No Woman No Cry: An Ethnographic Exploration of Violence in Maternal and Child Care Experiences in Bolivia

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine the ways in which various forms of violence are enacted upon women in obstetric and pediatric contexts. I am interested in the position of the woman as patient and caregiver. My retelling of these experiences centers pregnant women who are monitored during gestation and guided through delivery by various medical personnel. I also focus on the postpartum realities of women whose children, under five years old, are still heavily dependent on their time, energy and bodies in order to survive. Through my ethnographic analysis, I demonstrate the continuity of this experience by examining the mechanisms by which women are seen and unseen in places of care. Lastly, through exploring the morality of motherhood, I portray the varied ways in which women respond to the state’s reproductive governance implemented through cash transfer programs, abortion laws and social services.