(Good pregnancy care – What Karen women say) by Refocus (Refugee background women for cultural safety) တၢ်ကွၢ်ထွဲလၢအဂ့ၤ – ကညီမိၢ်ဒၢ အတၢ်ထံၣ်

The photography exhibition တၢ်ကွၢ်ထွဲလၢအဂ့ၤ – ကညီမိၢ်ဒၢ အတၢ် ထံၣ် (Good pregnancy care – What Karen women say) is a poignant exploration into the concept of culturally safe pregnancy care as perceived by Karen women of refugee background currently residing in Victoria, Australia.

This exhibition is part of the Refocus (Refugee background women for cultural safety) study conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, in partnership with Foundation House and the Stronger Futures Centre of Research Excellence.

Accompanying the photographs captured by participants known as Anonymous, May, Mular Hser, and Naw Por, is a collaborative letter crafted in partnership with Karen women, mothers, an elder, and a dedicated Karen community researcher. Addressed to health professionals and interpreters working within the Australian maternity care system, this letter underscores the importance of culturally safe practices.

Central to the narrative are three key themes developed from the study: building foundations for belonging, cultivating reciprocal curiosity, and storytelling as an expression of self and shared power. These themes sit within an overarching theme: “When I can be my whole authentic self, I feel safe and know that I belong.” Through this visual and narrative journey, the exhibition invites viewers to contemplate the complexities of cultural safety in maternity care, offering a nuanced perspective that challenges and enriches our understanding of safe healthcare practices.

Image credit: Refocus Logo