This article presents the results of a participatory study utilising ethnographic methods to develop a phenomenological understanding of how women in three conflict-affected settings understand, experience and operationalise the term ‘psychosocial well-being’. The study was conducted in three countries (Burundi, Nepal and Uganda), where CARE Österreich (an international relief and development organisation) has been implementing the programme Claiming Rights—Promoting Peace: Women’s Empowerment in Conflict-Affected Areas.
The programme integrates psychosocial components into activities for women’s economic and political empowerment. The purpose of the study was to assist CARE Österreich and its local partners to develop indicators that could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of those psychosocial components through learning about how local women understood and operationalised psychosocial wellbeing within a local, cultural context.
This study utilised both participatory and ethnographic methods, using a purposive sample of 1218 women, aged 18-65 in focus groups, and 79 key informants in Burundi, Nepal and Northern Uganda. The findings of the study are complex, multi-faceted and do not lend themselves to generalisation. The study resulted in the development of interlinked constellations of positive and aspirational domains that comprise psychosocial wellbeing along with detailed examples. It suggests a replicable method to develop local indicators for the evaluation of future programmes for adult women affected by armed conflict, to include their views when planning programmes and policies for their benefit.
Key Findings:
- In Burundi, the women designated eight domains of psychosocial wellbeing, each dependent upon and enabling the others: moments of joy; friends and support outside the family; education; love and support in the family; independent voice; peace, safety and security; access to resources; and being healthy. The domains were each operationalized by conditions of daily life.
- In Nepal, participants designated six domains that were also interrelated and mutually dependent: freedom of movement; friendship and support of women’s groups; basic needs met; quality education; power to access resources; and family harmony and love.
- In Northern Uganda, the study participants found 11 distinct domains: good home and marriage; raising children well; support from organisations outside the family; access to resources; religion and spirituality; education; participation and advocacy; being able to help others; looking smart and having a ‘nice’ home; time to rest and relax; and the garden.
- The domains that the women delineated coincided with two well known theories of psychosocial wellbeing: 1) the social ecological perspective on resilience, and 2) the capabilities approach to development economics.
- Social ecological theories of resilience: Safety and calming could be seen in harmony in the home, in peace and security, where they were mentioned, but also in access to resources. A sense of self and community efficacy can also be seen in support outside the home in combination with voice at home, community and beyond, connectedness can be seen in love in the family and friendship outside of the family, and hopefulness was reflected in ideas regarding education.
- The capabilities approach to wellbeing: The capabilities approach suggests that human wellbeing can be studied in terms of ‘capabilities’, that is, ‘what people are able to do or be’. The idea of a good life, now and in the future, with the capabilities to make that possible was seen in the aspirations for education for themselves and their children, access to resources, participation and voice. The idea of a good life was reinforced by their consistent idea of the value of human connections in and outside of the family.