Just found out the other day that the department for Women, Gender, and Sexuality has decided to award me the money I need to be able to travel to Botswana. I am super excited about the conference and I am glad this is actually going to work out. Orientation is coming up pretty soon. I will be recording my experiences during that week. We are supposed to be doing literature research and group presentations during that week so I am glad I will have more specific knowledge on the research.
It just came to my mind that I haven't really explained what I will be doing this summer. Here is a little blurb on that:
For the MHIRT, I will be working at the University of Cape Town in the Gender Health and Research Unit under the direction of my primary mentor Dr. Lorna Martin, Department Chair, Division of Forensic Medicine, faculty of Health Sciences and my secondary mentor Lillian Artz, director of the Gender Health and Research Unit. During this time I will be involved in the Cape Peninsula Rape Homicide Study, a regional investigation of the incidence of rape homicide in the Cape Peninsula District, encompassing Cape Town and its surrounding townships. I will be responsible for collecting data about rape homicides from police investigating officers as well as abstracting data from the autopsies conducted by Dr. Martin.
I will also be learning about the other studies on domestic violence and sexual assault being conducted in the Gender Health and Research Unit. As part of this research team of students and faculty investigators, I will participate in research team meetings and be part of research presentations. Moreover, I will have the opportunity to spend time at the Gender Based Violence Research Unit of the Medical Research Council of South Africa where I will be mentored by Dr. Naeema Abrahams and Shanaaz Mathews and learn about Gender Based Violence research in that setting, as well as research addressing the interface of HIV and Gender Based Violence. Finally, I will have opportunities to observe general health care provision and sexual assault interventions at the University of Cape Town Hospital, nursing education classes at the University of Cape Town School of Nursing under the supervision of Dr. Sinegugu Duma, and visit the local domestic violence shelters.
And this is what I asked for in my grant submission:
To further enhance my summer experience of 2008, I am requesting funding to attend the International Congress on Women’s Health (ICOWHI) which will be held in Gaborone, Botswana from July 9th to 11th. The theme of the conference is “Women’s Health across the Life Span: The Girl Child, Safety, Health and Development.” During the three days of the conference I will be able to familiarize myself with the ongoing international research on this topic and expand my expertise. By participating in this program I hope to be able to better understand the cultural barriers that play a role in the delivery of care and the implementation of research studies. The conferences sub-themes are all related to my research and interest. Some of the topics include legislation related to the girl child, health policy and practice, HIV/AIDS and related issues, child caregivers, child trafficking and slavery, mental health and development, female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF), child abuse and substance abuse, and education and the girl child. Familiarity and competency will not only help me with my research in the short run, but also will allow me to become skillful in reaching my desired future career as a physician addressing health disparities specifically among women.
ok now to start studying for finals. will be posting during orientation week or if anything new comes up!
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