Date Archives January 2017

Bad Births, Bad Bodies: School for Advanced Research Colloquium

In the West African country of Niger, 1 in 23 women will die from maternal causes and 5-13 more will survive with chronic disabilities. One particular injury, obstetric fistula — caused by prolonged obstructed labor and resulting in chronic incontinence — is all too common. How are women who suffer from fistula represented in the Global North? Does it matter? What is the lived experience of chronic incontinence? Can surgery make a difference? How do local networks of care expand or contract in times of illness? Based on 18 months of research in Niger, this talk will explore these questions.

From August 2016 – May 2017, I’ve spent time at Santa Fe’s School for Advanced Research as a Vera Campbell Resident Scholar. On November 9th, 2016 I gave this talk about my research.