Indigenous understandings of maternal and child health (MCH) contrast sharply with international definitions. Because international definitions of MCH shape programming decisions and priorities, the disparate nature of these definitions is related to the failure of many MCH projects to address what local citizens view as key aspects of local maternal and child health. Photo Voice tackles this challenge, while simultaneously prompting public discussion of the issues, by the follwowing: 1) It provides photography training to rural men and women, along with simple digital cameras, with the assignment to "show what maternal and child health means to you." Large blow-ups of the best pictures are then showcased in the community to stimulate discussion about maternal and child health, and reproductive health more generally. 2) These same pictures will be showcased in gallery showings in the United States next to pictures showing more traditional depictions of the international standard, to highlight the difference between the definitions.

Above photo credit: Anne Sherwood

Problem

What does maternal and child health mean? This question is fundamental to shaping MCH projects and the development industry's attempts at improving maternal and child health indicators. Yet, little attention has been paid to the difference between international standards and indigenous definitions. Frequently, indigenous understandings of maternal and child health include marital relations, gender relations, and aspects of hygiene or other sectors of health that would not be included within international standards. Because the international standard shapes programming decisions--even the way that most people understand development priorities--understanding the difference between these definitions is important.

Solution

The goals behind Photo Voice are two-fold: 1) To increase citizen participation in the discussion about maternal and child health, particularly cross-gender and cross-age discussion, and 2) To increase awareness about the differences in definitions amongst MCH actors, particularly policy makers and those making programming decisions. Traditionally, most parts of the world see MCH as a "woman's issue," which means that men are not involved in MCH discussions, particularly in the countries in which MCH projects are operating. Increasing community participation and discussion is thereby innovative because it breaks down barriers in a very hollistic and grassroots way. The project is also innovative because it will be the only of its kind showcasing visually the differences between MCH definitions, taking on a more direct advocacy role in the international MCH and development community.

Example

Photo Voice provides photography training and point-and-shoot digital cameras to rural men and women in Uganda, with the assignment to "show what maternal and child health means to you." The best pictures will then be blown up into large posters and displayed throughout the community, and simultaneously be showcased in the United States through gallery showings next to representations of traditional MCH definitions to highlight the difference.

Marketplace

To our knowledge, while there are many organizations taking on citizen photography as a way to explore what a given challenge looks like domestically, there are no other organizations that are applying the concept to maternal and child health and trying to use it as an advocacy tool on both an indigenous and international stage. We do, however, hope to identify potential photographers or other artists who would be willing to join this endeavor--to provide training, help organize and mobilize a following behind U.S.-based gallery showings, document the process of the project (maybe through videography, towards the goal of creating a documentary), and to share the results through other mediums--maybe through the use of a very engaging, user-participant website.