Women in Bangladesh no longer have to state whether or not they are a virgin when getting married. The High Court ordered in August 2019 that the word ‘kumari’, virgin, will be removed from the Marriage Registration Form.

The law was challenged by legal rights organization BLAST, women’s organizations Naripokkho and the Mohila Parishad, since 2014. Sara Hossain, Honorary Executive Director, BLAST said, “this judgment removes the discriminatory requirement for Muslim women to provide irrelevant information about their sexual history and moves us a little further towards the constitutional promise of gender equality.” Ayesha Khanam, president, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad said, “Women should be more aware of their rights. We thank the verdict, which breaks free of the consequence of patriarchal perspective. The discriminatory view towards women is something we need to move away from.” Advocate U M Habibun Nessa, Member, Naripokkho quoted, “A long struggle for Naripokkho has been to establish women as respected members of both the society and the state. Also, to solidify the human rights of women. We believe that this verdict is a step towards fulfilling that vision.”

The court further said that the words ‘unmarried’, ‘divorced’ or ‘widowed’ must be included for men as well. The order was passed by the bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Khijir Ahmed Chowdhury. The amendment of the ‘Nikahnama’ (marriage registration) was made under Section 9 of the Bangladesh Muslim Marriage and Divorce (Registration) Act, 1974. Advocate Aynunnahar Lipi, Supreme Court Lawyer is one of the lawyers who conducted the case. She commented, “With this verdict, we have taken one step towards the goal of gender equality”.

HPC’s Secretary and Head of the Steering Committee of Share-Net Jordan, Dr. Abla Amawi, joined a conference on ‘Inequality and urban integration in Jordan’.

She stressed the need to reduce inequalities and combat discrimination in society and implement clear procedures to end extreme poverty which are important priorities in achieving the sustainable development goals. Amawi stated that improving the education system is the main driver of economic growth, and investment in human capital contributes to creating a real demographic dividend. Amawi refers to what is called the ‘demographic opportunity’, were people in the working age outnumber the people in a dependent stage of their lives. She pointed out that the lower fertility rate, resulting in a higher percentage of working-age population does not, in itself, bring profit to economic growth. It could lead to deteriorating economic conditions if this happens in an extremely poor educational context. She stated that population growth and age structure were not clearly pointed out in the sustainable development goals. However, reproductive health was mentioned as one of the more specific goals under the health goal.

The conference is the first of its kind in Jordan in the management of social transformation program organized by UNESCO. It aims to strengthen the capacities of researchers specialized in the conference’s subject matter to support sustainable development in the long run.

The head of the conference’s organizing committee, Dr. Rania Jaber, stated that the conference, seeks to foster the dialogue between young experts, specialists and researchers in the field of social sciences such as social and development science, anthropology, psychology, geography, politics, economy and law. She noted that the conference focuses on addressing inequalities in urban communities in Jordan and their consequences in order to come up with policies and recommendations to reduce them.

Share-Net Bangladesh has granted funds for research on menstrual hygiene management and on violence against transwomen. Two young researchers will receive BDT250,000 each for their research.

Arif Chowdhury won the grant for his research on ‘Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) for Girls with Disabilities in Dhaka’. Chowdhury is a student of the Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He will do his research with his team under the supervision of Dr Sara Nowreen, Assistant Professor, Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), also at BUET.

Sanjida Bintey Ali is a student at Jahangirnagar University, pursuing a Masters’ degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She won the grant for her research on ‘Violence Against the Transwomen Community of Dhaka’ under the supervision of Professor Akter Mahmud at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Jahangirnagar University.

The contracts were handed over to the researchers by Arnob Chakrabarty, Project Director, Share-Net Bangladesh. They started their research on 1st August and will submit their papers on 31st October to Share-Net Bangladesh secretariat. They will present their research at the Share-Net Bangladesh Knowledge Fair on 8th December 2019.

Weblink: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/two-young-researchers-win-grant-of-bdt-250000-each/

The Higher Population Council (HPC) of Jordan conducted a workshop together with UNFPA on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and the demographic opportunity. The workshop intended to update the national plan to monitor the indicators related to the SDG’s and the demographic indicators.

The SDG’s are closely connected to population dynamics, said Dr. Abla Amawi, Share-Net Jordan’s Head of the Steering Committee, and Secretary of HPC.

The demographic opportunity is when the population counts more people of working age, 15 to 64 years, then people of dependent age. This is usually accompanied by social and economic changes that can be beneficial when employed appropriately. Jordan is preparing for this to happen around 2030, taking measures to make sure a strong workforce has a positive impact.

The workshop was titled “updating the national plan for monitoring and tracking the performance indicators of the sustainable development goals and the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994”. The workshop was attended by demographic opportunity liaison officers from various relevant national institutions.
The workshop aimed to raise the awareness of participants towards the sustainable development indicators and ICPD and to discuss the mechanisms for calculating the indicators and their availability on the national level. It also discussed the baseline for the values of the available indicators (before 2015) in accordance with the national voluntary reports or using international databases.

Furthermore, the workshop sought to develop a plan for periodically calculating indicators according to the indicator’s level.

HPC participated a regional workshop on the same subject, organized by UNFPA, the Arab Institute for Training, and Research in Statistics and ESCWA on the Follow-up and Reporting Manual for Sustainable Development Indicators 2030 based on the ICPD in the Arab Region. The steps and outcomes of the Program of Action of ICPD in the Arab Region were an important part of that workshop. It resulted in the development of an action plan for providing indicators according to their levels in addition to capacity-building of and knowledge sharing between workers and experts in the population, development and reproductive health field.

The Higher Population Council of Jordan has joined the Global Refugee Health Research Network. The network is launched by the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in collaboration with the University of the West of Scotland, and aims to address refugee health issues.

This is in partnership with various Jordanian and Uganda institutions, including the Higher Population Council (HPC), whom participated in an international workshop on refugee healthcare during a humanitarian crisis. Currently, Dr. George Palattiyil of the Social Work Department at SPS University's Department of Social Work and Dr. Dina Sidhva of the University of the West of Scotland lead the network. The network connects academics across various disciplines and regions. The aim is to analyse refugee health requirements and propose practical solutions through an online platform that facilitates dialogue, interdisciplinary collaborative research, and policy development regarding refugee health. The network ensures that health services during humanitarian crisis abide by human rights standards. Moreover, the network aims to provide participants with opportunities to exchange information, access resources, and share ideas and experiences with regards to responding to refugee healthcare needs. The recent international workshop at the University of Edinburgh examined a study on "The Quality of Adolescent Refugee Reproductive Healthcare in Uganda and Jordan". The research provides data on adolescent refugees’ access to reproductive healthcare services in affected regions in Uganda and Jordan. The study advocates for the development of a global network focused on refugee health research.

Siem Reap in Cambodia is the place for the 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights, taking place from 26 to 29 May in 2020.

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. The conference 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.

More information can be found via this link.

Share-Net Bangladesh is going to organise its fourth annual Knowledge Fair on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on 8th December 2019, Sunday. With this Knowledge Fair, we aim to to enable researchers, policymakers, practitioners, donors, change makers, students and media to come under one roof to exchange knowledge on SRHR to create a better life for everybody.

This year, we are going to put the spotlight on Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, and look for ways on how together we can achieve gender equality in Bangladesh, and empower all women and girls to reach their full potential without facing any obstacles.

Things to look out for!

Plenary Discussions: Experts from different organisations will have a fruitful discussion to share their experiences and learnings with each other.

Youth Hub: Young activists will come together and draft a national action plan to help Bangladesh achieve SDG 5 targets by 2030.

Research Findings: Two young researchers will present findings from their research on ‘MHM for Girls with Disabilities in Dhaka’ and ‘Violence Against Transwomen in Dhaka’. There will also be Scientific Sessions, Live Performances and so much more!

What else?

You can submit your abstract for giving an oral or poster presentation at the Knowledge Fair. Click here to view the ‘Call for Abstracts’.

We are looking forward to your participation!

Weblink: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/knowledge-fair-on-srhr-2019/

Bridging the Divide: Operationalizing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Nexus

Save the date for the 2020 Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Reproductive Health in Crises’ meeting in Thailand! Check back soon for more details including tentative agenda, location, FAQ, visa, and more.

This year’s theme, Bridging the Divide: Operationalizing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Nexus, asks presenters to share findings and lessons learned from working on SRHR at the intersections of the humanitarian, development and peace sectors. The meeting aims to progress beyond rhetoric around the need for interlinkages across sectors in order to inform actionable next steps for the IAWG community.

Call for abstracts:

The deadline for abstract submission has passed. Abstracts will be selected for one of several presentation formats at the discretion of the reviewers. The corresponding author will be notified via email of abstract decisions in mid-October. Presenters will be asked to confirm their participation by mid-November.

Apart from a limited number of sponsorships, IAWG is unable to offer financial assistance to attend the annual meeting. Please note that, individuals whose abstracts are selected for presentation will be given preference in the selection process, but we cannot guarantee financial support for all selected presenters.
More information can be found here.

Migration in Nepal has risen in the ten years from 2001 to 2011, from 2,3% to 7.2%. The estimated 1,9 million migrants are mostly men. Consequently, 32% of the married women in Nepal have a husband working abroad. The study “Men on the move and the wives left behind: the impact of migration on family planning in Nepal”, researches what the impact is on family planning.

The study compares access to reproductive health services, fertility awareness, and decision-making power among married women aged 15–24 years with migrant husbands to those with resident husbands.Women with migrant husbands had significantly lower contraceptive use than other married women (9.3% vs 30.3%, respectively), and expressed a higher intention to become pregnant in the next year. Despite their intentions, women with migrant husbands scored lower on a fertility awareness index, were less likely to discuss pregnancy planning with their spouse, and less likely to describe their relationships positively.

Decision-making for both groups of married women was dominated by both husbands and in-laws in different ways. Yet, across multiple normative scales, fewer women with migrant husbands felt pressure to conform to existing social norms. Married women with migrant husbands reflect a subset of women, with unique fertility issues and desires. Interventions that increase knowledge of fertility among this subset of women, promote healthy preconception behavior.

Linking women for counselling opportunities throughout the pre and postnatal periods may help improve health outcomes for mothers and children.

“Men on the move and the wives left behind: the impact of migration on family planning in Nepal” by Dominick Shattuck, Senior Research Officer at Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health, Washington, DC in the USA, Sharada P. Watsi, Naramaya Limbu, Nokafu Sandra Chipanta & Christina Riley. Published in 2019.

Share-Net Jordan is in the final stages of completing a study on SRHR, in collaboration with the Higher Population Council HPC. The study is titled ‘A study on the Priority of Issues and Studies of Sexual and Reproductive Health Based on the Results of the Population and Family Health Survey 2017/2018”. The study is being prepared by Share-Net Jordan and The Higher Population Council, funded by Share-Net International. The study is expected to be completed by the end of September 2019. The study aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Directing research efforts towards priority issues of sexual and reproductive health to propose policies or programs.
• Providing university students and funders with the National Agenda for Sexual and Reproductive Health Priorities.
• Contributing in the review of the health strategies, namely: the national strategy for sexual and reproductive health, based on the priority issues of Sexual and Reproductive health.

The following was accomplished in this study:

• Desk review for the priorities of reproductive health studies and research prepared by HPC in 2009, 2011 and 2014
• Identifying issues of sexual and reproductive health based on the results of the population and family health survey in 2017/2018.
• Setting standards for prioritizing sexual and reproductive health issues.
• Setting standards for the priorities of the studies of reproductive health and developing list of proposed research and studies.
• conducted workshop in September aimed to
• To present and discuss the main SRH issues as reported by DHS 2017/18 and other relevant SRH reports and studies.
• To review, discuss and validate the draft document of SRH research agenda prepared to address the issues that were revealed from the DHS 2017/18 and other relevant resources.
• To suggest other appropriate SRH research topics to be added to the above agenda to reflect the different perspectives and experiences of the participants.
• To rank and prioritize the validated and suggested research topics according to a specific criterion using Likert Scale.

Four medical researchers have studied menstrual regulation (abortion) and post abortion care in flood prone areas of Bangladesh. They have integrated the views of women, clients and potential clients, as well as service providers.

Menstrual regulation and post abortion care, are part of the national family planning care system in Bangladesh. Many studies have addressed the challenges regarding the quality of the service, as well as access to service for menstrual regulation and post abortion care. Very few of these studies integrate the views of women in flood prone areas of Bangladesh, needing or seeking the service. This research aims to fill this gap.

The research was conducted after the floods of 2016 in Belkuchi, on the banks of the Brahmaputra, northwest of the capital Dhaka. In total 370 women were involved; All the respondents had received menstrual regulation and post abortion care services during the floods in 2016. Six designated menstrual regulation and post abortion care public facilities were also assessed. The facilities included five Union Health and Family Welfare Centers and Belkuchi Upazila Health Complex. One Resident Medical Officer, five Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officers and four Family Welfare Visitors were also consulted for the assessment.

Results: It was found that the outcome of their most recent pregnancy was 53% selfdiagnosed ‘spontaneous abortion’ and 47% menstrual regulation. Only 66 respondents (18%) shared their health-related information. 23% experienced complications for which the majority received health care. It was found the Belkuchi Upazila Health Complex is well equipped for menstrual regulation and post abortion care services. All the five Union Health and Family Welfare Centers were under-equipped and understaffed for menstrual regulation services before, during and after floods. As such, the utilisation rates of these facilities were low.

Conclusions: More ethnographic research is required to address the low response rates of women sharing information on menstrual regulation and post abortion care experiences. A number of measures are also suggested as how to improve policy and practise in Belkuchi and beyond in order to build the capacity of reproductive health facilities in disaster or vulnerability contexts.

Read more through this link to the research

Weblink: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/menstrual-regulation-and-post-abortion-care-challenges-during-flood/

It was 1969. The world population had reached 3.6 billion, up about 1 billion from only 17 years earlier. Fertility rates worldwide then were about double what they are today. In the least developed countries, fertility was about six births per woman. Paul Ehrlich’s ‘The Population Bomb’, released the year before, had incited a global panic about “overpopulation,” which the author predicted would lead to “mass starvation on a dying planet.”

It was in that context that UNFPA was established to advise developing countries about the social and economic implications of population growth and to support national population programmes, which began dispensing contraceptives on an unprecedented scale. Through these programmes, real reproductive choices became a reality for more and more women in developing countries. And as a result, women started having fewer children. Millions were finally gaining the power to control their own fertility.

Despite the increasing availability of contraceptives over the years, hundreds of millions of women today still have no access to them—and to the reproductive choices that come with them. Without access, they lack the power to make decisions about their own bodies, including whether or when to become pregnant.

The lack of this power—which influences so many other facets of life, from education to income to safety—leaves women unable to shape their own futures.

Since its creation in 1969, UNFPA has led a multilateral effort to help women in developing countries navigate through an ever-changing landscape of barriers to their reproductive rights. This effort gained new momentum and inspiration in 1994, when 179 governments gathered in Cairo for the International Conference on Population and Development and forged a plan for sustainable development grounded in individual rights and choices and the achievement of sexual and reproductive health for all. That plan, embodied in a Programme of Action, not only re-energized the global reproductive rights movement but also positioned UNFPA as the movement’s custodian.

The combined actions of civil society, governments, development institutions and UNFPA over the past 50 years have unlocked opportunities and possibilities for women and girls across the globe. Yet, we still have a long way to go before all women and girls have the power and the means to govern their own bodies and make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

At the same time, we must push back against forces that would see us return to a time when women had little say in reproductive decisions or, for that matter, in any area of their lives.

The fight for rights and choices must continue until they are a reality for all.

Read more about the Fight for Rights at the website of UNFPA.

Do you want to study a short course at KIT in Spring 2020 and are you still looking for financing? We are happy to inform you that there are scholarships available from the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) for applicants from 52 eligible countries. If you are a health professional from one of the 52 eligible OKP countries we encourage you to explore this scholarship opportunity and apply as soon as possible for academic admission so you are ready to apply for the OKP scholarship when the application period opens!

Upcoming application https://share-netinternational.org/scholarships-orange-knowledge-programme-application/

Application deadlines Orange Knowledge Programme Scholarship

If you want to apply for a scholarship from the Orange Knowledge Programme, make sure you first apply for academic admission to KIT.

• Deadline KIT Royal Tropical Institute for academic admission (if applying for OKP): as soon as possible but at the latest by 23 September 2019
• Registration period OKP: 5 September until 14 October 2019

Attention: the list of eligible countries for OKP for this period is different from last year. If you are a health professional from one of the 52 eligible OKP countries we encourage you to explore this interesting scholarship option!

Read more via using this link.

The Waterloo Foundation (TWF) has Main Grants under the World Development Programme; the current funding priorities are SRH and Nutrition. The Main Grants Programme is open all year round without topic-specific deadlines.

Priority will be given to UK-based organisations, although applications from overseas partners will also be accepted. Please note that applications to the Main Grants Programme within the fields of Education and WASH are not currently being accepted.

All grant applicants should be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of their approach, and show how they meet the Foundation’s objectives.

TWF is committed to providing support to developing countries that will be used in a sustainable way with lasting impact, and which avoids promoting a culture of aid-dependency.
The Main Grants under the World Development Programme are given to large, established organisations working at a regional or national scale that can demonstrate the sustained impact of their programmes, in the areas of to SRH and Nutrition.

• SRH: increasing access to sexual and reproductive health services
• Nutrition: ensuring access to good nutrition

Weblink: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/the-waterloo-foundation/

Share-Net Bangladesh presents this opportunity to individuals for submitting their abstract for oral and poster presentations at our Knowledge Fair on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

For oral and poster presentations in SRHR Knowledge Fair by Share-Net Bangladesh

Share-Net Bangladesh team invites abstracts submission for oral and poster presentation at the Knowledge Fair on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). We encourage new unpublished materials to be submitted to Share-Net Bangladesh Secretariat. Any issue pertaining to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Abstract for oral and poster presentation format:

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Result
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Reference

Guidelines for Oral Presentation:

• 700 words including title and reference
• Use only one type of referencing (APA/ MLA/ Oxford/ Harvard/ Chicago)

Guidelines for Poster Presentation:

• The desired size 3’X4’
• Word limit: 200-250 words
• Relative pictures and graphed are labelled and captioned

**Highlights the corresponding authors details clearly
** Guidelines for the powerpoint presentation will be shared after receiving of the abstract acceptance.

All the abstract are treated as confidential from the time of submission to the publication.
Once an abstract is accepted, Share-Net Bangladesh will have the copyright to publish and circulate it through the platform.

Deadline for submission is on: 26th September, 2019
Successful author will be notified on: 10th October, 2019
For queries, contact kishore@redorangecom.com

Weblink: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/call-for-abstracts/

UNESCO is looking for an individual specialist to draft a handbook on men and masculinity in the media. The specialist will work under the supervision of the Chief of Section for Media Development and Society.

The specialist will draft a handbook to sensitize and guide media professionals regarding the portrayal of men and masculinities in the media. Concepts and norms of masculinity are inseparable from their representation in the media (whether broadcasted or printed), to which everyone of all genders are exposed while growing up.

The specialist will help media editorial desks tackle gender representations in their content, with a special focus on avoiding stereotypical or “narrow” representations of manhood and masculinities, including in relation to fatherhood, friendship and leadership, and other portrayals linked to behaviour, such as violence against women, children and other men.

Please send your proposal to masprojects@unesco.org no later than 6 pm (Paris time) on 28 October 2019. Any additional information you may request will be sent to you as soon as possible. However, any delay in providing such information will not be considered a reason for extending the date for submission of your proposal.

More information can be found here.