices to reduce food loss. The study shows that additional leverage points for policy action are still unrecognised and that stakeholders should be more involved in tackling the root causes of food loss. These policies should be holistically embedded in the sustainability transformation of the food system.

Understanding the phenomenon of food waste valorisation from the perspective of supply chain actors engaged in it

The repurposing of surplus food and food processing by-products is a key aspect of the shift towards a circular bioeconomy. In the Netherlands, food supply chain actors are already working towards making better use of agri-food surpluses to improve food security and resource efficiency. By analysing the experiences of these actors, this study aims to identify the current state of the sector and highlight barriers and enablers of successful food waste valorisation. Based on a phenomenological analysis of 16 in-depth unstructured interviews with participants from the Netherlands, we empirically demonstrate that supply chain actors involved in food waste valorisation consider local embedding, societal perception, and food safety to be important aspects of their work. They often grapple with legislative and logistical uncertainties and face various ethical dilemmas such as having to pay for products that were once considered waste. Building on these findings, we propose that experienced professionals with a penchant for sustainability can play the role of ‘transition brokers’ as the food system moves towards a circular way of operating. We also posit that private standards and voluntary agreements could be a way for the sector to better manage the various bottlenecks that are characteristic of food waste valorisation endeavours.

Spheres of transformation: exploring personal, political and practical drivers of farmer agency and behaviour change in the Netherlands

Sustainability transitions research increasingly engages with agency and individual actor perspectives to explain complex system change. This paper introduces the spheres of transformation framework to study how and why 21 Dutch farmers, interviewed in the winter of 2020/2021, transform their business models towards sustainability. This framework is composed of three spheres: the personal (values and worldviews), the political (institutions), and the practical (everyday outcomes). Our results show that the interactions between spheres harbour the greatest potential for transformation as well as the greatest barriers, especially when all three spheres intersect. We furthermore identify individual actors’ personal characteristics that are significant in transformations. We conclude that the spheres of transformation framework is a suitable middle-range framework for the study of agency and behaviour in sustainability transitions that bridges between local and global transition models, and that policymakers and researchers should consider all three spheres when engaging individual actors in efforts to make sociotechnical systems more sustainable.

The entrepreneurial university and development of large-scale research infrastructure: exploring the emerging university function of collaboration and leadership

AbstractThis paper aimed to explore the emerging university function of collaboration and leadership in developing large-scale research infrastructure (LRI). A qualitative approach, drawing from both primary and secondary data, was employed to delve deeper into the roles and aspects of the entrepreneurial university pertinent to LRI development. The study highlighted the need for the entrepreneurial university to establish a strategic direction for collaboration and leadership in LRIs. A conceptual model was crafted that delineated the central role of the entrepreneurial university, segmenting the findings into three research elements: (1) research and education (2) collaboration, and (3) utilization and impact. Actor perspectives from both academia and industry were included. The findings emphasized that entrepreneurial universities had to engage more robustly with external actors to foster practical research applications. Universities were found to require a more synergistic role. The model proposed that entrepreneurial universities should classify actors not only by their viewpoint but also by their potential role in LRI. Key actors were identified as belonging to LRI and multi-academic environments, with some being directly involved, while others were indirectly or peripherally engaged. Directly involved actors, including numerous academic and industrial users, had a clear understanding of LRI utility and engagement, whereas indirectly involved ones were curious yet unsure about LRI interaction.

Building the case for a social and behaviour change approach to prevent and respond to the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups

AbstractOver the last decade, social and behaviour change strategies have increasingly been used to address human rights and child protection concerns, including harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation and violent discipline. Social and gender norms have also been recognized as key drivers of child recruitment. Nonetheless, the use of social and behaviour change strategies to prevent and respond to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict has not yet been systematically explored or applied. Building on academic and practical sources, including findings from studies by the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations University, social and behavioural science theory, experiences from the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on grave violations against children, and academic literature, this article explores how social and behaviour change approaches can inform prevention of and response to the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. The article concludes that social and behaviour change approaches can effectively inform prevention and reintegration efforts and can facilitate responses that bridge the humanitarian, development and peace nexus. Using social and behaviour change approaches can help to reveal why children are recruited from the perspective of key actors and entities across the socio-ecological framework in order to prevent the practice from becoming more accepted.

Dynamics of Implementation of Halal Certification for Business Actors

The mandatory 2024 halal certification for business actors is a must. From an economic aspect, products labeled halal can compete and be marketed more broadly. However, in reality, many problems are encountered in implementing halal certification. The problem that arises is the guarantee of the supply of halal materials in the halal supply chain for materials used by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Furthermore, the human resource capacity of halal guarantors is limited, and awareness of participating in halal certification still needs to improve. This study uses a literature review approach to analyze the phenomenon of implementing halal certification for business actors. Problems that arise in halal certification application can be studied using various scientific aspects, namely quality management, awareness of business actors, and interpersonal communication to halal by design innovation. This research is limited to the perspective of business actors, so further research is needed that integrates the perspectives of the government, business actors, and consumers.

Exploring a New Methodology for Studying Korean Ancient History Using Network Analysis: Focusing on negotiation data from the Eastern Jin and Sixteen Kingdoms to the Song and Northern Wei period

Network analysis is a methodology that helps understand complex phenomena by visualizing member interactions. In the context of Eastern Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Song, Northern Wei period, network analysis can shed light on the position of Paekche and Koguryŏ by analyzing negotiation networks. While existing studies have focused on negotiations between these states and China, few have visualized the entire negotiation network or compared the positions of Paekche and Koguryŏ within the broader East Asian network. This paper explores the network analysis methodology for ancient East Asian negotiation data and conducts a pilot analysis of specific periods.</br>The methodology for applying network analysis to ancient history involves several steps, including evaluating its suitability, quantifying the data, verifying data reliability, and analyzing and visualizing the data. Limitations of using network analysis to study ancient history include obtaining sufficient data and verifying data reliability. Ancient East Asian negotiation data is relatively more abundant than other records, making it a good candidate for network analysis. However, because negotiation data is recorded from the perspective of various actors, it is essential to verify the reliability of the data by ancient history researchers.</br>This paper theoretically analyzes the negotiation data of the Eastern Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Song, and Northern Wei periods. The negotiation network analysis reveals that Eastern Jin is the most centralized country, with Koguryŏ actively engaging in negotiations and Paekche focusing on diplomacy with Eastern Jin. The centrality analysis on the negotiation frequency data during Song and Northern Wei period shows that the Song and Northern Wei had the highest centrality in negotiation frequency among 28 countries, with Koguryŏ, Tuyuhun, and Paekche also prominent. The negotiation route analysis reveals the flow of information, with the Song having the highest betweenness centrality, Koguryŏ serving as a conduit to Shilla, and Paekche controlling the route to Mahan, Kaya, and Wa. Paekche plays a crucial role as a conduit between various regions, despite having lower centrality than Koguryŏ.</br>In conclusion, this paper explored the methodology of applying network analysis to ancient East Asian negotiation data and attempted to understand the structural structure of ancient East Asian negotiation networks by analyzing negotiation data from a specific time period.

Tramadol control measures and supply for health-care services: findings from Ghana and other West African countries

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the role of tramadol in pain management and the impact of regulatory measures on supply and medical access in Ghana and other African countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted an exploratory design and qualitative methods to explore the perspectives of different actors, including officials of regulatory agencies, law enforcement agents, health-care providers and non-medical tramadol users. Data were collected through individual and group interviews, and transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis.FindingsFindings show that tramadol fills a critical gap in treating pain across Ghana in areas with an acute shortage of opioid analgesics due to scheduling-related barriers. This was partly due to porous borders allowing for an influx of tramadol into the countries. The study further found that most tramadol purchases in Ghana and other West African countries were made from market traders rather than from health-care settings and were mainly generic medicines categorised as “substandard/spurious/falsely-labelled/falsified/counterfeit medical products” within the World Health Organization standards.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the findings are instructive, there were some limitations worth noting. The study encountered several limitations, especially with the non-medical users, because the environment is highly criminalised, People who use drugs were unwilling to avail themselves for fear of law enforcement officers’ harassment. Obtaining ethical clearance had its own bureaucracy – challenges that delayed the study time frame.Practical implicationsPlacing tramadol under the list of internationally controlled substances would create barriers to access to effective pain medications, particularly by the poor, and encourage victimisation of users by law enforcement authorities.Originality/valueThe study is based on empirical research on tramadol use and regulation in African countries, contributing to knowledge in an under-researched subject area on the continent. The comparative approach further adds value to the research.

The Concepts of Women's Empowerment in Child Malnutrition Programs in Luangprabang Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic.

In several developing countries, such as Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), the fight against malnutrition is carried out through programs that involve collaboration between internal (national) and external (international) actors. These actors may have different perceptions on what is one of the pillars of these programs: the empowerment of women, especially mothers of young children. Little is known about these differences and the impact of these differences on the empowerment component of collaborative projects and the perception of its impact on the reduction in malnutrition in the country. A multiple case study was performed. Data collection was carried out in Vientiane Capital and Luangprabang province. The data were obtained from (1) documents, (2) semi-structured interviews with representatives of internal and external organizations, and (3) focus group discussions and individual interviews with mothers of children under five years old. Analysis consisted of characterizing the empowerment component of nutrition programs of internal and external organizations, as well as mothers, based on an OXFAM's adapted conceptual framework on women's economic empowerment. The study revealed a common understanding among government and external organizations regarding the significance of promoting women's empowerment for reducing child malnutrition in Lao PDR. However, variations were observed in the interpretation of specific determinants of women's empowerment, specifically in relation to women's autonomy and the role of social capital. The perspective of internal actors includes the political ideology and traditions that make Lao PDR a distinct country. This perspective dominates the nutrition programs conducted under the collaboration of internal and external actors. In Lao PDR, the concept of women's empowerment in nutrition programs conducted through collaboration between internal and external actors and targeting young Lao mothers gives prominence to political and socio-cultural factors.