Women's empowerment through community-based reproductive health programs: A case study in Peru

This MA thesis examines the ability of women-centered and community-based reproductive health programs to fulfill the reproductive health needs of poor and marginalized women and lead to their empowerment. The ReproSalud project in Peru serves as a case study. ReproSalud is a USAID-funded project being implemented by the Peruvian feminist organization Movimiento Manuela Ramos. Field research was conducted using participant observation and qualitative interviewing for four months. The findings provide an in-depth description of the project, outcomes from the implementation process of ReproSalud's model, participants' perceptions of the project and its preliminary impact. By presenting a concrete example from the field, this research contributes to building the body of knowledge on community-based and women-centered reproductive health programs, a necessary step to implement the commitments made at the International Conference on Population and Development.