Theoretical training in the third country
The researcher attended five webinars, three courses at the City University of New York (Partner Organization), and six conferences in the third country. The researcher’s participation to these scientific events ensured the development of academic contacts and professional networks with health practitioners for the subsequent research activities of the project.
Academic exchanges
Transfer of knowledge activities and scientific events were proposed and organized by the researcher at the Partner Organization and the Host Institution. These international collaborations were extremely useful for a successful completion of the RiR project.
Statistical data collection and analysis
The researcher carried out a data collection work exploring statistical data about black maternal health in Europe and in the US. The processing of these data was carried out through the design of digital semantic maps. This is a new skill acquired by the researcher, who attended a digital maps training course organized by digital experts from the GIS centre of the Host Institution.
Ethics
A number of activities were carried out to improve the ethical aspects of the action (i.e. implementation of digital tools for data anonymization and data securization; research design in accordance with national and international laws on data protection). These activities were fulfilled by the researcher, in collaboration with the IT department and the Data Protection Officer of the Host Institution, the Legal department and the IRB commitee of the Partner Organization, the external ethical advisor of the RiR project.
Fieldwork activities
The researcher developed a collaborative research work with health professionals, birth workers and reproductive justice associations.
Observation activities were carried out during birth preparation courses, workshops and other public activities organized by birth workers (black doula) and reproductive justice associations based in New York City (Brooklyn, Harlem, Yonkers and the Bronx). The researcher also carried out interviews with health professionals (gynecologists and midwives), women, couples, doulas and reproductive justice activists.
Publications
The inputs obtained in the theoretical training, literature review, the processing of statistical and ethnographic data have been the basis for the submission of one individual article, two collective articles and five book chapters on RiR topics.
The knowledge generated by the project has also been exploited through the publication of two edited books, one focused on the relationship between maternal health issues and Covid-19 epidemic, and the other exploring public maternal health policies aimed at struggling social and racial disparities related to the right to health.
Two non-academic article on racial inequalities and racism in reproductive health experiences were published to reach a broad public.
International conferences
RiR results have been presented in five international conferences (i.e. European Association of Social Anthropologists Conference; American Anthropological Association Conference; Association of Social Anthropologists Conference; European Conference on African Studies; Association of Applied Italian Anthropology Conference).
Secondment
The researcher collected statistical data on global maternal health inequalities through the access to WHO databases. Three interviews with members of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH) department were carried out. Additionally, the researcher attended three scientific events organized by the SRH department and other WHO departments.
