Rural women: a deep look inside…

Resumo

Introdução: San Bautista is a rural town from Canelones, Uruguay. A place with few opportunities and also few recreation spaces. This condition produces isolation and depression specially in women. We’re trying to develop a place to promote cultural identity and to analyze lifestyles. This process helps women to encourage the development of citizenship, solidarity and collective commitment.

Objetivos: Promote critical reflection about rural women ´s life. Promote an holistic approach about health, taking into account the feminine gender and her rights, highlighting the role they have in the rural community. This work is taking place in San Bautista , Canelones, in the period 2013-2014.

Metodologia ou descrição da experiência: Workshops oriented specially to mental health promotion, with and approach who emphasize participation and a deep exploration inside, trying to understand feelings and emotions. We promote a critic view of life and life events, promoting creativity, a deep communication and a rescue of personal stories and local identity. Subjects : “From our grandmothers to us” , “Women and work”, “Gender equity”, “Sexuality”, “Contraception”, “Self-Esteem”, “Domestic violence”, “Cancer prevention”.

Resultados: Fifteen women participate in the two-years-program, with a high compliance. At the end of the program they conclude that they have a more accurate vision of themselves a better self-esteem, and they feel like more confident and intelligent. The group and the health team are developing a publication in order to share and also repeat the experience with other rural people. We aim to develop women groups with the same spirit in other Uruguayan rural areas.

Conclusões ou hipóteses: Women in a circle are powerful agents of change. All of us have feel the impact of these experience in our life, taking into account that mental health is a creation, and women in their role of mothers , friends, sisters, grandmothers, are fundamental parts of this process. Family doctors play a special role in rural areas, specially working with women, promoting health and social development.