Make a donation

News

Facebook-f Threads Linkedin-in Instagram Youtube

-Feminist research: a lever for change in the fight against gynecological and obstetric violence

  • News
See all articles
From May 21 to 23, 2024, a technical workshop on national survey methodologies was held in Dakar as part of the "Our Bodies, Our Health" project, which combats gynecological and obstetric violence (GOV) in Senegal. The aim of this workshop was to develop a robust and appropriate co-constructed research methodology. Adopting a feminist perspective, the research aims to document the nature of VGOs in the Senegalese context, taking into account social inequalities and power relations. The challenge of research within the framework of this project is to fill the data gap on GBV while addressing the political issues of human rights and public health related to such violence. 

Intersectional feminist approach and continuum of violence

  This research adopts an intersectional feminist perspective, highlighting the power relations between healthcare providers and users. It aims to transform these relations by providing the information needed to support advocacy and policy.  In this research, the gender approach is crucial for analyzing the impact of social norms on the attitudes of healthcare workers in sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In addition, it will examine the often overlooked role and responsibilities of men in reproduction and the continuum of violence.
“This immersion in community activities really allowed me to learn more about GBV and how it fits into the continuum of GBV, because I hadn't made the connection between men and GBV. For me, it was just midwives who were most concerned.”   

Linking research and community activities

  In the project, we carried out activities with women, young people, and healthcare providers. These activities played a crucial role in our exploration of feminist practices in research. The aim was to democratize knowledge by valuing women's testimonies and concerns. We also explored the horizontality of the relationship between researchers and research subjects.  This articulation has enriched our research questions and facilitated a refinement of the profiles affected with specific diversification criteria. We also incorporate the testimonies of women and men as well as the observations of these discussion groups into the research. The inclusive and participatory approach, bringing together researchersfeminists, gender specialists, civil society representatives involved in adolescent/youth sexual health, statisticians, and women who are direct beneficiaries of the project, aims to gain a better understanding of their experiences.  Participants included the National Alliance of Young People for Reproductive Health and Family Planning (ANJ), the Senegalese branch of the West African Network of Young Women Leaders (ROALJEF), ENDA Santé, Ms. Codou Bop, Ms. Marième Fall, Ms. Sanogo Adama, and Equipop. The data collected during this collaboration will enrich our knowledge of the healthcare experiences of women and girls and the implementation of our respectful care policies. 

Further information

May 15, 2026

Training programs as "spaces of our own"

Against a backdrop of challenges to fundamental freedoms and the rise of anti-rights rhetoric and policies, this training program serves as a tool for resistance and empowerment. It is in this

Read more
May 6, 2026

Taking action to drive transformative change

The continuum of violence marks a major conceptual shift in how survivors’ experiences are named, analyzed, and addressed. Its contribution as a framework for understanding

Read more
May 5, 2026

For International and Feminist Solidarity – A Series of Events in the Lyon Metropolitan Area

The international landscape is marked by violent attacks on the rights of women, girls, and marginalized people by states and coordinated, highly

Read more
See more

Looking for something?