SADIMA (Saúde e Direitos das Mulheres em Angola)

The SADIMA project – a participatory action research project

The SADIMA project has been developed through close collaboration between researchers in Angola and Sweden. The research design is informed by priority areas identified through a review of current literature, analysis of official statistics, and consultations with key informants. Particular care has been taken to ensure that data collection tools are contextually appropriate and that data collection strategies are ethically sound. The data collections instruments and strategies have been designed in partnership with locally active civil society organisations to uphold both ethical standards and research quality.

A key aim of the project is to generate findings that can inform the development of context-sensitive health promotion policies and cost-effective interventions. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to the advancement of young women’s health and human rights, with the hope that this will also support the broader well-being and social resilience of their families and communities. 

The project consists of three interrelated sub-studies:

1. Intersectional perspectives on organisations, policies, and programmes promoting women’s health and human rights
   This qualitative sub-study, informed by Bacchi’s approach to policy analysis, draws on interviews with approximately 60 representatives from a range of organisations operating in Angola. These include government public health institutions, civil society organisations—such as women’s movements, faith-based groups, and development-oriented bodies—and international organisations (e.g. UNFPA, USAID, PSI). The study seeks to understand how these actors conceptualise priority areas for advancing women’s health and human rights, which issues they consider significant yet under-addressed, and the key enabling factors and barriers that shape their efforts. By adopting an intersectional lens, the research aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics influencing policy and programme development in this field.
    
2. The role of social capital, health literacy, and gender norms in shaping young women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and psychological well-being
   This cross-sectional study involves approximately 2,100 women aged 18 to 24, residing in both urban and rural areas across the provinces of Luanda, Huambo, and Lunda Sul. The research examines the extent to which young women’s social networks and the prevailing gender norms in their communities, alongside their SRHR and mental health literacy, and their level of reproductive autonomy, are associated with access to and utilisation of healthcare services and other support systems. Furthermore, the study explores whether these factors have a bearing on young women’s psychological well-being.
    
3. Young women’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and adolescent pregnancy
   This sub-study builds on findings from the broader cross-sectional research and involves in-depth interviews with approximately 15 young women aged 18 to 24 who have experienced IPV and became mothers before reaching the age of legal adulthood (18 years). The study seeks to explore how these significant life events have shaped their personal trajectories and influenced their current circumstances. It further examines the ways in which these young women perceive societal attitudes towards IPV and adolescent pregnancy, as well as their reflections on what they consider necessary to pursue and achieve their life aspirations.

Publications