At Share-Net Netherlands, the Community of Practice (CoP) on Menstrual Health wants to understand how Dutch employers are supporting their employees that menstruate and they need your help.

• Are the facilities at your workplace period-friendly?
• Do you feel comfortable talking about your period at work?
• Do you think your workplace should offer “menstrual leave”?

Help us out by grabbing a coffee, getting comfortable with your favourite snack, and taking 20 minutes to fill out our survey to answer these questions and more!

Just click here to complete the survey.

Do you know someone who menstruates that could help us with our survey? Let them know!

If you have questions about the study or the procedures, you can contact us at info@share-net.nl.

Source link: https://share-net.nl/menstrual-health-in-the-workplace-survey/

At the 4th Annual Innovations Pitch Competition on “A Healthier Global Community Addressing the Twin Challenges of Pandemic Preparedness and Impact of Climate Change”, Farhana Sultana, Assistant Scientist at International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) has won the grand prize for her proposed innovation — developing a machine to produce jute cellulose-based sanitary pads for sustainable menstrual health.

The competition was organised by the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). As recognition of Farhana Sultana’s brilliant innovation, ASTMH has awarded USD 5,000 to Farhana. She is also set to be a judge at the 5th Annual Innovations Pitch Competition to be held in 2022, icddr,b shared the information on its official Facebook page.

In collaboration with Dr Mubarak Ahmed Khan, Scientific Advisor at Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, Farhana manually developed and piloted the jute cellulose-based disposable pad which is an alternative solution for menstrual health and hygiene for women and girls in Bangladesh.

Jute cellulose is a biodegradable material. Currently, there is no machine available in the country to manufacture such pads which is a barrier to scalability.

With the money won from the award, Farhana will conduct an industrial trial for mass production, develop a business plan, and explore options for further scale-up and waste management. The industrial trial will also assess the compatibility, compressibility and stretchability of the pad, and conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis with other commercially available disposable sanitary pads, according to icddr,b.

The 4th Annual Innovations Pitch Competition focused on bright ideas to reduce risk, improve prediction and deliver better healthcare tools for outbreak-prone diseases in low-resource settings. This year the competition highlighted tools and methods that will improve two of the most consequential threats to a healthy and sustainable world: resilience in the face of a pandemic and reducing the deleterious impact of climate change.

Source: icddr,b, ASTMH and The Daily Star

In November 2021, Share-Net Burkina Faso participated in the launch of a regional Community of Practise (CoP) in the Sahel region of Western and North-Central Africa, with neighbouring countries. The hybrid-launch took place online and at the Bravia Hotel in Burkina Faso and was supported by the KIT Royal Tropical Institute. The launch meeting brought together many representatives of NGOs, Civil Society, Young People, and students governmental organisations from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Benin.

The launch meeting focused on learning together about Share-Nets CoP concept, enabling all participants from the Sahel countries present to understand the aims and focuses of CoPs. The main focuses uncovered through group work lay on Digital aspects of SRHR, reinforcing the hubs capacities and understanding CoPs, and enabling the Hub to set up further local CoPs and actively participate in regional CoP activities in the future.

Learn more via the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/170489949682726/posts/4865442516854089/

https://twitter.com/SOSJD_asso/status/1460221007118143493?s=20

In fall 2021, Share-Net Jordan developed a new Communication Strategy for 2022-2024, building a communications agenda supporting Share-Net Jordan's efforts in the field of SRHR. The strategy operates at a domestic and external level through the implementation of systematic communication activities that contribute to the dissemination and exchange of knowledge, raise public awareness, and gain the support of decision makers on SRHR issues, while developing appropriate tools considering youth, women, and rights.

Share-Net Jordan conducted two workshops to develop the strategy. The first workshop discussed a general framework for their SRHR communications strategy, with participants from several Jordanian national authorities. The second workshop further reviewed the draft, fine-tuning it to cater to Share-Net Jordans 2022-2024 SRHR work.

For more details, check Share-Net Jordans website, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The Share-Net International Rapid Improvement Model (SHIRIM) is an 18-month action learning process that combines a Collaborative Approach ^[1] and Systems Thinking. The learning journey has been designed to be an engaging and meaningful experience for the Share-Net country hubs to explore, experiment, and exchange together with their members effective strategies to translate newly acquired knowledge towards policy influencing and improving practice.

With one central umbrella topic ‘SRHR Education and Information’, each of the participating Share-Net Hubs identified their subtopics and problem statements to be at the core of their SHIRIM work and learning.

As a next step for the SHIRIM 2022 journey, each country is preparing for the journey ahead by performing a stakeholder mapping & analysis and setting up a resource database. The SNI digital platform will be used as a place where hubs can witness and get inspired by each other’s work.

The 2022 SHIRIM facilitation team is led by Nina Pavlovska and Ibrahim Aqel, together with a variety of knowledge experts and subject matter experts in the specific focus areas, who will assist the country hub representatives in selecting, testing, and implementing changes together with their members.

SHIRIM is implemented in a cyclical manner, alternating between learning sessions and action periods. The first international learning session is scheduled for mid-February 2022.

^[1] Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The Breakthrough Series: IHI’s Collaborative Model for Achieving Breakthrough Improvement, Boston: IHI Innovation Series white paper; 2019.

“To ask about domestic violence in Burundi would be to talk -or almost- only about violence against women. In the vast majority of cases, domestic violence is committed by the man against his female partner. A state of affairs that, unfortunately, is perpetuated by tradition.”
- Guillaume Muhoza

Jimbere, the host organisation of Share-Net Burundi, have shared insights into the extent of Domestic Violence in Burundi, highlighting the daily violence and traditional socio-cultural constraints in the country.

In the article, Jeanne Nkundumwami, a mother of three shares “I came [here] to file a complaint against my husband for the abuse I have suffered for years. I can’t take it anymore. Before, it was violence, certainly directed against me, and I could take it. But now he has reached the stage of squandering the family property and it is my children who are suffering.”

She explains that her husband sold more than 120 kg of beans, their only crop for the past year, spending the money on beer and prostitutes. When Jeanne asked him what he had done with the money, he beat her up, as he often does in full view of Jeanne’s neighbors, who pay no attention to the violence. Following Jeanne’s report of her husband’s violence, she is on the run with her children while awaiting justice to avoid further violence, and regularly receives threats from her family-in-law.

Jeanne's misfortune is by no means anecdotal, violence against women by a male husband or intimate partner being one of the most common forms of violence globally, as illustrated by a global study commissioned by the WHO, according to which "between 10% and 69% of women say they have been subjected to violence by their male partner at some point in their life".  The case of Jeanne illustrates the situation many Burundian women face daily.

To learn more about Gender Based Violence and SRHR, visit Share-Net Burundi’s website.

Read the full article here.

On November 30th 2021, Share-Net’s latest Country Hub in Colombia officially launched. To honour this, an event including a discussion on Knowledge as a Tool Against Gender-based Violence was held in Bogotá, celebrating the very first Share-Net hub in Latin-America and the Caribbean.
The event was held in a hybrid setting with a limited number of participants. Speakers included representatives from the Embassy of the Netherlands who met in-person, while others connected through a Facebook broadcast of Share-Net Colombia and Profamilia, the host organisation of Share-Net Colombia.
Marta Royo, Executive Director of Profamilia, was in charge of managing the event, welcoming the attendees from different sectors including social organizations, universities, government entities, researchers, and young people. All attendees are interested in the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and particularly in the fight for the elimination of violence against women. Lina Castaño, Manager of Research, Projects and Advocacy of Profamilia and Carolina Peña, Coordinator of Share-Net Colombia, presented details of the initiative to create a network of knowledge management in SRHR.
Representatives of social organizations, government entities, and universities participated in the event discussions. All involved presented the initiatives they are developing to face Gender-Based Violence and how these are articulated with knowledge management, the focus action strategy of Share-Net.

Learn more about this event: Visit the Share-Net Colombia article in Spanish here.

Related links:
https://www.facebook.com/Share-Net-Colombia-111143884661773
https://share-net-colombia.org/news/el-conocimiento-para-enfrentar-la-violencia-basada-en-genero-la-tematica-del-lanzamiento-oficial-de-share-net-colombia/

In November 2021, Share-Net Burkina participated in the international conference Linking Research, Policy, and Practice Conference, organized by Share-Net International. The event brought together young researchers from countries around the world. Share-Net Burkina jointly participated in the event with Share-Net Burundi as they are both Francophone hubs. The event was an opportunity of networking and collaboration between students and countries. In total, three students from Burkina and Burundi presented the outcomes of their research on SRHR.

For Share-Net Burkina, Alis Bambara, holder of a research Master’s degree in Population Sciences at the Higher Institute of Sciences and Population at Joseph Ki Zerbo University in Ouagadougou, presented her research to the participants and discussants. Bambara’s research – entitled Gender Socialisation and Identity Effect on Primary School Student’s Aspiration in Burkina Faso -  sheds light on how young girls and boys are socialized differently affecting their capacity to make their own decisions, especially the girls. The aim of her research was to provide a better understanding of the effect of gender socialization on the identity of young girls and boys.

In relation to Burkina, Bambara’s research shows how gender socialization impacts certain events of the life of girls and boys like their sexuality. If the gender norms are hierarchic, it will cause negative consequences on empowerment of girls.

Read more about the research: https://www.facebook.com/170489949682726/posts/4881837235214617/

In November 2021, Share-Net Burkina Faso organised the capacity strengthening workshop ‘Leadership and Engagement of young people in favour of Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through advocacy and fundraising’

This workshop took place in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso where 30 young people came from different organizations including those living with disability. This capacity building session was organized in the framework of implementation of the Share-Net International Rapid Improvement Model (SHIRIM). During the two days of the workshop, the participants received training on four modules: leadership, advocacy, fundraising and project management.

At the workshop, the participants grasped the importance of fundraising and advocacy for SRHR.

The group sessions permitted the participants not only to identify their needs in matters of engagement in favour of SRHR but also to suggest actions that they can take in matters of leadership and engagement in line with the vision of Share-Net Burkina Faso and also their respective organizations.

At the end of the session, the participants manifested their satisfactions regarding the session and promised to share and spread what they have learned during the training.

Related links:
https://www.facebook.com/170489949682726/posts/4919089058156101/
https://t.co/GMYKjlALpY

In December 2021, Share-Net Jordan participated in the launch of Jordan’s National Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy 2020-2030 under the patronage of H.E the Minister of Health and attended panel discussions with representatives of the national partners.

The strategy paper was prepared by the Higher Population Council, with support from the UNFPA in partnership with all concerned governmental and non-governmental institutions and local and international civil society organizations concerned with reproductive health and gender issues. The strategy will contribute a referral framework for all partners through which it can develop or harmonize or include institutional plans and necessary interventions to achieve a comprehensive and full access of services and information on sexual and reproductive health to attain the well-being of families in Jordan. The strategy will contribute in achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2030, in particular the third goal concerned with health and well-being, and to promote advocacy for increasing institutional, national and international resources devoted to financing operational plans for reproductive and sexual health issues.

The strategy comprises of four pillars: the empowering environment; services and information; community; sustainability and governance.

During the launch, a Sexual and Reproductive Health National Strategy film and Interactive play was displayed by Sketcho, and four panel discussions were held on the following subjects:

Panel I: Implementing a Comprehensive Package of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
Panel II: Quality of Care: Sexual Reproductive Health Services
Panel III: Strengthening the Health Response to Gender Based Violence
Panel IV: National Standards for Youth-Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

Photograph source: UNFPA

Related news article: https://jordan.unfpa.org/en/news/launching-national-reproductive-and-sexual-health-strategy-years-2020-2030

Aiming to develop Social and Behaviour Change and Communication (SBCC) capacity in regards to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Share-Net Bangladesh successfully organized its 'SBCC Training on SRHR and Gender' for young professionals for two-days on 13th and 14th December 2021.

18 young professionals were selected for the training. The participants came from different organisations who are building their career in the area relevant to SRHR and Gender. The two-days training was held at Royal Park Residence Hotel at Banani in the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh.

There were four training sessions on different topics held across two days, that were facilitated by highly experienced professionals and experts. The modules had interactive exercises for building the capacity of the participants in regards to SRHR basics, role of communications, SRHR policy and practice etc.

The four sessions covered the following topics:

Session 1: Brainstorming Concepts - SRHR and Gender
Session 2: Communication in Influencing SRHR Policy and Practice
Session 3: Theory and Practice of SBCC in Social Development
Session 4: SRHR and Gender sensitive Branding

The purpose of the training was to help young professionals to improve their capacities to communicate, create awareness and influence policy and practice in regards to SRHR and gender within their professional capacities.

The young participants actively participated during the two days and were eager to learn more and connect with Share-Net Bangladesh in future. At the end, the participants were handed over with their certificates by Petra Van Der Eijk, Director of Operations at RedOrange Media and Communications, the host organization of Share-Net Bangladesh.

See the Program Outline: Click here

Check out pictures from the training: Click here

Main article source: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/sbcc-training-for-young-professionals-at-share-net-bangladesh/

Webinars and online events are regular activities at Share-Net International, and we are happy to announce our two upcoming webinars in January!

Webinar on Breaking the Silence on Infertility

In collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPFF), Share-Net International hosts the webinar on Breaking the Silence on Infertility. This event is an opportunity to learn about the burden and stigma associated with infertility, and about people’s personal experience of how infertility impacts their lives. The webinar will present the outcomes of a collaborative infertility awareness project, supported by Share-Net International, and implemented by many including from IPPF and RedOrange. Short videos will highlight human stories from Burundi, Bangladesh and Jordan. Another project outcome, a Policy Brief for advocacy on infertility, will also be presented. In addition, country voices from Burundi, Colombia and Jordan will share their experiences, including experiences on accessing services.

Date and Time: January 27th 2022, 1.30pm CET.
Registration: To register for the event, CLICK HERE and fill-out the registration form by January 26th 2022.

BLOOM Campaign Webinar Launch

In January, we are also happy to host the BLOOM Campaign Webinar Launch. Buy-in and Learning through Outcomes of MYP is an online campaign co-produced with young people which aims to demonstrate a positive model of youth/adult collaboration. This campaign draws on positive examples harvested from shared experiences of successful and sustainable meaningful youth participation (MYP) around adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive rights (AYSRHR) issues. The launch will be held online via Zoom, and features the knowledge products on MYP from Youth Investigators Nepal, Indonesia, India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Burundi and Zambia.

Date and Time: January 20th 2022, 9.00am CET.
Registration: To register for the event, CLICK HERE and fill-out the registration form by January 19th 2022.

Are you interested in more events? Check out our events listings page where we regularly update the international SRHR events.

Women in Africa are the pillars of their families and communities. They serve as the life-givers, mothers, peacemakers, entrepreneurs and the providers of care for children and the elderly. However, they bear a disproportionately large share of the global disease burden and death. It is therefore crucial that we protect and promote the health of women on the continent – with a focus on quality, affordability and equity – for the wellbeing and development of both current and future generations. Additionally, significant socioeconomic benefits can be derived from improving women’s healthcare in Africa. Representing over 50% of a continent’s human resources, women’s health in Africa also has major implications on the overall development of Africa.

In this context, on 24th February 2022, Africa Health Business Symposium (AHBS) is organizing a webinar on ‘The role of the private sector in advancing women's health in Africa’.

Date: 24th February 2022
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (EAT time/ GMT-3)

The daylong event will be in a hybrid setting where registered people can participate.

There will be four sessions that will feed the discussions: Reducing the Cancer Threat for Women , Women’s Empowerment through RMNCH , Solutions Towards Aging Women’s Health Challenges , Recognising African Leaders in Advancing Women’s Health on the Continent

Learn more and register: CLICK HERE and register for the event.

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is inviting applicants for a PHD opportunity. The project will assess the impact of climate scenarios on maternal and neonatal health, taking into account the rapid demographic and social changes anticipated in Africa in the coming decades. Check out the details below.

Title of PhD project / theme: The effects of extreme heat and climate change on maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa.

Deadline for application: 14th January 2022

There is growing evidence that exposure to high ambient temperatures during pregnancy adversely affects maternal and neonatal health. However, there is very little evidence on impacts in low-income settings in sub-Saharan Africa despite the high burden of maternal and neonatal deaths and increasing vulnerability to environmental factors.

This PhD will quantify the impacts of current and future climates on maternal, perinatal and neonatal health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. The project will examine effects of heat exposure on a range of rare outcomes – including pre-eclampsia, antepartum haemorrhage, puerperal infections, premature rupture of membranes, and early neonatal death – where the use of multiple datasets will ensure sufficient power to estimate effects robustly. The work will identify important ambient temperature thresholds above which adverse effects become apparent, explore possible effects of cumulative heat exposure during pregnancy, and examine the role of effect modifiers in order to characterize groups of pregnant women and neonates most at risk of heat-related conditions. The PhD candidate will then use these and other findings to estimate health-burdens attributable to extreme temperature that can be used to support action on prevention measures.

For more details: CLICK HERE.

This Policy Brief titled 'Addressing Infertility within Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Commitment to Human Rights and Sustainable Development' is a knowledge product from the Share-Net International Co-Creation Conference 2019, authored and developed by Marie E. Thoma, Muntaha Gharaibeh, Elly Leemhuis, Arnob Chakrabarty, Kishore Kumer Basak, & Ananya Krishnan.

Abstract

Although recognized as central to reproductive rights, addressing infertility has been neglected within the global sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) agenda. Growing awareness of the magnitude and consequences of infertility has garnered increased national, regional, and international attention to the detection, prevention, and management of infertility and infertility-related stigma. In this policy brief, we document the magnitude and impact of infertility and its connection to broader human rights principles, a SRHR agenda, and sustainable development goals. We call on policymakers, public health and health care providers, and other stakeholders to develop a national action plan to address infertility and infertility-related stigma. We outline 5 priority areas to engage, educate, address, and advocate for a broader focus on infertility and provide country-specific examples of programs designed to meet these priorities.

Key Messages

• Infertility is a reproductive health issue that has been neglected within the global sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda.
• Infertility impacts over 180 million individuals worldwide, equally affecting men and women.
• Women and girls often bear the societal burden of infertility and its consequences, including gender-based violence.
• Access to fertility care shows large inequities within and between countries.
• A country-specific national action plan is needed to address the detection, prevention, and management of infertility and related stigma.
• Addressing infertility means addressing human rights and gender inequality, contributing to achieving SDGs.

Read the full policy brief: Policy Brief - Addressing Infertility within Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Commitment to Human Rights and Sustainable Development

Executive summary: Breaking the Silence on Infertility – Executive Summary

Main article: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/breaking-the-silence-on-infertility-policy-brief/

Share-Net Ethiopia would like to share the following publication recommendations from The Lancet Journal. Read more about them below!

Effectiveness of self-managed medication abortion with accompaniment support in Argentina and Nigeria (SAFE): a prospective, observational cohort study and non-inferiority analysis with historical controls

Published on November 18, 2021

Clinical trials have established the high effectiveness and safety of medication abortion in clinical settings. However, barriers to clinical abortion care have shifted most medication abortion use to out-of-clinic settings, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this shift, the article aimed to estimate the effectiveness of self-managed medication abortion (medication abortion without clinical support), and to compare it to effectiveness of clinician-managed medication abortion.

Read more: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00461-7/fulltext

Addition of HIV self-test kits to partner notification services to increase HIV testing of male partners of pregnant women in Zambia: two parallel randomized trials

Published on November 01, 2021

Testing men for HIV during their partner’s pregnancy can guide couples-based HIV prevention and treatment, but testing rates remain low. The article investigated a combination approach, using evidence-based strategies, to increase HIV testing in male partners of HIV-positive and HIV-negative pregnant women.

Read more: https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2214-109X%2821%2900393-4

Changes are needed as refugees speak up about safety in Dutch Asylum Centers (AZCs).

Discrimination, harassment and gender-based violence are persistent issues lurking in the shadows of the Dutch asylum system.

In response to these issues, and their underrepresentation in policies and research, Fairspace, with funding from Share-Net International, initiated the Let’s Talk Safety project to work towards integrating the perspectives of asylum seekers and refugees into the policies and practices concerning safety in Dutch asylum centers. The project recruited a group of participants from different backgrounds who were currently living in or previously lived in AZCs to discuss their experiences and collaborate on designing solutions.

The outcome is a policy brief, “Lessons from the inside: Participatory Solutions for Safer Dutch Asylum Seeker Centers (AZCs)” which addresses the challenges and dangers that asylum seekers and refugees face in Dutch asylum centers (AZCs), the causes and impact of harassment and Gender-Based Violence in this context as well as potential opportunities for change and solutions informed by the target community’s personal experiences.

The policy brief focuses on two areas where change is needed which, based on extensive discussions, have the potential to prevent harassment and violence in AZCs:

1. Improving asylum seeker’s knowledge and accessibility to rights;
2. Improving standardization and accountability throughout COA through consistent independent monitoring and evaluation procedures

Download the full policy brief here.

Source: https://share-net.nl/a-change-is-needed-refugees-speak-up-about-safety-in-dutch-asylum-centers-azcs/

Over the last few months, Share-Net Jordan has been working on a variety of studies, papers, and strategy documents. These are due to be translated from Arabic to English in 2022.

Study and policy brief: Effects of social and economic factors and gender dynamics on the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in Jerash Governorate – a quantitative and qualitative study

The study aimed to support opportunities to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of women and girls in the Governorate. Through exploration of social and economic factors and gender dynamics affecting the SRH of women and girls in the Governorate of Jerash, they have contributed to the decline in the outputs of SRH of women and girls with regard to issues of marriage, child birth, family planning and violence against women, and the proposal of mechanisms for sustainable change to improve the level of sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in the Governorate.

A study and policy brief on the impact of COVID-19 on the use of family planning methods

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive and solid operational framework to rapidly address the repercussions of crises in providing information and services on family planning.

Fact sheet: The relationship between migration and gender

The fact sheet highlighted on the theoretical frameworks between migration and gender and the forms and trends of their relationships. It paved the way for a clearer understanding of the impact of gender on migration, how gender interacts with migration in terms of the direction of migrant flows, how migration affects gender roles and relationships and how the positive link between migration, gender equality and women's empowerment can be strengthened and the course of interventions that may influence them.

Fact sheet: The linkages between population dynamics and gender

The fact sheet highlighted the theoretical frameworks between population dynamics and gender and the forms and trends of their relationships, and paved the way for a clearer understanding of the course of interventions that may influence them.

A study to Assist Share-Net Jordan to examine the role and added value/unique selling point of expanding Share-Net in the region.

The study includes situational and feasibility analysis to examine the role and added value/unique selling point of expanding Share-Net in Egypt and Lebanon. Which include the competitors risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, map potential organizations and networks to partner, become a member, etc., assessment to avoid overlapping of similar activities, assessment of funding opportunities for regional activities or a regional hub with feasible recommendations

Post-assessment reports for the four Medical Centres of Excellence in the country (Sweileh, Tafileh, Zarqa and Ajloun) funded by the Dutch Embassy in Jordan:

This is a post assessment report to determine the extent to which the four centres adhere to requirements of national standards for youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.

The final drafts of these studies have been prepared and they are included for further design and publication as part of Share-Net Jordan’s Annual Plan 2022.

RAHMY is a Share-Net International Small Grant research project that explores Shared Decision Making (SDM) as a tool in Respectful Maternal Care (RMC). Patient-Centered Care (PCC) has been identified by the World Health Organization as a key aspect in improving the quality of care within an integrated holistic health systems approach; however, there is limited focus on the role Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and youth empowerment have. Recent United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) data have also unveiled gaps in gender equity and autonomy in SRHR decision-making. Across the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the decision-making power on SRHR, including maternal health, remains mostly in the hands of men.

This project also explores the SDM as a tool to improve Respectful Maternal Care (RMC) for young mothers during COVID-19 and beyond. During the COVID-19 pandemic, RMC has been one of the least disrupted essential services, yet its quality has been greatly threatened, leaving room for much needed research. The intersectional approach of RAHMY project aims to create a tool that can be easily adapted and applied in similar contexts in developing countries that are working towards providing respectful and inclusive care for young mothers.

RAHMY explores Shared Decision Making (SDM) as a tool in Respectful Maternal Care (RMC), to equip different decision-makers on Patient-Centered Care, and to advise health workers on best practices to improve quality and patient-centered SRHR services for young mothers during COVID-19, and beyond.

RAHMY created three Knowledge Products (KPs), which are attached and can be found using the QR Code below:

1) An advocacy/educational video regarding the process and benefits of SDM, published in Arabic with English subtitles;
2) Online (and printable) bilingual tip-sheets (social media posts) targeting the same video audience: young mothers, their partners,families (other decision-makers), and maternal health workers on SDM for RMC and PCC;
3) A brief highlighting latest evidence on OV, RMC, PCC in SRHR, narratives of main target groups, and tiered recommendations, ranging from quick-wins to multi-sectoral and systemic interventions, to improve RMC and PCC policy and practice.

In addition, 3 additional outputs are included: a factsheet on obstetric violence (OV), the webinar on OV and SDM (recording will be made available), and the first ever SDM for RMC tool made by youth for youth (under-revision).

Link: https://youregyptiandoula.com/rights-in-childbirth

Study: PARTICIPATION DE LA FEMME DANS LES INSTANCES DE PRISE DE DECISION ET SON INCLUSIVITE DANS LES PROCESSUS DE PAIX ET DE SECURITE / Women’s Participation in Decision-Making Bodies and It’s Inclusiveness in Peace and Security Processes.

According to a study by AFRABU on women's participation in decision-making bodies, the rate of female representation remains at a very low level. Yet, it is important to not only include them in government, but also to mentor them sufficiently for a more inclusive representation”, said Inès Kidasharira, coordinatrice des Solutions at Share-Net Burundi.

The study shares that generally authorities, especially in the political sphere, are striving to achieve the constitutional quota of 30% for elective positions. Diplomacy, the agricultural sector and social sectors such as education and health are lagging behind. Women are hardly represented at all, up to 12%.

This study also reveals that there are no female heads at universities in Burundi. However, it is precisely in these social fields that there are large numbers of female employees.

To read the full study (in French) and learn more, Click here.