Even after a long 25 years, the resolutions of the Beijing conference on women have not been achieved. To address this challenge, UN Women has launched the "Generation Equality" campaign. On September 2, 2021, a workshop for women's non-governmental organizations and the media was held in Burundi at the Club du Lac Tanganyika Hotel on the coalition of action for women's economic empowerment and peace capitalization in Burundi.

The Beijing+25 evaluations have shown the low achievements of the expectations raised by the 1995 Beijing Conference. Hence the idea of creating a campaign titled "Generation Equality: For women's rights and an egalitarian future" was proposed in which the participants make commitments, rather than recommendations.

The campaign was structured around 6 axes: Gender-based violence, Justice and economic rights, Health and sexual and reproductive rights, Feminist action for climate justice, Technologies and innovations for gender equality, Feminist movements and leadership and on a follow-up mechanism of the agenda "Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action".

By only making recommendations, unfortunately the expectations have remained on paper. Moreover, according to Association des Femmes Repatriées du Burundi (AFRABU) studies, only 18% women are represented in decision-making bodies, whereas the minimum quota is 30%.

Click here to read the whole article (in French).

Source : https://www.jimbere.org/

The government of Bangladesh is working to amend the existing Evidence Act, which seeks to remove the ability to make “negative” remarks on the character of any rape victim in a rape case.

The bill may be placed in the next session of Parliament likely to be held in September with necessary amendments to the existing Evidence Act.

Law Minister Anisul Huq recently said this while responding to opposition MPs’ various proposals on the cut-motion during the passage of the proposed national budget for 2021-22.

According to the Section 155 (4) of the Evidence Act, 1872, it states that when a man is prosecuted for rape, it may be shown that the complainant was of immoral character, therefore raising the question of the victim’s character as a justification of rape.

This has been criticised heavily for not upholding equality and special protection for women as guaranteed by the Constitution of Bangladesh itself.

“According to Section 155 of the Evidence Act, there’s a sub-section to talk about the character of the victim in a rape case. That will be amended,” Anisul Huq shared.

Specifically, Huq mentioned the amendment to the primitive provision and estimated that “a Bill would be placed in the next session of parliament, likely to be held in September, with necessary amendment to the Evidence Act”.

While the law has a long way to go in terms of even properly defining rape (to include victims of rape of other genders besides female, for instance), this particular reform will still be a big step in the right direction if carried out properly, with advice from gender and legal experts and grassroots lawyers.

The Rape Law Reform Coalition (RLRC) has welcomed the government’s decision to repeal Section 155 (4) of the Evidence Act.

Allegations of rape are usually filed under the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act. In November last, the government amended the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act. The word “rape” was replaced by the word “rape victim” through the amendment. In addition, the provision of maximum punishment for the crime of rape was included in the law.

The law minister also said the use of digital and information technology will be added to the Evidence Act.

See RLRC’s statement press release here: https://www.blast.org.bd/content/pressrelease/RLRC-Statement-English.pdf

Source: The Dhaka Tribune and The Daily Star

On September 4th it was World Sexual Health Day, which focused on sexual health in a digital age, aiming to highlight the impact of digital spaces on SRHR work. Share-Net International interviewed Diana Carolina, Share-Net Columbia and Doortje Braeken, Senior Advisor for Adolescents and Youth. They spoke about their thoughts on Digital SRHR work, and reflected on how digital systems and spaces can facilitate online public health communications, access to knowledge, and training, while recognising other issues including digital-marginalisation and lack of CSE regulations in digital spaces. You can read the full blog post here.

Small Grantees 2021 Roundup

In July, we announced the winners for this year’s Small Grants. Their knowledge products were created during the January 2021 Co-Creation Conference on the theme “Engaging in Knowledge Translation Together”. Here, researchers, policymakers, NGOs, funding organisations, the media and practitioners from across the world engaged in dialogues and collaborated to co-create knowledge products on SRHR for Adolescents and Youth. These products will be used at national, regional and global levels to influence policy and practice. The small grants were made available to support the development and production of these knowledge products to improve the SRHR for Adolescents and Youth. The focus countries for this year's grantees were Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Egypt, The Netherlands, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

Small grants were awarded to the following seven projects:

1. Mapping the Fields of Law on SRH Services and LGBTIQ+ issues: The case of DRC and Burundi
2. BLOOM: Buy-in and Learning Through Outcomes of Meaningful Youth Participation (MYP)
3. Checklist for Promoting Inclusion and Accessibility of People with Disabilities in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Sector
4. Increasing Access to Youth SRHR Generalized Data for Evidence-Based Advocacy Through Involvement of Young People with Diverse Backgrounds on SRHR Research
5. Identifying the Knowledge Gap on SRHR of Young People with Diverse Gender Identity and Sexuality
6. Experiences and Perceptions of Mid Adolescents, Parents and Teachers on Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A multiple Country-Based Qualitative Research Study
7. Training Modules for Redefining Negative Social Norms, Values Affecting Positively on Adolescents Decision Making on Sexual Health Wellbeing

Read the full project overviews in our blog post here.

Exciting news!

The Share-Net Netherlands Youth & SRHR Community of Practice have launched a new Instagram account! The account is an online platform dedicated to sharing youth-friendly, accessible and interesting Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) knowledge.

At YouShare_NL, our youth members will talk about:

– Menstrual health
– Contraception and abortion
– LGBTQIA+ youth health & wellbeing
– Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
– HIV/ AIDS
– Sexual pleasure
– Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)

and so much more!

The aim of the channel is to make sure that the information, knowledge, research and developments in these areas are translated in a way that is:

• youth-friendly
• accessible
• interesting

Follow now for resources, infographics, host Q&As + so much more!

Link: https://share-net.nl/youshare_nl-share-net-netherlands-new-youth-led-instagram-account/

Health risks among pregnant women posed by COVID-19 have become a matter of concern as several expecting mothers died from the infection in Bangladesh in recent months.

Generally, pregnant women are immuno-compromised and more vulnerable to infections. Week 28 onwards up to delivery is considered a risk period in that regard.

Talking to The Daily Star, a Bangladesh based newspaper, Prof Maruf Siddiqui, head of Department of Infertility and Reproductive Medicine at Anwer Khan Modern Medical College, said that studies show pregnant women with comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension are more at risk.

The Delta variant of COVID-19 can be fatal during pregnancy, he added.

“The best way to protect expecting mothers is to vaccinate them. Controlled studies around the world so far did not demonstrate any significant side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine on either the pregnant womanor the fetus,” Prof Maruf said.

The Bangladesh government has recently decided to vaccinate pregnant women which is a very encouraging step, he said.

Prof Maruf suggests young couples not to try conceiving at the moment or try to conceive after getting the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. If a woman becomes pregnant after receiving the first dose, she should take the second dose in due time.

Shamima Nargis, a consultant at Gynecology Department of Bangladesh Specialized Hospital, said there is no evidence that pregnant women, in general, become more unwell compared to other adults if they contract COVID-19.

Pregnant women over the age of 35 and with a BMI of over 25, and those with preexisting medical problems are at higher risk of developing severe illnesses and may require hospitalisation, Shamima said.

She further said, “There is no evidence that COVID-19 infection increases the risk of miscarriage or can be passed on to the baby. Hence, there’s no reason to panic.”

“COVID-19 vaccines are recommended at any stage of pregnancy and also for nursing mothers”, she said.

Expecting mothers should have at least six antenatal check ups with a gynaecologist and ensure a balanced diet and moderate exercise to develop immunity. They should also follow the distancing guideline, both doctors said.

Source: The Daily Star

Image: Star Digital Graphics

Link: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/covid-19-vaccine-and-pregnancy-concerns/

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are crucial to the achievement of social development. To influence and improve policies in favor of SRH, many actions have been undertaken by some civil society organizations. For Share-Net International, the Communities of Practice (CoPs) is a way to develop a network of stakeholders and policy makers around different SRHR issues in order to drive knowledge products that can influence policies in favor of SRHR. For that, the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) with the support of the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education (NUFFIC) has initiated a workshop on the concept of Community of Practice in Bamako Mali.

Share-Net Burkina Faso with the support of Share-Net International was lucky to take part in this instructive and informative workshop in Mali, a neighboring country of Burkina Faso. The workshop took place from August 16th to 20th, 2021. 20 participants including researchers from the University of Letter and Humans’ Sciences of Bamako, Association pour le Soutien du Développement des Activités de la Population (ASDAP) from Mali, SOS Jeunesse et Défis from Burkina were present. This workshop was an opportunity for the participants to learn about the concept of the Community of Practice and how to set up a functional one in Sahel. It was also an opportunity for knowledge exchange between different sectors working on SRHR and how to establish a Community of Practice to promote the use of the digital means in favor of SRHR.

Link to the publication: https://www.facebook.com/170489949682726/posts/4593154134082930/

In October 2021, the next SNI Grants Round will open for applications! The annual knowledge activation and knowledge generation grants contribute to supporting the knowledge management activities amongst members, and provide funding for applied research, documentation of practices and knowledge products for improving SRHR policy and practice. These grants offer the opportunity to enhance the work of SNI members, facilitating knowledge product development that can be difficult to get funded.

Are you interested in applying?

We will announce the full details and the application process of the next round via our website in October 2021.

Furthermore, in November 2021, the 10th Linking Research, Policy, and Practice Conference - The International Edition for young researchers will be held. At this conference, the young researchers will share their research on Global SRHR. This meeting traditionally brings together policymakers, practitioners and researchers working on SRHR and Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) in international development. The focus lies on the work of young professionals who have recently submitted or are in the process of finishing research as part of a Masters programme, postgraduate degree, research internship, or research consultancy. The call for abstracts is now closed, but we hope to see many of you there.

Next year, we will hold our first International Communities of Practice (iCoP) event, and Share-Net Colombia will host our Co-Creation Conference in July 2022.

Nurses are always at the forefront of delivering care to patients and playing a key role in identifying and improving their quality of life. Through their involvement in research, nurses can play a vital role in improving patient care since research is the only evidence-based method to understand whether a new approach to care is better than current practice.

We are delighted to announce that Global Research Nurses and The Global Health Network (TGHN) have made available funds for small pump-priming grants of between £2000 and £10000 specifically for nursing and midwifery led research relevant to Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). These may be used for three types of activities:

• To fund exchange visit(s) to or from another area working on the same nursing and midwifery research project or, with a view to developing a collaborative project.
• To cover the costs of conducting a new small research project (typically proof-of-principle studies to facilitate further funding through other funders).
• To host a local, national or regional workshop/ meeting about nursing/ midwifery research with a view to subsequently developing a project.

The grant application should be for either a research project, travel or a workshop, not a mixture.

Source : https://globalresearchnurses.tghn.org/opportunities/

Women Deliver is seeking applications for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) Advisory Group.

Women Deliver Conferences bring together advocates from around the world and galvanize momentum towards collective action for girls and women, in all their intersecting identities. As one of the largest and most impactful convenings in the gender equality space, Women Deliver’s globally-recognized Conferences provide a forum to fuel the movement, improve policies and programs, and set the stage for political and financial commitments that advance gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Co-led and co-created by partners, WD2023 is expected to be the most inclusive, diverse, accessible, and consultative Women Deliver Conference yet.

The WD2023 Conference Advisory Group will provide strategic advice and input on the development and implementation of WD2023 and the Global Dialogue by co-creating the Conference’s theme, design, and programming. This group of diverse stakeholders will also play a leading role in shaping the Global Dialogue, fostering collaboration, and driving collective action before, during, and after the Conference.

Benefits

All Advisory Group members receive the following benefits for giving their time, expertise, and energy to the development and implementation of WD2023 and the Global Dialogue:

• Advisory Group members are invited to attend the virtual soft launch of WD2023 (in late 2021), the one-year out launch event (in spring/summer 2022), and the Conference itself (in spring/summer 2023).
• Each Advisory Group member will receive one scholarship to attend WD2023. Scholarships include the cost of registration, travel, and accommodations for the duration of the Conference. [These benefits may also be assigned to an alternate registrant or gifted to Women Deliver’s scholarship fund].
• Advisory Group members will be promoted on the WD2023 website and within Conference promotional materials. They will also be announced during the virtual soft launch of WD2023, highlighted during the one-year out launch event, and explicitly recognized during the Conference itself.
• Honoraria will be provided to members on a needs-basis.

To learn more on the criteria for applicants and procedure to apply, click the link below:

https://www.wd2023.org/advisory-group-expression-interest/?fbclid=IwAR1BCCNcpzzdz7GG9PT4vaquiuF1VnNw1-V1syzFr_58cgDUg7sws9qI4yk

Deadline:

Apply by 4th October 2021 to play a key role in determining the Conference’s theme, design, programming, and more.

Link: https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/call-for-applications-for-the-women-deliver-2023-conference-advisory-group/

On July 28, 2021 Share-Net Jordan hub launched three policy briefs on sexual and reproductive health issues in Jordan during the meeting held with representatives of relevant national agencies.

The first policy brief "Links between Climate Change and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in Jordan" aims to draw attention to the need for medical education to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

The second policy brief "The impact of dropout of female students on women's economic participation and sexual and reproductive health in Jordan" examined the causes and consequences of school drop-outs. It emphasises on the dropout of female elementary school students, the relationship between dropout and poverty and the economic status of the family. It explores the relationship between dropout and child marriage, domestic violence, child labor, education and reproductive health, sexual education. It emphasises the importance of raising awareness among families about the dangers of school drop-outs, the role of schools and the school environment in general in reducing the drop-out problem, as well as the role of guidance counselor.

The third policy brief is on "The role of accountability in the sustainability of sexual and reproductive health programmes in crisis and fragile situations in Jordan”. It aims to improve access of people who are affected by crises and fragile environments to better SRH information and services, reproductive rights and SRH care. It also aims to accelerate progress in achieving national goals and relevant sustainable development goals. These can be achieved through the adoption and development of mechanisms and an accountability framework that will serve as a road map for donors and policymakers to promote a multi-sectoral participatory approach to the sustainability of sexual and reproductive health programmes.

The results of the study and policy brief on “strengthening the role of the private sector in the provision of sexual and reproductive health services” was published in the Share-Net Jordan Website.

Students at the Faculty of Nursing at University of Jordan and AL Albayt University had their first committee meeting

On July 7, 2021, Share-Net Jordan held the first meeting of the Committee of Young Practitioners of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Jordan. A committee of students from the University of Jordan was formed within the standards established by the council and Share-Net Jordan.

During the meeting, students were briefed on the achievements of Share-Net Jordan in the area of SRHR, and the committee was informed of their tasks. Subsequent meetings will be held to assist students in carrying out their tasks. A meeting for students of the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Al-Bayt was held on September 14, 2021.

Induction workshop held for university staff

The Higher Population Council held an induction workshop for members of the teaching staff of the concerned departments of official universities on the role of the Council in working on population, development and reproductive health issues at national and regional levels.

The Annual Meeting of the members

On August 31, 2021, Share Net-Jordan held the annual meeting of its members, which included various national, public, private and voluntary parties, international organizations and academic institutions. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the members of Share-Net Jordan of the project's achievements for 2021, its future aspirations for 2022 and to announce the Share-Net International Small Grants opportunity for 2021.

In consideration of the immense potential of the mainstream media in the course of creating awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), CORHA organized a series of training on media reporting of health-related issues.

The latest round of training which was held from August 31st to September 2nd, 2021, focused extensively on enhancing effectiveness of the media’s role in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) literacy through building the capacities of journalists and amplifying concern for awareness creation.

Additionally, the training was organized to increase the knowledge and understanding of journalists about SRHR within the Ethiopian context and in comparison, with other countries in the region and beyond.

The training was attended by journalists from different media outlets, who were trained on the most useful issues surrounding methods of reporting SRHR through both the mainstream and the new media. During the training, participants were urged to guard against inadvertently spreading misinformation by engaging in good journalistic practices while reporting news on SRHR.

The training was concluded with a reflection session in which trainers and participants emphatically expressed the topicality of engaging in mainstreaming SRHR through the newly established community of practice that includes all participants as members. The CoP strives to work on alleviating media reporting shortcomings on SRHR as well as health-related issues.

Profamilia, the host organization for Share-Net Colombia, presented the results on its research “Sexuality, sexual health and ageing in Colombia (2015-2021)”, conducted by the doctor on Demography, Fernando Ruiz, under the postdoctoral program of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of our country.

The topic turned out to be groundbreaking in the country because often older people are not considered as active subjects of their sexuality. Therefore, the main variable in this analysis was the interest of older people themselves towards it.

The study included demographic, biological, psychological and social variables, as well as a qualitative component which, among others, inquired older people about their marital and reproductive path, perceptions on sexual pleasure and desire, the use of drugs for sexual activity, and the barriers for discussing sexuality with healthcare providers.

This investigation gave older people a voice on how they live their sexuality and made it possible to identify many of the barriers to their access to sexual health care and services. With Share-Net Colombia's Community of Practice on sexuality, health, rights and ageing it will be possible to keep working on this topic, through the joint participation of the different stakeholders and organizations.

The research was launched with a Facebook live panel about the challenges in sexual health services delivery for older people, you can see the recording here, and download the study presentation and infographic (in Spanish).

‘Listen To Us’: Results, Messages, Innovative Approaches, is the exceptional NWO SRHR program booklet focusing on the results of 12 SRHR projects which ran between 2015-2020. The overall budget was €5.7M that was made up of funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and The Dutch Research Council (NWO).

The aim was to improve SRHR policies and practices in Bangladesh, Burundi and Jordan, focusing specifically on empowering young people, women and key population groups to improve their Sexual and Reproductive Health and claim their rights. This was done by funding and facilitating research that would generate insight and a better understanding of norms, behaviours or processes that determine the targeted groups’ sexual and reproductive health. Additionally, it identified enablers and barriers that people encounter to accessing SRHR information and services and claiming their sexual and reproductive rights.

In the programme book you can find summaries of research, ‘how-to’ guides on innovative approaches, reflections from international experts, and policy briefs highlighting the relevancy of SHRH knowledge to policy and practise. Expect to read about how young men in Bangladesh discuss masculinities in a café, the power of interactive theatre as a method for young people in Jordan to discuss sexuality issues with policy makers, how people with disabilities in Burundi engaged in policy dialogue, and much more!

Read the full PDF version of the booklet online here.

Technical capacity of the health workers to provide Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services and information to especially vulnerable people, including indigenous people, needs strengthening.

As input for the “We Care” project by Share-Net Bangladesh, which works towards the strengthening of such an inclusive approach, a literature study was done looking into what is known regarding the indigenous people in Bangladesh in relation to SRH service delivery and information provision.

This review aimed to explore the factors that need to be taken into account in developing sustainable SRH service provision approaches, focusing on the inclusion of indigenous people in Bangladesh.

The main focus of the literature on indigenous groups was on ‘Antenatal, intrapartum & postnatal care’. It was found that cultural norms prescribe if and where to seek treatment for ailments during pregnancy, delivery and thereafter.

To identify the factors influencing SRH service access for indigenous people, an analysis of the factors was done on the basis of the WHO Framework for operationalizing sexual health and its linkages to reproductive health. However, a limitation was that the study could cover a fraction of the 52 indigenous communities living in the country, each with their own social and cultural identity.

The study has been authored by Edine Hiddink, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Master program- Bio Inspired Innovation and Pam Baatsen, Senior Advisor, Royal Tropical Institute/KIT.

Click here to download the paper.

It is the mission of one of Share-Net International Communities of Practice (CoP) to promote joint work on HIV and SRHR at various levels, including policy, advocacy and programming. This document aims to:

• Create more awareness on the need to integrate HIV and SRHR.
• Provide Share-Net members with data and insights on HIV and SRHR integration.
• Give practical recommendations on how to support and facilitate integration.

WHY INTEGRATE HIV AND SRHR?

HIV and AIDS are directly linked with Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Sexual and reproductive ill-health and HIV thrive where there is poverty, harmful social norms, gender inequality and marginalization of the most vulnerable populations. HIV remains the most deadly sexually transmitted infection and the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. People living with HIV are at increased risk of some non-communicable diseases, including mental health conditions, and women living with HIV are more likely to develop and die from cervical cancer. The Guttmacher-Lancet Commission presents a comprehensive definition of SRHR, including HIV prevention, treatment and care, in its essential intervention package and specifically focuses on vulnerable groups. Linking HIV and SRHR can deliver a more robust and cost-effective response and should be an integral part of future global strategies. Improved SRHR-HIV integration is needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG3: good health and well-being and the associated target of universal health coverage.

Download the full resource here.

Learn more about our CoP working on HIV & SRHR Integration here.

Link: https://share-net.nl/hiv-and-srhr-integration-key-actions-and-recommendations/

Despite progress in sexuality education in some countries, too many countries are still failing to provide children and youth with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure their health and well-being. That is according to the new United Nations report on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE).

Too often, teachers are unprepared and students do not study the full range of topics they should, and misinformation undermines the development of CSE. Even today, millions of children and youth receive little information about how to manage their transition to adulthood.

The findings of the report, published by UNESCO, UN Women, UNAIDS, WHO, UNFPA, and UNICEF, were released at the Generation Equality Forum, (Paris, June 30 to July 2, 2021) during which UNESCO announced a series of concrete commitments on girls' education.

According to UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Education, Stefania Giannini, the report ‘The Road to Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Global Status Report’ reveals the progress countries have made in providing all learners with quality SRE in schools, while highlighting that much remains to be done.

Read the report here.

Source: https://fr.unesco.org/news/lonu-publie-nouveau-rapport-leducation-sexuelle-complete

Studies Share-Net Jordan is currently working on:

Study and policy brief titled "Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on family planning information and services in Jordan'': The overall objective of the study is to develop a comprehensive and robust operational framework for rapid response to crisis repercussions in the provision of family planning information and services. A community of practice (CoP) was formed to follow up the implementation of the study.

A study and a policy brief on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of family planning methods: The overall aim is to study the effects of socio-economic and gender dynamics on the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in the province of Jerrash by exploring the role of cultural norms, social customs and social gender dynamics that have contributed to the reduced output of sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in relation to issues of marriage, reproduction, family planning and violence against women (identified in the study problem), proposing mechanisms for sustainable change to improve the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls in the province. Similar to the study above, a community of practice has been set up to follow up the implementation of the study which is currently under implementation.

Fact sheet titled "The relationship between migration and gender": The first draft of the paper was prepared and was based on a desk review which highlighted the theoretical frameworks between migration and gender and the forms and trends of their relations. It set the stage for a clearer understanding of the impact of gender on migration, how gender interacts with migration in terms of the direction of migration flows, how migration affects gender roles and relations, how the positive link between migration, gender equality and the empowerment of women can be strengthened and the course of interventions that can be affected.

Fact sheet titled "Linkages between Population Dynamics and Gender": The first draft of the paper, based on a desk review, highlights the theoretical frameworks between population and gender dynamics and the forms and trends of their relationships, and sets the stage for a clearer understanding of the course of interventions that can influence them.

Communication strategy for 2022-2024: The Terms of Reference (ToR) have been prepared and the strategy has been transmitted to an expert for preparation and aims at building a communication agenda in support of Share-Net Jordan's efforts in the area of sexual and reproductive health issues at the internal and external levels, through systematic and deliberate communication activities that contribute to the dissemination and exchange of knowledge, raise public awareness, gain the support of decision makers on these issues, and develop appropriate tools to take into account youth, women and human rights.

Situational and feasibility analysis at the regional level:

This assignment includes situational and feasibility analysis to examine what the role and added value/unique selling point of expanding Share-Net in the region can be. Things that need to be included in the analysis are: competitors’ risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, mapping of potential organisations and networks to partner, becoming a member, etc. assessment to avoid overlapping of similar activities, assessment of funding opportunities for regional activities or a regional hub with feasible recommendations.

Pre-assessment report for the four centres of the Institute of Family Health Care to implement the national standards for youth-friendly SRH services:

The pre-assessment report of the four centres (Sweileh, Zarqa, Karak and Ajlun) has been prepared and the post-assessment of the centres is being carried out to determine the extent to which the requirements of the national standards for youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services for the centres are being met. The purpose of the evaluation is to assist the centres in implementing the national standards for youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, specifically with a view to identifying the extent to which the centre meets the requirements of the national standards for youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, identifying improvements that the centre can translate into an operational plan, working on them to achieve quality in the application of national standards, and establishing a baseline for a post-assessment on the application of the standards to be carried out after four months.

Infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. This Lancet article is aimed at describing the availability of facility resources and services and to analyze their association with maternal outcomes.

The article presented data on facility characteristics such as compliance with measuring clinical signs or laboratory testing, availability of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, availability of obstetric care capacities and other facility characteristics by severity of maternal outcome.

For further information please refer to the link below to access the full article.

Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00248-5/fulltext

The research article titled ‘Harmful practices prevail despite legal knowledge: a mixed-method study on the paradox of child marriage in Bangladesh’ was published in the Journal Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters in February 2021. The article has been authored collectively by Sayema Akter, Chloe Williams, Animesh Talukder, Muhammed Nazmul Islam, Juanita Vasquez Escallon, Tania Sultana, Neha Kapil & Malabika Sarker (see the PDF via the link at the bottom for designations).

Abstract:

Child marriage is a globally recognised human rights violation that disproportionately affects girls, especially in developing countries. It has serious negative consequences on girls’ physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights. Although well-pronounced laws against child marriage were enacted in Bangladesh, the practice remains a significant challenge. Lack of law enforcement and persistent social norms ultimately allow child marriage to persist around the country. Social norms have an impact on the prevalent attitudes toward child marriage.

Therefore, this mixed-method study aimed to explore the legal knowledge, perception, and practice of child marriage in Bangladesh. This study was part of a broader evaluation of a UNICEF media programme. Adolescent boys and girls aged between 10 and 19 years and their parents were interviewed in three districts of Bangladesh. All the respondents were aware of the legal age of marriage and knew that child marriage is punishable by law.

This study illuminated the reasons, including early marriage among boys, poverty, dowry, and sexual harassment. Communities and policymakers need to be engaged to trigger larger structural and cultural changes to remedy the harmful social norm and its practice.

Download the paper via https://www.share-netbangladesh.org/research-article-harmful-practices-prevail-despite-legal-knowledge-a-mixed-method-study-on-the-paradox-of-child-marriage-in-bangladesh/