A major University of Queensland research project is examining women’s experiences of childbirth in Indonesia, helping address persistent health inequities as the country undergoes a significant shift towards hospital births.
Led by Dr Jenny Munro, Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow with UQ’s Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the project investigates how social and cultural factors influence the quality of maternity care women receive."
Nearly 80 per cent of Indonesian births now take place in a health facility, yet the country’s maternal mortality ratio remains the highest in Southeast Asia. Researchers say critical questions remain about how discrimination, stigma and social disadvantage shape maternity experiences.
Spanning four provinces, the study brings together researchers from Indonesian universities and health organisations to better understand the experiences of women whose voices are often underrepresented in healthcare research and to identify practical ways to improve respectful, woman-centred care.
The team is using design ethnography, an anthropological research approach that examines how people experience built environments and services. By exploring women's interactions with maternity care across different cultural and healthcare settings, the research will help identify what respectful and harmful care look like in practice, how these experiences arise, and their impacts on women.
The Australian Research Council-funded project is delivered in partnership with regional Indonesian institutions that bring valuable local expertise and perspectives, including Universitas Sam Ratulangi in North Sulawesi, Universitas Sriwijaya in South Sumatra, Universitas Gadjah Mada in Central Java, and Universitas Papua in West Papua. Collaborators also include Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women’s Empowerment, the National Research and Innovation Agency, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Together, the team combines expertise in maternal health, social science and community engagement to examine a complex issue from multiple perspectives and deepen understanding of women’s experiences of maternity care.
Associate Professor Munro said the project demonstrates the power of international collaboration in addressing complex social and health challenges.
Indonesia has made remarkable progress in increasing access to facility-based births, but improving maternal health outcomes requires us to look beyond access alone, Associate Professor Munro said.
"By working closely with Indonesian researchers, health professionals and communities, we can better understand how social and cultural factors shape women’s experiences of maternity care and identify practical ways to support more respectful, equitable care.
"This project demonstrates the value of international collaboration in addressing complex health challenges and generating evidence that can inform policy and improve outcomes for women and families."
Associate Professor Munro welcomes applications from Indonesian and Australian PhD candidates interested in joining the project and conducting anthropological research related to maternity care.
Project: Respect and Cultural Difference in Maternity Care
Image credits: supplied by Associate Professor Jenny Munro
