Reproductive and Health Challenges of Women Pilgrims during the Arbaeen Pilgrimage: A Qualitative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55578/hrdm.2512.007Keywords:
Arbaeen Pilgrimage, Women’s Health, Reproductive Health, Mass Gatherings, Qualitative Study, Human Resource DevelopmentAbstract
Background: The Arbaeen pilgrimage is the world’s largest annual religious mass gathering, drawing millions of participants, including significant numbers of women. Despite this, limited research has examined the specific reproductive and general health challenges faced by female pilgrims. This study explored women’s health experiences during the 2024 Arbaeen pilgrimage, with attention to the organizational and workforce factors that shaped service delivery.
Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Thirty Iranian women aged 18–49 years were purposively selected to ensure variation in demographic and health characteristics. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in Farsi and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Trustworthiness was enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, and maintaining an audit trail.
Results: Four interrelated themes emerged: (1) Reproductive health concerns including menstrual disturbances, inadequate menstrual hygiene, and symptoms of genital or urinary infections; (2) Environmental and infrastructural barriers such as overcrowded facilities, lack of privacy, and exposure to heat and fatigue; (3) Healthcare access and support limitations including insufficient female healthcare providers and reliance on self-care; and (4) Psychosocial and cultural challenges including stress, fatigue, and stigma surrounding reproductive issues. When interpreted through a Human Resource Development (HRD) lens, these challenges reflected broader gaps in workforce planning, volunteer training, gender-responsive staffing, and organizational coordination.
Conclusion: Women pilgrims experience a complex set of reproductive, environmental, and psychosocial challenges shaped not only by physical conditions but also by the preparedness and capabilities of the service workforce. Strengthening gender-responsive staffing, enhancing training for frontline personnel, and improving cross-organizational coordination are essential for safeguarding women’s health during mass gatherings. These findings offer evidence for both public health planning and HRD-informed organizational improvement.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Amirhossein Hashemian, Ashraf Direkvand-Moghadam (Author)
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