Maternal health in the global south : A study to investigate the empowerment of mHealth initiatives

Sammanfattning: The fifth SDG aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. In this research, mHealth, as in mobile phones to improve maternal health outcomes, will be analyzed. In remote areas where healthcare may not provide care to the extent needed, these technological innovations may be of great importance. MOTECH, a mHealth initiative, promises empowerment, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency and will be analyzed further. The promise of empowerment will be the primary aim of this research and will be the center of attention, with the empowerment theory as a tool in the investigation. Technoscience feminism with a postcolonial perspective will be additional analytical tools to comprehend mHealth and maternal health in the global South. Altogether, the lenses of observation will analyze how gender inequalities connect with technology depending on location.  Moreover, the research will contain a discussion of the concept of liberal empowerment and liberating empowerment. Cecília M.B. Sardenberg (2008) argues that liberal empowerment is conceptualized as a “gift” that can be “donated.” The aforementioned does not work towards a process of group organizing and the building of self-esteem. Contradictions of empowerment are expressed through the debate between individual and collective empowerment. The individual perspective emphasizes cognitive processes, focuses on independence and autonomy, and does not consider the power structures and everyday practices. Liberating empowerment brings sociopolitical dimensions to light but also the psychological processes at play. The sociopolitical and psychological dimensions further enable individuals to understand their personal problems’ political dimensions and act upon them (Sardenberg 2008:22-24). This research indicates that the project contributes to liberal empowerment and lacks feminist perspectives to satisfy the targeted group.