Women's Experiences Research Articles

I am Lifted Above the World: utilizing VR for stress reduction among perinatal women of color.

Perinatal mental health conditions affect 800,000 individuals annually in the United States and are a leading cause of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. However, the impact of these conditions varies across racial and ethnic groups. Portable digital solutions, such as mobile apps, have been developed for maternal mental health, but they often do not adequately cater to the needs of women of color. To ensure the effectiveness and equity of these interventions, it is crucial to consider the unique experiences of perinatal women from diverse racial backgrounds. This qualitative study aims to explore the complex aspects of motherhood, maternal mental well-being, and resilience among perinatal women of color. It also investigates the factors that either hinder or facilitate the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for stress management in this specific demographic. This research involves two focus groups comprising perinatal women, primarily identifying as Black or Latina, enrolled in the ongoing Nurturing Moms study at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Additionally, feedback is collected from five different participants. The study assesses Nurture VR™, a VR-based program integrating mindfulness techniques, relaxation exercises, and guided imagery for pregnancy and postpartum. Qualitative analysis uncovers five primary themes and 19 sub-themes, addressing the complexities of motherhood, maternal mental health, attitudes towards VR therapy, postpartum care, and the perception of resilience. Participants share challenges related to household management, caregiving, financial stress, breastfeeding, relaxation, sleep, and the significance of social support. Their preferences and reservations regarding VR therapy are also expressed. This study sheds light on the diverse struggles and obstacles faced by women of color during and after pregnancy, with potential repercussions for their mental and sleep health. It underscores the need for mental health screening and analysis of maternal stress-related sleep issues, in addition to the facilitation of social support in maternal health programs. Additionally, it highlights the promise of culturally responsive behavioral treatments, including VR interventions, in offering timely and tailored mental health support to perinatal women, taking into account their intersectional identities.

Exploring Healthcare Providers' and Women's Perspectives of Labor Companionship during Childbirth: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study.

A labor companion of choice during childbirth is crucial for improving women's birth experience and confidence to give birth. Labor companions provide various benefits, including enhanced communication, emotional support, non-pharmacological pain relief, and better healthcare. However, little is known about the supportive actions of labor companions with respect to women's needs during labor and birth, as well as healthcare providers' perceptions of labor companions. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the perceptions of healthcare providers and women regarding labor companions. The study utilized an interpretative phenomenology research design. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. The sample consisted of mothers, physicians, and nurses, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted for data analysis. Five themes were identified: (a) impact of companionship, (b) benefits for healthcare providers, (c) companion roles, (d) loneliness and alienation of mothers, and (e) challenges of implementation. The findings indicated that the presence of a companion reduces the need for unnecessary medical interventions and eases the workload of healthcare providers. Without a companion, mothers often feel lonely and disconnected during the birthing process. The presence of companions is often hindered by space limitations in delivery rooms, the absence of clear policies, and lack of childbirth education programs for companions. Clear policies, education programs, and adequate space are essential for implementing and promoting labor companionship during childbirth.

When one door closes: a qualitative exploration of women’s experiences of access to sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic widely disrupted health services provision, especially during the lockdown period, with females disproportionately affected. Very little is known about alternative healthcare sources used by women when access to conventional health services became challenging. This study examined the experiences of women and adolescent girls regarding access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria and their choices of alternative healthcare sources.MethodsThe study sites were two northern states, two southern states, and the Federal Capital Territory. Qualitative data were obtained through 10 focus group discussion sessions held with married adolescents, unmarried adolescents, and older women of reproductive age. The data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic approach and with the aid of Atlas ti software.ResultsWomen reported that access to family planning services was the most affected SRH services during the COVID-19 lockdown. Several barriers to accessing SRH services during COVID-19 lockdown were reported, including restriction of vehicular movement, harassment by law enforcement officers, fear of contracting COVID-19 from health facilities, and fear of undergoing compulsory COVID-19 tests when seeking care in health facilities. In the face of constrained access to SRH services in public sector facilities during the COVID-19 lockdown, women sought care from several alternative sources, mostly locally available and informal services, including medicine vendors, traditional birth attendants, and neighbours with some health experience. Women also widely engaged in self-medication, using both orthodox drugs and non-orthodox preparations like herbs. The lockdown negatively impacted on women’s SRH, with increased incidence of sexual- and gender-based violence, unplanned pregnancy resulting from lack of access to contraceptives, and early marriage involving adolescents with unplanned pregnancies.ConclusionCOVID-19 negatively impacted access to SRH services and forced women to utilise mostly informal service outlets and home remedies as alternatives to conventional health services. There is a need to ensure the continuity of essential SRH services during future lockdowns occasioned by disease outbreaks. Also, community systems strengthening that ensures effective community-based health services, empowered community resource persons, and health-literate populations are imperative for overcoming barriers to healthcare access during future lockdowns.

Anti-Black Medical Gaslighting in Healthcare: Experiences of Black Women in Canada.

Stereotype about Black people contribute to nurses and healthcare providers gaslighting and dismissing of their health concerns. Despite the popularity of the term medical gaslighting in mainstream literature, few studies have explored the experiences of Black women during pregnancy and childbirth. This paper aims to provide an in-depth insight into Black women's experiences of anti-Black medical gaslighting when accessing care during pregnancy and childbirth. Utilizing qualitative methods, we conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with Black women in the Greater Toronto Area. We used thematic analysis to ground the data analysis and to generate insight into Black women's experiences. Three overarching themes: 1) Not Being Understood: Privileging of Medical Knowledge Contributing to the Downplaying of Health Concerns, 2) Not Being Believed: Stereotypes Contributing to Dismissive Healthcare Encounters and 3) Listen to Us: Turning off the Cycle of Medical Gaslighting. These themes highlight ways anti-Black medical gaslighting manifests in Black women's healthcare encounters to create differential access to treatment and care. Anti-Black medical gaslighting contributes to differential access to treatment and care. Improving equitable access to treatment and care must involve addressing structural and epistemic biases in healthcare and fostering a culture of listening to humanize the experience of illness.

Slovenian midwifery students and their self-estimation of mindfulness: A cross-sectional study with modified MAAS.

We investigate the level of mindfulness among midwifery students, as mindfulness can have a major impact on their perception of stress and can increase the quality of their work after graduation. A causal, non-experimental method of a cross-sectional study was used. We collected data using an online questionnaire that included a valid modified Mindful Attention Awareness Scale - MAAS. The sample consisted of Slovenian midwifery students in academic year 2022-2023. Fifty-five Slovenian midwifery students (82% response rate) participated in the study. The average score of all midwifery students on the 5-Likert modified MAAS was 3.2, with the lowest average score among second-year students. Those students who practiced mindfulness techniques in their free time had higher average scores than those who did not. The average MAAS score of our midwifery students was lower than in other foreign studies among nursing students. The study program should promote student mindfulness. This would benefit the graduates also later, when employed, as investing in midwives' well-being improves both their job satisfaction and women's experience of care. The Slovenian curriculum is often perceived as overwhelming by students. This might be the reason for their low mindfulness scores. Further analysis of the curriculum is needed to find solutions on how to integrate mindfulness techniques into the undergraduate curriculum.

Women’s History: A New Study of Women Experiences of the Past. Book Review: Women’s Dimensions of the Past: Ideas, Experiences, Representations: A Monograph; Edited by O. Kis; Center of Urban History of Central-Eastern Europe, Ukrainian Association of Women’s History Researchers, Institute of Ethnology of the NAS of Ukraine. Lviv: Center of Urban History of Central-Eastern Europe, 2023. 440 p.

Women’s History: A New Study of Women Experiences of the Past. Book Review: Women’s Dimensions of the Past: Ideas, Experiences, Representations: A Monograph; Edited by O. Kis; Center of Urban History of Central-Eastern Europe, Ukrainian Association of Women’s History Researchers, Institute of Ethnology of the NAS of Ukraine. Lviv: Center of Urban History of Central-Eastern Europe, 2023. 440 p.

Single mothers by choice - experiences of single women seeking treatment at a public fertility clinic in Denmark: A pilot study

ProblemThere has been an increase in the number of single women deciding to have children through the use of medically assisted reproduction (MAR). These women are referred to as ‘single mothers by choice’ (SMC). Background: Previous studies have shown how SMC can feel stigmatised. Aim: Explore if single women seeking fertility treatment in Denmark feel stigmatised. MethodsSix single women undergoing MAR at a public fertility clinic in Denmark were interviewed. The interviews were audiotaped, anonymised, and transcribed in full, after provided written consent by the participants to take part in the study. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FindingsThe women would have preferred to have a child in a relationship with a partner. Despite their dream of the nuclear family meaning a family group consisting of two parents and their children (one or more), the women choose to become SMC because motherhood was of such importance, and they feared they would otherwise become too old to have children. The participants did not experience stigma or negative responses to their decision, but they all had an awareness of the prejudices other people might have towards SMC. ConclusionThis study contributes to the understanding of the experiences of single women seeking fertility treatment in a welfare state where there are no differences in the possibilities for different social classes to seek MAR.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Experiences of Women with Impaired Physical Mobility Facing Challenges within Their Surrounding Physical and Social Contexts, Alongside Interventions from Occupational Therapy

Pregnancy and Postpartum Experiences of Women with Impaired Physical Mobility Facing Challenges within Their Surrounding Physical and Social Contexts, Alongside Interventions from Occupational Therapy

Stories of social and emotional resilience among pregnant Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan migrant women during COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria, Australia: A qualitative study using photo-elicitation.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted family and community support systems that typically nurture pregnancy and birth experiences of migrant Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan women in Australia. Very little is known about how COVID-19 lockdown measures impacted Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan pregnant women living in Australia during the pandemic. Using an intersectional and resilience thinking approach, we explored the social and emotional resilience of Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan pregnant women living in Victoria, Australia during COVID-19 lockdowns. Semi-structured photo-elicitation interviews were conducted in English, Tamil and Bangla and audio-recorded in-person and virtually. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the visual and oral qualitative data produced. Twenty-five Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan-born women were interviewed. Three key themes emerged from data analysis: challenges exacerbated by COVID-19, sources of social resilience, and sources of emotional resilience. Participants were negatively impacted by closed international borders, care for children, financial pressures of temporary residence and their physical and mental health was impacted. Primary sources of social resilience were derived from family, community and healthcare professional support. Photo data produced by participants depicted patterns of emotional resilience to overcome the challenges of social isolation during their pregnancy in lockdown. The visual and oral data highlighted that participants were significantly impacted by social isolation during COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia. Findings from this study can contribute to understanding how social support networks influence maternity during a pandemic and how culturally safe maternal health practices can be reinforced to support the motherhood of migrant women regardless of visa status.

The Vulva Dialogues: The Sexual-Bodily Experience of Cisgender Women

Sexuality is an essential part of our lives. Despite being personal, it is deeply impacted by our culture and social scripts. Thus, the sexual-bodily experience of the cisgender woman relates to her life experiences through her body. Nonetheless, the female body is often subjected to prejudice, stigma, and misconceptions, driving women into genital alienation. There is plenty of misinformation on the vulva and the clitoris, even within the scientific community, which not only contributes to many women’s unawareness of their own bodies, but also puts their health at risk in the hands of poorly trained surgeons. Furthermore, the sexual-bodily experience of the cisgender woman is commonly observed from a phallocentric perspective, which tends to override and neglect her agency. My research seeks to analyse the most relevant aspects of the sexual-bodily experience of Portuguese cisgender women who date mostly men, focusing on their relationship with their vulva, their clitoris, and their sexual pleasure. I also want to identify the role of medicine and health professionals in that relationship, within the Western medicine perspective of the female body. The fieldwork is being carried out by qualitative methods, divided into three parts: 1) a minimum of 15 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with health professionals (gynaecologists, gynaecological surgeons, and sex therapists) working in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA); 2) a minimum of 15 in-depth interviews via the Biographic-Narrative Interpretative Method (BNIM) with Portuguese cisgender women residing in the LMA who date mostly men; and 3) a review of how female genitalia are portrayed in anatomy books used in Portugal’s top medical schools. Therefore, I aim to understand how centuries of control over the female body and decades of medicalization of female sexuality have impacted the corporeality and sexuality of Portuguese cisgender women, to contribute to an in-depth debate on such matters in Sociology.

From distress to anger to shame: Gender violence, empowerment, and emotional states in Ecuador

AbstractChanging discourses and laws related to women's rights and intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural Ecuador have profoundly reshaped how local women experience and respond to violence. Women once understood violence as one strand of social suffering embedded in everyday rural life, and they resisted and managed this violence through various collective idioms of distress. Over the last two decades, however, state and non‐governmental organization (NGO) campaigns have isolated gender violence as a discrete phenomenon, emphasizing the “wrongness” of IPV, the validity of righteous anger, and the importance of a legal response to secure the separation of “liberated” women. In this article, I draw on 20 years of fieldwork to discuss how emotional responses to gender violence have shifted in tandem with changing state and transnational discourses and policies in the coastal region of Las Colinas. A deep disjuncture between neoliberal discourses of feminist empowerment and the material reality of rural women's life options leaves many women experiencing new forms of shame when they are unable to turn anger into liberation and escape gender violence in their families and communities. Focusing on the emotional states that states create reveals how political‐economic and discursive shifts are mediated through emotions and collective idioms.

"The Headline Was So Wild That I Had To Check": An Exploration of Women's Encounters With Health Misinformation on Social Media

Misinformation has emerged as a significant threat to public health in recent years and has been observed across numerous health issues, the most prolific being COVID-19. Though increasing attention has been paid to women's health within the social scientific and HCI communities, very little research has holistically explored the unique challenges women face when navigating health misinformation. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative diary and interview study aimed at investigating women's perceptions and lived experiences of health misinformation on social media, and how they respond emotionally and behaviourally to health misinformation encountered in their day-to-day lives. We found that participants perceived health misinformation as ubiquitous and poorly-managed by social media platforms, resulting in a lack of trust in current moderation and fact-checking interventions. We also observed that encounters with misinformation triggered negative emotional responses, which participants attempted to navigate through ad-hoc strategies such as drawing on personal experience and reading social media comment sections, which facilitated collective sensemaking. We discuss our findings in relation to the design of targeted interventions which empower women to engage constructively with health information on social media. In particular, we underscore the importance of trust, accountability, and intersectionality in future design and research practice, and encourage a holistic view of how women are impacted by misinformation.

A STUDY ON WORK LIFE BALANCE OF WOMEN WORKING IN IT SECTOR IN INDIA

Work-life balance (WLB) is a major problem because of the many demands and challenges that women in the information technology sector face while trying to combine their personal and professional lives. This study aims to investigate the appropriate management of personal and professional life by Indian women employed in the IT sector. The paper integrates quantitative and qualitative data from more than 50 females IT workers who were polled and interviewed across Indian cities using a mixed-methods methodology. The research looks at the factors that affect women's capacity to balance work and personal life in the IT business, including working hours, workplace culture, family responsibilities, career ambitions, and social support. This article also looks at how women's performance, contentment, and overall health are affected by work-life balance. The study found that work-family conflict, high levels of stress, and burnout are common among women in IT, and that these factors negatively affect the happiness, productivity, and health of these women. The paper also outlines a number of coping strategies and best practices that the women use to balance their personal and professional life, including negotiating, self-care, delegating, and time management. The article offers a number of suggestions and methods to help women in IT occupations achieve a better work-life balance, including childcare facilities, mentorship programs, flexible work schedules, and awareness campaigns. By concentrating on the unique demands and experiences of women in India's technical advancements sector—a highly competitive and rapidly growing industry with a sizeable female workforce—the research contributes to the body of information on work-life balance. The report also offers some consequences and suggestions for more research, laws, and industrial practices in this area. This paper says that how the women employees are balanced and Satisfied in IT sector and the factors that affect the work life balance of women employees are working hours, Job satisfaction, working condition, etc. Which are key indicators in terms of measuring the work-life balance of women’s working in IT sector.

Bacterial vaginosis after menopause: factors associated and women's experiences: a cross-sectional study of Australian postmenopausal women.

Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge in reproductive age women; however, little is known about it after menopause. We aimed to learn more about BV in Australian postmenopausal women. Methods We conducted an online survey (July-September 2021). Participants were recruited via social media and professional networks and asked about demographic characteristics, sexual history and BV experiences. Outcomes of interest were the proportion who had heard of BV, had BV ever, or had BV after menopause. Factors associated with these outcomes were assessed using logistic regression. Results Of 906 participants, 83% were included in the analysis. Overall, 37.9% had heard of BV, 11.0% reported having a BV diagnosis ever, 6.3% reported having a BV diagnosis after menopause and 4.4% reported having a BV diagnosis only after menopause. Multivariable analysis found that among all women the odds of having a BV diagnosis after menopause were increased for those who had BV before menopause, had douched in the past 12months, or had a previous STI diagnosis. Among those in a sexual relationship, a BV diagnosis after menopause was associated with a BV diagnosis before menopause, or being in a sexual relationship of 5years or less in duration. About half who reported BV after menopause described recurrences, distress, and a detrimental effect on sexual relationships. Conclusions BV in postmenopausal women is associated with sexual activity, and impacts negatively on their lives. Research into BV should not be limited to reproductive age women.

CS=Me: Exploring Factors that Shape Black Women's CS Identity at the Intersections of Race and Gender

Improving equity and inclusion for underrepresented groups in the field of Computer Science (CS) has garnered much attention. In particular, there is a long-standing need for diversity efforts that center on the experiences of Black women, and specific actions to increase their representation—especially given the biases that they often encounter in the field. There is limited research concerning Black women in CS, specifically their conceptions of the field and their overarching CS identity development. More research in this area is especially important given the marginalization that Black women often experience at the intersections of their race and gender. Guided by a combination of critical theoretical lenses, this qualitative study examines Black women's conceptions of what it means to be a computer scientist and the degree to which those conceptions map onto how they see themselves in the field. Moreover, we explore experiences that help to bolster Black women's CS identity. The findings highlight key aspects of what it means to be a computer scientist for the Black women in this study—notably the ability to use computing to make societal contributions. Also, the results accentuate key nuances in the participants’ personal CS identification, particularly as it relates to the resilience required to overcome unique barriers that many Black women encounter when engaging within the field. Moreover, the findings highlight the importance of social support systems to facilitate Black women's CS identity development. Implications for policy and practice within education and industry are discussed.

Mirror Mentoring: Black Women’s Experiences Serving as Mentors for Black Girls During a Virtual Computer Science Camp

Several studies have reported the positive benefits of informal Computer Science learning programs for Black girls, which include staff, mentors, and peers reflective of the girls in the program; however, we do not know enough about what motivates Black women to sign up to teach in such programs, or how representation in mentoring affects future CS learning for Black girls. Here we report the intersectional experiences of 11 Black women who served as instructors and mentors for the virtual INTech Summer Camp. The women in this study confirm that it is imperative to consider the intersectional experiences of Black women in CS as a whole, without explicating their identities. We found that Black women in CS feel that it is their responsibility to give back to Black girls to pay it forward from their own mentorship experiences. The Black women in our study describe seeking to fill a gap in mentorship that they experienced themselves, to share their knowledge and experiences to support the development of others who can relate to that intersection of identifying as Black and a girl or woman. Providing positive representation to encourage young Black girls to pursue tech careers is imperative to diversifying the tech workforce.

An Examination of Black Undergraduate Women's Intersectional Experiences and Academic Motivation in Computing Education

Objectives. We aim to understand, from a motivational perspective, how Black undergraduate women in computing make sense of their intersectional computing experiences. We examine their motivation to major in computing, their experiences as Black women in computing, and how these vary across institutional contexts. Participants. A sample of 77 Black undergraduate women in computing programs (computer science, computer engineering, information systems, information technology, and software engineering) from diverse college settings was recruited to participate in the study. Study Method. Participants responded to an online survey that included several Likert-scale measures for identity, motivation and retention variables, demographic questions, and two open-ended questions: Why did you choose to study computing? and What is it like for you to be a Black female student in computing? Findings. Key themes that emerged from our quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed the range of motivational factors driving Black undergraduate women to study computing and the nuances across their intersectional experiences in the computing education context. Additionally, Black undergraduate women located in HBCU computing education contexts demonstrated both similar and unique perspectives and experiences compared to their counterparts in non-HBCU settings. Conclusions. In addition to the isolation, pressure, power dynamics and epistemic violence experienced by Black women in the intersectional computing education context, the findings of this study display the unique cultural-social-psychological strengths of Black women in their positive valence and resilience, as well as their joy, empowerment, and achievement in computing. Increasing and complicating our knowledge of the motivations and intersectional experiences of Black women in undergraduate computing education, as well as understanding when and how their beliefs and perspectives vary across institutional context, will better inform efforts to retain them and promote their success both in college and into their careers.

The Significance of Religion and Spirituality Among Turkish Women Surviving Breast Cancer Without Treatment: A Qualitative Study.

The health of breast cancer survivors is a global concern. It is crucial to adopt a holistic approach when understanding their journey from illness to wellness in order to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. This study focused on the experiences of Muslim women who had overcome breast cancer and were adapting to life post-treatment. Snowball sampling was used to select the participants for this qualitative study. Fifteen women who had successfully completed breast cancer treatment and been declared cancer-free were interviewed. These interviews were semi-structured, using open-ended questions to explore their experiences in-depth. The interviews were conducted by phone, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study identified four main themes, nine subthemes, and 41 codes. The main themes were as follows: (a) a life changed by cancer and the difficulties encountered; (b) transition from active treatment to treatment-free living; (c) coping mechanisms; and (d) future hopes and expectations. The findings highlighted the survivors' desire to move past their experience of cancer and normalize their lives, as well as emphasizing their need for support. The participants shared detailed accounts of their journey, the obstacles they encountered during this transition, and the critical role of religion and spirituality in overcoming these challenges. Understanding and effectively managing the experiences of women after breast cancer treatment is vital not only for improving survival rates but also for facilitating their healing process.

No Women's Land: Australian Women Veterans' Experiences of the Culture of Military Service and Transition.

Women's experiences of military service and transition occur within a highly dominant masculinized culture. The vast majority of research on military veterans reflects men's experiences and needs. Women veterans' experiences, and therefore their transition support needs, are largely invisible. This study sought to understand the role and impact of gender in the context of the dominant masculinized culture on women veterans' experiences of military service and transition to civilian life. In-depth qualitative interviews with 22 Australian women veterans elicited four themes: (1) Fitting in a managing identity with the military; (2) Gender-based challenges in conforming to a masculinized culture-proving worthiness, assimilation, and survival strategies within that culture; (3) Women are valued less than men-consequences for women veterans, including misogyny, sexual harassment and assault, and system failures to recognize women's specific health needs and role as mothers; and (4) Separation and transition: being invisible as a woman veteran in the civilian world. Gendered military experiences can have long-term negative impacts on women veterans' mental and physical health, relationships, and identity due to a pervasive masculinized culture in which they remain largely invisible. This can create significant gender-based barriers to services and support for women veterans during their service, and it can also impede their transition support needs.

A Story Of Strength And Struggle: Exploring The Motivations And Hurdles Of Mompreneurs In Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The mompreneurs of Peshawar, a bustling city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, are the focus of this research. Bringing attention to these remarkable women in the hopes that we learn from their experiences helps us better grasp the balancing act of business and family life. Using Kimberlé Crenshaw's concept of intersectionality, we investigate how Peshawar's mopreneurs' experiences are shaped by their gender, parenting, marital status, and socioeconomic level. We relied on in-depth qualitative phenomenological interviews to get to the bottom of these women's real-life experiences. The following seven themes emerged from the investigation: navigating financial independence, balancing roles and identities, intersectional challenges, societal expectations and support, identity and empowerment, resilience and determination, and flexible work schedules. Despite the many challenges faced by mompreneurs in Peshawar, our research emphasizes the intricate nature of this entrepreneurial endeavor. However, we need more comprehensive theories of identity and motivation to help us make sense of the myriad factors that contribute to and hinder their success. Examining mompreneurship in the specific social and cultural context of Peshawar, Pakistan, this study provides valuable insights. It also highlights the importance of thoroughly looking into Pakistan and South Asia. Ultimately, we hope our findings will help direct future research on mompreneurship and fill in the gaps in the existing literature.