“When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage
For young women, im/migration can impact education, employment, and family dynamics in ways that shape the courses of their lives and health. The purpose of this study is to deepen understandings of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage. Guided...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321523000835 |
| _version_ | 1797400795281358848 |
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| author | Stefanie Machado Sajedeh Zaki Reyna Villasin Nicole S. Berry Ruth Lavergne Mei-ling Wiedmeyer Andrea Krüsi Shira Goldenberg |
| author_facet | Stefanie Machado Sajedeh Zaki Reyna Villasin Nicole S. Berry Ruth Lavergne Mei-ling Wiedmeyer Andrea Krüsi Shira Goldenberg |
| author_sort | Stefanie Machado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For young women, im/migration can impact education, employment, and family dynamics in ways that shape the courses of their lives and health. The purpose of this study is to deepen understandings of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage. Guided by intersectionality theory and the structural and social determinants of health, we analyzed qualitative interviews conducted with young im/migrants ages 15-30, who identify as women, and who had experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and/or marriage (N = 34). Participants were interviewed as part of the IRIS study in British Columbia, Canada between May 2019 to February 2021. Young im/migrant women described how im/migration shaped experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage by way of health, social, legal, and economic drivers. These included being ineligible for health insurance and unable to prevent pregnancy and experiencing workplace discrimination in form of reduced hours and no maternity benefits. Demanding caregiving roles and unsafe home environments were also described as being exacerbated by unaffordable childcare in destination settings and unequal gender roles and power dynamics after im/migration. Our findings suggest structural changes necessary to improve young im/migrant women's health. We recommend that health systems decouple im/migration status from health insurance; that governments provide all people with accessible childcare and maternity benefits; and that governments fund community-based efforts towards dismantling structures of patriarchy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:00:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-719dfd1652b14af5adbbd1edaed34448 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-3215 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:00:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-719dfd1652b14af5adbbd1edaed344482023-12-08T04:47:03ZengElsevierSSM: Qualitative Research in Health2667-32152023-12-014100299“When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriageStefanie Machado0Sajedeh Zaki1Reyna Villasin2Nicole S. Berry3Ruth Lavergne4Mei-ling Wiedmeyer5Andrea Krüsi6Shira Goldenberg7Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaFresh Voices Society of BC, Vancouver, BC, CanadaFresh Voices Society of BC, Vancouver, BC, CanadaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaDepartment of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, CanadaCentre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCentre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, CanadaCentre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA; Corresponding author. Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity, c/o St Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.For young women, im/migration can impact education, employment, and family dynamics in ways that shape the courses of their lives and health. The purpose of this study is to deepen understandings of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage. Guided by intersectionality theory and the structural and social determinants of health, we analyzed qualitative interviews conducted with young im/migrants ages 15-30, who identify as women, and who had experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and/or marriage (N = 34). Participants were interviewed as part of the IRIS study in British Columbia, Canada between May 2019 to February 2021. Young im/migrant women described how im/migration shaped experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage by way of health, social, legal, and economic drivers. These included being ineligible for health insurance and unable to prevent pregnancy and experiencing workplace discrimination in form of reduced hours and no maternity benefits. Demanding caregiving roles and unsafe home environments were also described as being exacerbated by unaffordable childcare in destination settings and unequal gender roles and power dynamics after im/migration. Our findings suggest structural changes necessary to improve young im/migrant women's health. We recommend that health systems decouple im/migration status from health insurance; that governments provide all people with accessible childcare and maternity benefits; and that governments fund community-based efforts towards dismantling structures of patriarchy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321523000835PregnancyMotherhoodMarriageImmigrant womenImmigrant youthYoung women |
| spellingShingle | Stefanie Machado Sajedeh Zaki Reyna Villasin Nicole S. Berry Ruth Lavergne Mei-ling Wiedmeyer Andrea Krüsi Shira Goldenberg “When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage SSM: Qualitative Research in Health Pregnancy Motherhood Marriage Immigrant women Immigrant youth Young women |
| title | “When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage |
| title_full | “When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage |
| title_fullStr | “When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage |
| title_full_unstemmed | “When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage |
| title_short | “When I came to Canada, I almost forgot myself: Where I am, who I am”: A qualitative exploration of how im/migration shapes young women's experiences of pregnancy, motherhood, and marriage |
| title_sort | when i came to canada i almost forgot myself where i am who i am a qualitative exploration of how im migration shapes young women s experiences of pregnancy motherhood and marriage |
| topic | Pregnancy Motherhood Marriage Immigrant women Immigrant youth Young women |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321523000835 |
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