The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 05 March 2024 at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Ingrid Froneman.

About the Seminar:

Rethinking malnutrition: exploring conceptualisations of motherhood and responsibility across childhood nutrition interventions in rural South Africa

Despite South Africa's upper-middle income status, persistent childhood malnutrition rates underscore a pressing need for further exploration and research. Current demographic data reveals enduringly high levels of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under the age of five years. However, the conceptual framing of malnutrition in public health discourse, often overlooks sociopolitical influences, focusing exclusively on interventions aimed at nutritional education and lifestyle modification. Beyond food, however, malnutrition's complexity involves nurturing systems and gender roles. Both historically and presently, childhood nutrition's portrayal as a maternal duty and thus, malnutrition as failure of motherhood has had a profound impact on the shaping of public health interventions for caregivers and their children. Based on the results of an explorative, qualitative study conducted by interviewing both healthcare workers and NGO staff in the field of childhood nutrition across three rural provinces of South Africa, this seminar will explore the relationship between the conceptualisations of motherhood and responsibility and the provision of nutrition- based care and interventions in rural South Africa. Distinctive differences in the approaches between healthcare workers and NGO staff offering mother- and-child nutritional interventions in rural areas were noted in the study.

Speakers

Dr. Ingrid Froneman qualified as a medical doctor in South Africa, where she gained experience in primary healthcare, focusing on Maternal and Child Health. During her MSc in Global Health, Social Justice and Public Policy at King's College London she worked with Make Mothers Matter, a global NGO promoting the health and social rights of mothers and children. Her passion lies at the intersection of health, policy and social justice, exploring ways to amplify and support the lived experience of mothers globally.

 05 March 2024
 12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29 Robert Leslie Social Science Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa