“It was a hit-or-miss application. I really hadn’t expected to get it”, says Signe Svallfors, researcher in sociological demography.

The application turned out to be a hit. Signe Svallfors has now received funding for a five-year project to examine how violent crime affects the sexual and reproductive health of the population in Mexico.

Sexual and reproductive health is a broad term that encompasses many concrete elements. It includes childbirth, pregnancy, family planning, contraceptive, LGBTQ issues and other matters related to reproduction, sexuality and decisions about one’s own body.

“So, this project is about a very large aspect of human life. It is something that affects all people in the society. All people have a sexuality and all people relate to reproduction in different ways.”

Signe Svallfors. Photo: Hampus Svallfors

A knowledge gap to fill

Signe Svallfors’ previous research has focused on sexual and reproductive health in armed conflict, mainly in Colombia. A question that often comes up when discussing their research with others is what living in other types of violent environments does to health.

“For people who live in that kind of context, it doesn’t really matter what causes the violence, whether it is war or organised crime.”

It is known in research that direct victims of violent crime face worse health, and we know that violence resulting from armed conflict causes insecurity that negatively affects health. But effects of living in a setting where violent crime is widespread are still largely unexplored. This is the knowledge gap that Signe Svallfors’ project aims to fill.

Why Mexico is an interesting case to study

The reason why Signe Svallfors chose Mexico is partly due to their background in Latin American studies and interest for the area.

“Mexico has a rather unique history. In the beginning of this century, violent crime was gaining a foothold. So, to combat gang crime, a policy was adopted in 2006. It was called war on drugs policy. The military was tasked with engaging in crime-fighting activities, in a way that is usually the responsibility of the police." 

However, the policy had a counter effect. When the gang leaders were removed, it created a power vacuum that caused other gangs to form and start fighting over territory. The organised crime escalated, and today, violence levels are higher in Mexico than many actual wars and armed conflicts.

Another thing that makes Mexico a suitable case to study is its unique combination of data. Besides having large amounts of register data, where it is possible to study homicide statistics at the municipality level, there are also surveys that are more comprehensive and answer more questions than in many other countries. 

“Typically, low-income countries have access to surveys but not register data, and high-income countries have register data but not surveys. And in Mexico, because it is a medium-income country that invests a lot in data collection, there are data resources that simply don’t exist anywhere else.”

Will recruit PhD students

As a first step, Signe Svallfors will recruit PhD students and research assistants. Signe Svallfors looks forward to building a group that will work towards the same goal. Since the project is interdisciplinary, the new colleagues will have different competencies. 

“As I mentioned earlier, there are extensive amounts of quantitative data, but a very large part of the project will also consist of fieldwork to collect interview data. The plan is that the project will consist of two components, a statistical one and an interview study. I hope that we will be able to create synergies where we shed light on the same research question, but from two different perspectives. We will have the broad, statistical point of view, where we look at patterns in the society, but we will also go in-depth with interviews, where we will ask people about their perception of the situation.”  

What we can learn from Mexico

Even though the study will focus on Mexico, it is possible to draw parallels to Sweden, as we have seen a dramatic increase in gang crime here. According to Signe Svallfors, we have to ask ourselves what kind of response we should have to the situation from society.

“In many ways, Mexico is a very different society than Sweden, but this feeling of uncertainty whether you’ll be able to stay safe in your neighbourhood, I think that type of concern is very universal. People think about the safety of their surroundings and they react to it in different ways. So, I do think that we can learn a lot from Mexico’s previous history even in countries like Sweden, that are seeing that development now.” 

Text: Alma Kirlic