Motherhood delor: narratives of pregnant and nursing mothers in violent spaces in Ghana

Abstract

Purpose The study aims to investigate how pregnant and nursing mothers’ stories have been neglected in writing about gender, security and spaces. Design/methodology/approach The study chronicles Agogo Traditional Area’s pregnant and nursing mothers’ resistance and survival in this conflicted environment. The author used photo voices in a participatory photography design to give conflict-area women a voice. Interviews and observations supported this. Pregnant and nursing mothers were sampled using the purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The data analysis considered narrative analysis, photographic and inductive approaches. Findings The findings highlighted how these mothers in vicious settings experienced healthcare access and problems, societal issues including gender dynamics, food insecurity, and emotional and psychological well-being. Originality/value The findings in this study expand the socio-cultural narratives of pregnant and nursing mothers in violent spaces.