Background
The CBIO+ Approach is an expansion of CBIO. It is composed of three components: (1) the Census-Based, Impact-Oriented (CBIO) Approach, (2) the Care Group Approach, and (3) the Community Birthing Center Approach. CBIO consists of conducting with the community a census, registering all households, identifying local epidemiological priorities and the health priorities according to the local people, developing and executing a plan to address these priorities, and assessing over time whether the health of the population has improved [33]. All of this is accomplished through partnerships with the community, collection of local data, and routine systematic home visitation guided by census registers to collect data, including vital events, and to deliver services. Further descriptions of the CBIO approach and its effectiveness are available [34‐38]. The Care Group Approach is, in a sense, an extension of CBIO that involves the selection of one female Care Group Volunteer for every 10–15 households with a mother of young child. Then, 5–12 Care Group Volunteers meet with a Care Group Promoter every 2–4 weeks to learn 1–2 educational messages to share with the mothers in the catchment area for each Care Group Volunteer, either by visiting each home separately or meeting as a group. At the subsequent meeting, the Promoter teaches them a new message and the Care Group Volunteers report pregnancies, births and deaths to the Promoter [28]. Further descriptions of the Care Group Approach and its effectiveness are available [39‐42]. The Community Birthing Center Approach, as developed by Curamericas/Guatemala, is a participatory approach that involves working with communities to construct, staff and operate a readily available local facility where mothers can give birth in a way that respects traditional customs and enables the traditional midwife (called a comadrona in the Project Area) to perform her traditional role. These centers are staffed 24/7 by auxiliary nurses with special additional training in midwifery and supervised by an experienced obstetrical graduate nurse who is based at one of the birthing centers and is available by phone to support the other birthing centers. Connected to each birthing center is an emergency transport system to provide prompt referral to a hospital should the need arise. Also associated with the birthing center is an insurance system that pregnant women and their families can contribute to during the pregnancy to offset to cost of transport if a referral is needed. Further descriptions of the Community Birthing Center Approach are available [23]. |
Methods
Samples for the knowledge, practice and coverage (KPC) surveys
Quantitative data collection and analysis
Participation in community health activities | Autonomy in health-related decision-making |
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1. Women’s participation in community meetings (percentage of mothers of children 0- < 24 months of age who reported that in the previous 3 months they had both attended and expressed their opinion at a community meeting) | 1. Participation in decision-making regarding contraception (percentage of households with children 0- < 24 months of age in which either the mother alone or the mother jointly with her husband/partner had decided whether to use contraception) |
2. Contact with a Care Group (percentage of mothers of children 0- < 24 months of age who reported that in the previous month they had been one of the following: a Care Group Volunteer, a participant in a Care Group meeting, or a recipient of instruction by a Care Group Volunteer) | 2. Participation in decision-making regarding the location of delivery and the selection of the birth attendant (percentage of households with children 0- < 24 months of age in which either the mother alone or the mother jointly with another person had decided the location and birth attendant of her most recent delivery) |
3. Participation in decision-making regarding treatment of acute respiratory infection (ARI) (percentage of ARI episodes in children 0- < 24 months of age in which either the mother alone or the mother jointly with another person had decided to seek further care and treatment) | |
4. Control over money for purchasing food for children (percentage of mothers of children 0- < 24 months of age who indicated that they did not need to ask for the money needed to buy food for their children) |
Qualitative data collection and analysis
Municipality | Language/ethnicity | Area A community | Self-Help Groups members* | Men | Mothers-in-law | Health committees |
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San Sebastian Coatán | Chuj | Yalanculuz | 1 | |||
Chenen | 1 | 1 | ||||
Calhuitz | 1 | 1 | ||||
Lolbatzam | 1 | |||||
San Miguel Acatán | Akateko | Poj Najap | 1 | |||
Yucajo | 1 | |||||
Canton Santa Cecilia | 1 | |||||
Mete | 1 | |||||
Ixlahuitz | 1 | |||||
Santa Eulalia | Q’anjob’al | Buena Vista | 1 | |||
Temux Chiquito | 1 | 1 | ||||
Pena Flor | 1 | 1 | ||||
Sataq Na | 1 | |||||
Total number of FGDs = 17 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Results
Quantitative findings
Hypothesis: Women’s empowerment improved from baseline to endline in Area A | Hypothesis: Women’s empowerment improved from baseline to endline in Area B | Hypothesis: Women’s empowerment improved more in Area A than in Area B | ||||||||
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Indicator | Baseline (January 2012), Area A (95% CI) n = 299 | Endline (June 2015), Area A (95% CI) n = 300 | Endline minus baseline | p-value, Baseline vs. Endline, Area A | Baseline (January 2012), Area B (95% CI) n = 300 | Endline (June 2015), Area B (95% CI) n = 300 | Endline minus baseline | p-value, Baseline vs. Endline, Area B | Is difference in Area A greater than in Area B? | p-value, difference in differences, Area A vs. Area B |
Participation in decision-making regarding contraception | 56.5% (49.6, 63.4) | 84.3% (80.2, 88.4) | 27.8% | < 0.001 | 55.7% (50.1, 61.3) | 83.0% (78.7, 87.3) | 27.3% | < 0.001 | Yes (0.5 percentage points) | 0.92 |
Participation in decision-making regarding location of delivery and selection of the birth attendant | 68.2% (60.5, 75.9) | 84.3% (73.6, 83.0) | 16.1% | < 0.001 | 71.3% (66.2, 76.4) | 76.0% (71.2, 80.8) | 4.7% | 0.114 | Yes (11.4 percentage points) | 0.02 |
Participation in decision-making regarding treatment of acute respiratory infection | 72.7% (67.7, 77.7) | 74.2% (63.3, 85.1) | 1.5% | 0.347 | 76.9% (72.1, 81.7) | 89.7% (86.3, 93.1) | 12.8% | < 0.001 | No | 0.07 |
Control of money for purchasing food for children | 12.6% (8.8, 16.4) | 11.7% (8.1, 15.3) | −0.9% | 0.396 | 11.4% (8.7, 15.0) | 7.3% (4.4, 10.2) | −4.1% | 0.061 | Yes (3.2 percentage points) | 0.41 |
Contact with a Care Group | 8.4% (5.3, 11.1) | 67.7% (62.0, 72.9) | 59.3% | < 0.001 | 10.3% (6.9, 13.7) | 59.7% (53.9, 65.2) | 49.4% | < 0.001 | Yes (9.9 percentage points) | 0.02 |
Women’s participation in community meetings | 10.0% (6.6, 13.4) | 24.3% (19.5, 29.1) | 14.3% | < 0.001 | 10.7% (7.2, 14.2) | 28.0% (22.9, 33.1) | 17.3% | < 0.001 | No | 1.00 |
Qualitative findings
Category of response |
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Through the monthly health education provided by Care Group Volunteers |
Through learning how to take better care of their children (providing better nutrition, including exclusive breastfeeding, better hygiene, and better care of their children when they are sick) |
By helping mothers lose their fear of expressing themselves in front of others and learning to make their voices heard |
Through the opportunity to meet monthly, talk, participate, and share opinions |
Through their access to basic health services |
Through the education provided at the Birthing Centers (Casas Maternas Rurales) |
Through visits to the home by Promoters and Care Group Volunteers |
By being able to contribute their ideas and having these ideas given consideration |
The men’s FGDs also all agreed that Curamericas/Guatemala had facilitated a change in empowerment of women through the following: the Community Birthing Centers (called Casas Maternas Rurales and referred to locally as Casas and described further in Papers 1 and 6 [31, 46]), the education and health services provided to the women, the bringing of women together and the encouragement of them to speak and participate, and the general community development fostered by the Project.They [the Project] give us the opportunity to speak and participate and express our opinions.-Women’s FGD participantAll of us now know our rights and obligations.-Women’s FGD participantWe go to the trainings where we receive education on health and nutrition. This has helped us because we practice and see the change. Our children don’t get sick [as often]. We wash our hands, which wasn’t so important [before]. But now we try to change our behavior.-Women’s FGD participantNow we aren’t afraid to participate [in community activities]-Women’s FGD participantWe bring ideas and they are considered by others.-Women’s FGD participantIt is important for us to value our rights and to participate and take on formal posts in the community.-Women’s FGD participantBefore women had no rights, but this has changed and we now have our rights.-Women’s FGD participantYes, because we are owners [dueñas] of our lives and no one can obligate us to do anything we don’t want to do.-Women’s FGD participantNow men give more freedom to women and mistreat women less.-Women’s FGD participant
The two FGDs composed of mothers-in-law of mothers of young children agreed that Curamericas/Guatemala had facilitated a change in empowerment by providing staff who came to educate women about how to care for themselves and their children; providing counsel about exclusive breastfeeding; providing medicines; improving practices of nutrition, hygiene, and care seeking for sick children; and raising community consciousness about the importance of health care. Several representative quotes are as follows:Curamericas has helped this change through the education that it provides to women. -Men’s FGD participant.Curamericas helped facilitate the change through the Casas. -Men’s FGD participantYes, because before [the women] didn’t have the knowledge of how to take care of their children, but nowadays they are well trained and now they participate [in community affairs]. -Men’s participantWomen now don’t have the fear that they have had. -Men’s participantNowadays women are very well trained to execute well their own activities and projects. -Men’s participant
Participants from all three Community Health Committees concurred that Curamericas/Guatemala had facilitated changes in women’s empowerment by means of the health education talks, home visits, the advice provided by the birthing center staff, teaching about the very sensitive subject of family planning, and, in general, the Project's overall support for women and their children. They noted improved health practices at the family level; greater participation of women, whose voices were now heard; and more women in positions of leadership due to Curamericas/Guatemala’s efforts. Community Health Committee FGD participants mentioned the following:Everyone says now that mothers now know how to provide good hygiene and nutrition in the home and take good care of their children when they are sick. -Mother-in-law FGD participantWomen are now supported in going to the Self-Help Group meetings, something that was prohibited to them before, -Mother-in-law FGD participantWomen can make decisions about their lives now – they have rights, there is more cleanliness, and they have knowledge about feeding and hygiene. -Mother-in-law FGD participant
Yes, because now there are women heads [of communities] and women facilitators of community work. -Community Health Committee FGD participantYes, in most part because the women participate more and now make their voice heard. -Community Health Committee FGD participantIn a recent community meeting the majority of those attending were women, and their opinions and decisions were respected. -Community Health Committee FGD participantWomen’s participation in this last year has been very active, and now they participate more and express their ideas. -Community Health Committee FGD participantWomen are now making their own decisions thanks to the various programs that are working with them. -Community Health Committee FGD participant
Additional findings related to facilitators of and barriers to women’s empowerment
Facilitators of empowerment | Impediments to empowerment |
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Level of self-esteem and self-confidence | |
High self-esteem and self-confidence Little or no fear of expressing oneself in the presence of men or of assuming community responsibilities | Low self-esteem Timidity Fear of speaking in presence of men Fear of ridicule Fear of failure Reluctance to assume community responsibilities Fear of taking advantage of opportunities to participate in community meetings |
Level of education/Spanish fluency | |
Education (both formal and informal) Fluency in Spanish | Lack of education Limited fluency in Spanish |
Level of consciousness of rights and self-ownership | |
Awareness of women’s own civil and human rights | Lack of awareness of women’s civil and human rights |
Sense of being owner (dueña) of one’s own body | No sense of being owner (dueña) of one’s own body; husband is owner (dueño) of woman and family |
Degree to which relationship with husband/family is supportive | |
General support from husband (and to a lesser extent from the mother-in-law and/or the woman’s parents) | Domination by husband (and to lesser extent, mother-in- law and/or woman’s parents) |
Trust from husband (that his wife will comport herself well, remain faithful, handle money and responsibilities well, and make sound decisions) | Lack of trust from husband (that his wife will comport herself well, remain faithful, handle money and responsibilities well, and make sound decisions) |
Good communication with the husband, ability to negotiate her mobility and participation in decisions | Poor or no communication with husband; inability to negotiate her mobility and her participation in decisions |
Mobility (ability to leave the household, especially alone, to participate in meetings and community activities, with or without husband’s permission) | Lack of mobility (unable to leave home; forbidden or requires husband’s explicit permission, or required to be accompanied by others) |
Permission of husband to participate is not needed or easily granted – often only as a formality or just to know the woman’s whereabouts | Permission of husband to participate is not given, or given grudgingly or conditionally (e.g., after household chores are done) |
No fear of husband’s anger or of intra-familial violence | Living in fear of angering husband/provoking “problems” such as domestic violence |
Ability to participate (at least nominally) in most decisions regarding place of delivery, family planning, and care seeking for sick children Recognition by family that “mother knows best” regarding place of delivery or care seeking for sick children | Being ignored or over-ruled by husband and/or mother-in-law in health-related decision-making |
Absence of husband – out of town or away working as migrant laborer | Presence of [unsupportive] husband living in household |
Level of control over management of household responsibilities | |
Ability to balance role as participant in community meetings/activities with traditional role as housewife/mother Ability to not let household responsibilities impede participation in community meetings/activities | Feeling too burdened by household and childcare responsibilities to leave the home to participate in community meetings/activities Acceding to the traditional housekeeping/childcare role that keeps women isolated in the home |
Level of economic autonomy | |
Produces her own income that she controls (or she has some control over her husband’s/partner’s income) | Economic dependence on husband Traditional role of husband as breadwinner (the money he earns is “his”, with no sense of joint ownership) Woman does not generate her own income/money that is “hers” |