SAC presents: Nidhi Vij

Nidhi Vij, PhD Candidate, Department of Public Administration, Syracuse University

Mobiles for Mother’s in Melghat: Using Mobile Phones to Enhance Policy Awareness and Public Engagement in Maternal Healthcare in India

In Melghat, Maharashtra, home to Korku tribals, a woman dies every month during childbirth. Broadcasting audio-messages on mobile phones about on maternal health policies to 82 pregnant women in Melghat, Vij’s research traces the potential and pitfalls of mobile phones in generating awareness and empowering women to demand maternal health benefits from the State. She finds that mobile phones can trigger engagement, but that there are limitations given gendered nature of phone ownership and usage.

Open to the public

Sponsored by the South Asia Center at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs