The first edition of the Share-Net International SRHR Co-Creation Conference was organised in October 2019. This conference aimed at translating knowledge into products that will help Share-Net International members to influence policy and practice around two themes selected. The themes of the 2019 conference were 1) Breaking the silence around Infertility and 2) Access to quality SRHR services for people affected by conflict, fragility and crisis. Participants of the conference, including researchers, practitioners and policy makers engaged in dialogues and worked together to create these knowledge products.

In preparation of the Co-Creation Conference, two narrative reviews and two evidence briefs were written to present state of the art knowledge and evidence around the two themes. These narrative reviews can be accessed on the Share-Net International website.

The narrative review on Infertility identified four main issues as priorities: 1) Breaking the silence on infertility in policy and practice, 2) prevention of infertility, 3) access to quality (in)fertility care, and 4) de-stigmatisation of infertility and childlessness.

The narrative review on Access to quality SRHR services for people affected by conflict, fragility and crisis highlights the need of empowering local organisations and users to improve access to SRHR services and information in challenging circumstances, in their own country or in countries they seek refuge.

We would like to thank Bianca Tolboom, Trudie Gerrits, Hilde Kroes, Maria Siermann and Ronja Jansz for their efforts of preparing the narrative reviews and evidence briefs!

Share-Net Jordan participated in an international conference on "Telehealth", held in Dubai on January 26, 2020, organized by the International Society for Telehealth and Electronic Health. The aim of the conference, which was attended by representatives from a group of countries worldwide and a number of international experts, was to establish a platform for the exchange of Telehealth field experiences, best practices among stakeholders, how to use this type of care, what are the best solutions and programs, besides discussing the challenges and benefits of applying it in the area.

Dr. Abla Amawi, Share-Net Jordan, presented her speech "Health Care in Jordan: Challenges and opportunities". She stressed that the use of technology in various fields, especially in the field of health care, greatly contributes to making users have access to and update the required information in quality and efficiency, which promote the delivery of health and other services to citizens. Along with the commitment to implement the third Goal of sustainable development, which provides for a guaranteed healthy life and the promotion of well-being for all at all ages. Dr. Amawi stated that the most important benefits of Telehealth were to expand patient access to health care services, improve medical workflow, increase the efficiency of practice, reduce public expenditure in the field of health care and improve the quality of services. She referred to the challenges facing the application of Telehealth in Jordan, the most prominent of which is the low financing, technological infrastructure, the need to enhance the efficiency of medical cadres in the field of Telehealth application, the lack of legislation and laws supporting Telehealth in Jordan. Dr Abla Amawi represented Share-Net Jordan, and is the Secretary-General of the Higher Population Council and the President of the Arab Council for Population and Development.

Share-Net Burundi organized a Knowledge Fair on sexual and reproductive health and rights, focused on young people, in December 2019. In collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS, the team organized a SRHR knowledge fair under the theme: "How can sexual and reproductive health programs better meet and meet the needs of adolescents and young people and how can research help?"

The objectives of this fair were to enable policy makers, practitioners, donors, researchers and the media to share their knowledge, experiences and good practices in the area of sexual and reproductive health, in order to identify the evidence based approaches and strategies for improving adolescents and youth sexual and reproductive health, so that they can participate effectively in the development of their country.

The official opening of the fair activities was enhanced by Dr Jocelyne Nsanzerugeze, the Assistant to the Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS. In her speech she stressed that the health of adolescents and young people is currently a matter of concerns of the MSPLS in particular, but the interventions to meet the challenges of the health of adolescents and young people should be multisectoral. She also recalled the importance of sharing the results of research carried out in the field of sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people, and stressed that researchers plays an essential role in guiding policy makers and donors in the development of relevant SRHR programs.

The main activities of the fair were marked by scientific sessions during which researchers and experts, from WHO, SDSR Project of GIZ, Consortium of Researchers of Harvard University, University of Burundi, University of Amsterdam, Care and Pathfinder, presented the results of their studies, as well as lessons learned and good practices on sexual health and reproductive health of adolescents and young people.

A panel on the theme: "How can sexual and reproductive health programs better meet the needs of adolescents and young people and how can research help?" was organized with researchers and professors from the University of Burundi, as well as a representative of the Ministry of health and one of the Ministry of Education.

The main points addressed in the panel are: poor access to correct and complete information on SRH, factors which negatively influences the attitudes and practices of young people regarding to their health, socio-cultural barriers that hinder access to information on SRH, the consequences linked to non-access to SRH information and services, as well as integration of SRH concepts at the level of basic and post-basic training curricula, and parent-child dialogue.

Prof. Judith pointed out that despite the introduction of SRH programs in basic and post-basic education, studies have shown that the level of knowledge has not improved much, perhaps due to the limited skills of teachers. She added that in order to contribute to the improvement of knowledge on SSRAJ, higher education has already started the introduction of the SRH thematic in the faculties and institutes which prepare future teachers so that they can have sufficient knowledge as well as appropriate strategies and methods for dispensing SRHR themes.

Prof. Sururu Adolphe reminded that often parents communicate badly with their children: "they often give orders”. He pointed out that the only rare occasion when parents really communicate with their children is when they are sick: "How are you feeling today ...?” Parents should listen more and more to their children, take into consideration their points of view and their needs, show them compassion when necessary, and avoid responding with absurd warnings. In short, parents should change their attitudes and learn to communicate positively with their children. He finally underlined that better communication is not only giving your message but rather it is Speaking-Listening-Responding-Convincing and not constraining.

The last activity of the fair was a guided tour of the stands where stakeholders in the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young showcased their interventions, achievements, and innovations in various formats (posters, leaflets, audio-visual materials and tools, products,…). It was an opportunity for networking and sharing good practices and innovations between stakeholders in the area of SRHR. SNBDI took the opportunity to recruit new members and guided participants who wish to register on our website and social media.

Music, accompanied with storytelling, can be used as an effective tool to stir the chords of the human psyche and make them rethink critical issues. In a recent music video, Momtaz Begum, a Bangladeshi folk singer, advocated for early married girls. Momtaz Begum is often referred as ‘The Music Queen’ of Bangladesh and has over 700 songs on her name.

This music video, titled ‘Phuler Naam e Naam’ (A flower, only by name) is an initiative by Image PLUS (Initiatives for Married Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment). It contains a strong message which narrates the emotional and psychological damage that early marriage does to an adolescent girl. The video shows a little girl’s simple dream of going to school, getting shattered. Her table which was initially occupied with books and pens is replaced with wedding clothes and ornaments.

This video serves as a wakeup call for parents who are eager to push their adolescent daughters into marriage, but are ignorant of the consequences. It also builds awareness among the general people. While we campaign for the prevention of early marriage, we tend to forget about those girls who are already suffering as a result of getting married early. This song tells the story of thousands of girls in Bangladesh who were married as a child.

Music and Lyrics by Mahmuda Rahman.
The music video was produced by RedOrange Media and Communications.
Web Link

In Bangladesh, the terms ‘hijra’ and transgender are used interchangeably. It is assumed that the term ‘hijra’ in English, translates into transgender. However, Joya Sikder, along with many other transgender men and women, and the allies working in this field argue that ‘hijra’ and transgender mean two different things.

In this interview with Share-Net Bangladesh, Joya Sikder talks about her life, her struggles and the representation of transgenders in the national agenda.

What is the difference between transgender and hijra?

When you think of the term hijra, you assume that this is a person who, because of its biology is neither male nor female, or both male and female. It is often assumed that they fall in the category of ‘intersex’ people. In reality, ‘hijra’ is actually an umbrella term that is used to describe a group of people that may include intersex people, castrated men and also transgender women. This group of people lives as a community or ‘family’, under a community leader or ‘guru’. So hijra, is in fact a community, and not a sex or a gender.

Transgender woman, on the other hand is a term used to define the people who were assigned as a male at birth, but at a later stage of life they realised that they identified as a female. The correct translation of ‘transgender’ in Bangla should rather be ‘Rupantorito Nari’ (transgender woman), or ‘Rupantorito Purush’ (transgender man).

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Hamida Begum was the first sex worker from Daulatdia, Bangladesh, to receive a formal Islamic funeral. Many women gathered at the graveside, weeping for the 65-year-old’s passing, and also because of the symbolic breakthrough her burial represented. “I never dreamed that she would get such an honourable farewell,” said Hamida’s daughter Laxmi, who followed her mother into the trade. “My mother was treated like a human being,” she added.

Islamic spiritual leaders have for decades rejected funeral prayers for sex workers because they view prostitution as immoral. For decades, when one of the women died their bodies would be thrown in the river, or buried in the mud. In the early 2000s, local authorities gave some waste ground for unmarked graves, and families would pay drug addicts to carry out burials – usually at night without formal prayers. “If we wanted to bury the dead in the morning, villagers would chase us with bamboo sticks,” recalled Jhumur Begum, who heads a sex workers group.

When Hamida died, her family planned to put her in an unmarked grave, but a coalition of sex workers persuaded the local police to talk religious leaders into giving her a proper burial. “The Imam was initially reluctant to lead the prayers. But we asked him whether Islam forbids anyone from taking part in the Janaza (funeral prayers) of a sex worker. He had no answer,” said Ashiqur Rahman, officer in charge (OC) of Goalondo police station, who oversaw negotiations.

There are hopes that Hamida’s funeral will change things for all women in the brothels. More than 200 mourners attended the religious ceremony, while a further 400 went to the post-funeral feast and prayers, OC Rahman recalled.

This news was first published on Dhaka Tribune
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The 21st century must be the century of women’s equality, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, in a call to transform the world by ensuring equal participation for all.

Speaking to faculty and students at The New School, a university in New York City, the UN chief declared himself a proud feminist and called for men everywhere to support women’s rights.

“Just as slavery and colonialism were a stain on previous centuries, women’s inequality should shame us all in the 21st. Because it is not only unacceptable; it is stupid”, he said.

For the UN chief, gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls remains an overwhelming injustice across the globe.

“From the ridiculing of women as hysterical or hormonal, to the routine judgement of women based on their looks; from the myths and taboos that surround women’s natural bodily functions, to mansplaining and victim-blaming – misogyny is everywhere”, he said.

At the heart of the issue is power, as male-dominated power structures underpin everything from national economies, to political systems, to the corporate world and beyond. But he pointed out that patriarchy also has an impact on men and boys, trapping them in rigid gender stereotypes, declaring that a systemic change is long overdue.

“It is time to stop trying to change women, and start changing the systems that prevent them from achieving their potential. Our power structures have evolved gradually over thousands of years. One further evolution is long overdue. The 21st century must be the century of women’s equality”, he said.

Man-made problems, ‘human-led solutions’

Dismantling gender inequality will transform the world, the UN chief stated, and is critical to solving intractable global challenges such as conflict and violence, and the climate crisis.

It also will help close the digital divide, lead to fairer globalization, and increase political representation.

“The opportunity of man-made problems – and I choose these words deliberately – is that they have human-led solutions”, he said.

As the UN turns 75 this year, the global body is taking greater action to support women’s rights, he continued.

Last month marked the start of a Decade of Action to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at building peaceful, prosperous and inclusive societies while also safeguarding the planet. The Decade of Action is aimed at transforming institutions and structures, broadening inclusion and driving sustainability.
“Repealing laws that discriminate against women and girls; increasing protection against violence; closing the gap in girls’ education and digital technology; guaranteeing full access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights, and ending the gender pay gap are just some of the areas we are targeting”, he said.

On a personal level, the Secretary-General pledged to deepen his commitment to highlighting and supporting gender equality over the remainder of his mandate.

He will take steps at the global level, such as advocating for change among governments that have discriminatory laws on their books, and within the UN, by strengthening work on the links between violence against women and international peace and security.

‘Transform and redistribute power’
“Gender equality is a question of power; power that has been jealously guarded by men for millennia. It is about an abuse of power that is damaging our communities, our economies, our environment, our relationships and our health”, said Mr. Guterres.

“We must urgently transform and redistribute power, if we are to safeguard our future and our planet. That is why all men should support women’s rights and gender equality. And that is why I am a proud feminist”.

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Bandhu Social Welfare Society is going to arrange a 5 day residential course titled ‘Flagship Course on Sexuality and Gender’ from 16th to 20th April 2020. The course aims to teach the participants in detail about issues that affect or are affected by sexuality and gender, such as human body, femininity, masculinity, disability, media, intersectionality and more. This course will enable participants to look at themselves through a different lens. It would help them find an answer to questions that they have kept asking themselves, but couldn’t ask anyone else. It will teach the individuals about the beauty of human diversity, and help them embrace the differences among one another.

The course will be conducted by trainers from Bangladesh and India. Participants will receive certificates after successful completion of the course. Only 25 seats are available. To apply, contact Farida Begum by sending an email to farida@bandhu-bd.org, or giving a call at +880 1685444164. Apply by 25th March 2020.

This training course will be organised with support from Mama Cash and Right Here Right Now (RHRN).

About Bandhu: Bandhu Social Welfare Society is a community led organisation for gender diverse population who initiates training, workshops, advocacy meetings and also does networking and communication with stakeholders to draw the attention of the broader society towards health and human rights issues of the gender diverse population.

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Our second round of small grants has just been launched! This call is open to all Share-Net International members! You can find more information about the small grants call on the Share-Net International website.

The focus of the small grants of 2020 is steered towards translating existing knowledge into products and promote its use to influence and improve SRHR practice and policy. In line with the planned activities of Share-Net International for 2020, part of the available grants will be allocated to innovative projects or topics, such as investigating the linkages between SRHR and gender equality, youth and/or links with other SDGs.

The objectives of the grant can be three-fold:
1. Investigate and test new and innovative approaches in SRHR (i.e. knowledge gaps in the linkages between SRHR and gender equality, youth and/or links with other SDGs).
2. Translation of research into products and materials that will be used to facilitate tangible change in policy or practice. This process can build on research done by our members in the field of SRHR.
3. Documenting actual changes in policy and practice, related to work done through earlier Share-Net International grants of Share-Net members, and how these have been implemented.

It is crucial to show how the grants will contribute to changes in policy or practice, and to include an analysis of when and how this change will be effectuated, including the expected benefit for specific targets groups. This should be clearly described in your application. The proposal should therefore include a communication plan for achieving these results.

You can find the call on the Share-Net International website.

The region’s foremost experts, practitioners, and activists in SRHR will be gathering in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR10). The previously published date ((26-29 May 2020) of the conference has changed. The conference has been postponed due to COVID-19 public health emergency. The new dates of the conference will be published on 1st June 2020. Details of the dates can be found here.

Hosted by the Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC), an indigenous Cambodian NGO with over two decades of experience in service provision, health education, community programs, and advocacy. APCRSHR is the largest regional biennial gathering of experts and practitioners working in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the Asia Pacific, including representatives of civil society, youth networks, academia, government, media, private firms, and development partners.

The conference will explore the theme SRHR in Asia Pacific: 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Vision and 2020 Realities through six main tracks: The conference is organized as a joint collaboration between a National Steering Committee and an International Steering Committee featuring leading national and international organizations, educational institutions, advocacy and grassroots organizations, and experts in the field of SRHR, and a Youth Steering Committee of emerging leaders and advocates.4

The conference will be held in Siem Reap, a premiere global tourism destination. Every year, more than two million people travel to the charming northern city to visit Angkor Wat, a treasured UNESCO World Heritage Site and Guinness World Record holder as the largest religious structure ever built. Siem Reap also boasts a flourishing culinary scene, bustling nightlife, a variety of artistic and cultural activities, a convenient, well-connected international airport, and a range of accommodation options, including budget-friendly hostels and guest houses, mid-range boutique hotels, and several luxury resorts.

On behalf of the organizing committees of APCRSHR10, I enthusiastically encourage you to respond to the Call for Abstracts and to share the opportunity with your professional networks.

Please do not hesitate to contact the APCRSHR10 Secretariat (secretariat@apcrshr10cambodia.org) with any questions or concerns. In addition, to learn more, register, and/or submit an abstract, please visit apcrshr10cambodia.org.

In recent years, Africa’s universities, research institutions and other knowledge agencies have undergone tremendous change. Growing demand for scientific forms of knowledge and for higher education has pushed many of them to expand rapidly and to show a combination of daring initiatives and institutional, scientific, and educational creativity. New knowledge organizations have also been established, for example, with ties to religious groups or to the private sector. ‘Decolonizing the academy’ has become a strong call within and outside the continent. Eurocentrism is increasingly questioned, while calls for ‘looking East’ and ‘looking inside Africa’ are gaining momentum.

This conference, the final activity of the Africa 2020 year of the Leiden African Studies Assembly, will be organized with many partners from Africa and Europe and address the following key issues:
• There are great changes in the African knowledge landscape: is Africa preparing itself for leapfrogging to innovations?
• What will the nascent multi-polar world of the 21st century mean for Africa’s role in knowledge and innovation?
• After 60 years of Independence, how do we finally decolonize the minds and change attitudes towards real co-creation?

The theme of the dynamics of knowledge development in Africa opens up debate for many different topics. In total there are 50 panels and there will be room for 70 panel sessions (so some panels will be double panels), some of which will be interrelated, to the extent that we can talk about a string of panels around the same major topic. All the panels included in the Call for Papers have been initiated and (co)-organized by our partner organizations.

Each panel will have one chair from the initiating institute, and two or more co-chairs, preferably at least one from a European institute and at least one from an African institute. Each panel session will have at least four students for technical and secretarial functions. The conference language will be English, but non-English speakers can present their paper or poster in their preferred language, and translation will be provided where possible.

All proposals must be made via the online form, not by email. There is a ‘Propose paper’ button in the title section of each open panel. Navigate to the panel you are interested in and click on this button to propose directly to that panel. (If having done that, you then decide you’d prefer to propose to another panel, first click ‘Cancel’ on the proposal form, before returning to the panel explorer – otherwise you’ll remain locked into that panel.)

Before proposing a paper, please read the conference theme, and then browse the list of panels and their streams.

Papers proposals must consist of:
• a paper title
• the name/s and email address/es of author/s
• an abstract of 200-400 words (in English, or French, or any other preferred language among those spoken in Africa)
• if your paper is not in fact a paper but a poster, vlog, blog, podcast, etc please indicate this in square brackets at the end of the title? e.g. Diasporic imagination [vlog]

Selection of papers and posters will be done by the panel convenors. Selection outcomes will be communicated by 15 June. We intend to have a fair representation of members from partner institutions, of all panels/themes, of a great variety of disciplines, countries, and language backgrounds, and with a fair representation of gender and age, but to a maximum of 300 delegates.

If you have questions about the conference please email Marieke van Winden, African Studies Centre Leiden on winden(at)ascleiden.nl.

The Call for Papers is now open and closes at 23:59 CET on 31 March 2020.

To find out more, please visit the conference website here

The Dutch research Council (NWO-WOTRO) in cooperation with Share-Net Jordan (SNJ) and Higher Population Council (HPC) finished all arrangements to organize the final Joint Sexual and reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Meeting in Amman during the period March 10-12, 2020.

The aim of the meeting is to launch the final results of the projects and to stimulate research uptake by sharing the knowledge generated by the projects. The research &policy session aims to relay project findings to key policy makers in SRHR in Jordan and actively engage key policy makers in the formulation of the final policy briefs. On the first day there will be an internal learning workshop. The second day is dedicated to sessions with our service providers and youth. The aim of this day is to relay project findings to on-the-ground stakeholders and relevant service providers and youth, enhance youth awareness and debate on SRH issues in Jordan and further inform policy briefs based on service provider and youth perspectives. The third day, 12 March, is dedicated to country Policy Stakeholders in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Jordan and aims to relay project findings to key policy makers in SRH in Jordan and actively engage key policy makers in the formulation of final policy briefs.
The titles of the four Jordanian research projects are as follows:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women and Young People in Jordan: A Mixed Methods study using Interactive Theatre.
• Understanding and meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of Jordanian and Syrian youth.
• Examining Reproductive Health Services of Women, Female Youth, and Female Refugees in Northern Jordan with a Behavioral Economics Lens,
• Syrian Refugee Youth in Jordan: Early Marriages in Perspective

The prevalence of HIV in Bangladesh is not alarming but the trend is. Every year the number of newly diagnosed infection is increasing along with the number of deaths due to AIDS and AIDS associated diseases, according to the International Journal of HIV/AIDS and Research (IJHR).

Prevalence has been found quite high among the injection drug users and the migrant workers. Particular populations, such as, homosexuals, transgender people are under-represented in the HIV studies and surveillances and these populations are the ones most at risk. Due to the conservative society standard, these populations tend to stay underground. Most HIV infected people are unaware of their infections; those who are aware of their infection are not always under treatment. Rather they are outlawed from their families and often they lose their jobs. Initiatives have been taken globally to end HIV by 2030. Bangladesh has been lagged behind in this battle against HIV. Thus, strategies to work on HIV response with detailed action plans on prevention, treatment, service, research, and surveillance have been taken to meet the global challenge.

Authors: Sultana T, Bin Manjur OH, Omar Md, Kabir Y

Web Link

Abstract

Background: Internationally, methamphetamine use is prevalent among MSM and transgender women (hijra), with studies showing its association with risky sexual behaviour leading to HIV transmission. This study aimed to explore the underlying reasons for methamphetamine use among MSM and hijra in Bangladesh.

Methods: 30 in-depth interviews were conducted with MSM and hijra; and 6 focus group discussions with MSM, hijra and service providers. Data were thematically analysed using manual data analysis procedures.

Finding: Reasons cited for using methamphetamine varied across feminized MSM (i.e. kothis), masculine MSM (i.e. panthis), male sex workers and hijra. For sex workers, increased sexual pleasure and consequent ability to take more clients increased their income. For panthis, methamphetamine enhanced feelings of masculinity and sexual prowess. Kothis were able to feel more feminine due to their ability to receive multiple partners each night. For all participants, methamphetamine restored self-esteem and relieved the stress resulting from stigma.

Conclusions: Findings indicate that reasons for using methamphetamine are not only rooted in the individual’s psyche but also grounded in the socio-cultural expectations about masculinities and femininities in Bangladeshi society. Limited knowledge about the complexities concerning methamphetamine use mean that appropriate counselling and treatment services are non-existent in Bangladesh. The study findings can be used to refine national and international harm reduction policies so as to incorporate and address methamphetamine use.

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In order to get a better understanding of what helps people adjust to sex after HIV diagnosis, researchers interviewed people living with HIV.

For people living with HIV, sexual adjustment after diagnosis is affected by fears of transmitting the virus and of possible rejection by sexual partners, new qualitative research shows. Healthy sexual adjustment over time is facilitated by partner acceptance; peer, community and professional support; and up-to-date knowledge of HIV transmission, including U=U.

Barriers to healthy sexual adjustment include the persistence of undue fears of transmission and rejection long after diagnosis, which may result in avoiding sex or pairing it with drugs and alcohol. Based on these findings, Dr Ben Huntingdon and colleagues at the University of Sydney propose a new model of sexual adjustment to HIV, published in the BMC Infectious Diseases journal.

The researchers recruited nineteen men and ten women at two public HIV clinics in Sydney and via community groups. Adults with an HIV diagnosis living in Australia were eligible for inclusion. Questionnaires collected demographic information and data on depression, anxiety and sexual satisfaction, before a semi-structured phone interview. The results show that after diagnosis, three distinct sexual behaviour patterns that emerged: sexual inactivity, no change to sex life or an increase in sexual activity.

With the current global focus on early diagnosis and treatment of HIV, those living with HIV on successful treatment are expected to have near-normal life expectancy. This requires a shift in focus from survival to quality of life, including sexual satisfaction and adjustment after an HIV diagnosis. Previously, research into the sex lives of those living with HIV focused on managing the risk of onward transmission (primarily through condom use) and disclosure of status to sexual partners.

Find out more about the results here.