Vishnupriya M, a PhD scholar at the Centre for the Study of Social Inclusion (CSSI), School of Social Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH), successfully presented her research paper at the prestigious Gender and Sexualities Conference 2026. The international event was held in Valletta, Malta, from May 6–7, 2026.
Vishnupriya is pursuing her doctoral research under the academic supervision of Prof. Sreepati Ramudu at UoH.
Her paper, titled “Changing Trajectories of Postnatal Care in Kerala: The Rise of Ayurvedic Postnatal Care,” is an integral part of her ongoing doctoral research.
The study critically examines the changing landscape of postnatal care in Kerala, tracing its transition from community-based, home-centered traditions to institutionalized and market-oriented care models—particularly within the rapidly expanding Ayurvedic postnatal care sector. Vishnupriya’s research explores how traditional forms of reproductive care, historically sustained through close-knit kinship networks and gendered labor, are undergoing significant transformations due to modern processes of professionalization and commercialization.
The two-day international conference was hosted at the cultural hub Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta. It was organized by the Department of Gender and Sexualities and the Faculty for Social Wellbeing at the University of Malta, in collaboration with the Human Rights Directorate (HRD).
The academic gathering brought together an elite group of scholars, artists, activists, and practitioners from diverse global fields to explore contemporary, critical debates on gender and sexuality.