| Editorial |
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The beginning of July marks the commencement of the third quarter of 2009 and the time has arrived where we must reflect back to learn from both our achievements and short comings.
During the last quarter, We Act
took the Safe Motherhood
campaign to a new level when
its advocacy efforts resulted
in Pakistan endorsing Maternal
Mortality as a human rights
issue at the United Nations
Human Rights Council. Sexual
and Reproductive Health and
Rights Education programme
was able to successfully
build consensus of religious
scholars around the Life
Skills Based Education (LSBE) curriculum to be implemented
with Madaris youth and is
all set to commence intervention
in the target districts through
implementing partners. As
for LSBE in formal structures,
the programme team revised
the existing curriculum to
make it more SRHR focused. Institutional
Strengthening on its part
formalized the National Steering
Committee to overlook the
project activities and completed the first capacity
building workshop regarding
Gender Based Violence and
Reproductive Health. The
European Union funded initiative, “Rights-driven
Institutionalization of Sexual
and Reproductive Health in
Pakistan” is now all set
to venture into its institutionalization
phase with MoUs having been
signed with implementing partners
in the target districts.
Finally, Knowledge Management
and Human Resources, Coordination
and Partnership Development
programmes were there like
always supporting the entire
team in their various endeavours to promote the cause of SRHR in Pakistan.
The new quarter has a whole host
of new activities lined up with
which you will be kept abreast
through this e-newsletter. However,
from this issue onwards, apart
from the monthly updates on
our various initiatives, we will
also bring for you SRHR news
from across the globe, feature
a new section, “Expressions”,
offering articles on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights
topics and an opinion poll. The
readers are encouraged to contribute
for “Global SRHR
News” and “Expressions” and participate in the opinion polls. We
look forward to your active participation!
Happy reading!
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Editorial Team |
Editorial Team:
Areebah Shahid
Saeed-ur-Rehman
Technical Contributors:
Qadeer Baig
Cyma Ashraf
Design & Layout:
Kashif Muneer
Aasia Niazi
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Important Links |
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WPF-Pak News |
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WPF Advocacy Efforts Bear Fruit: Pakistan Supports Maternal Mortality as a Human Rights Issue |
For the last one month, World Population Foundation,
Pakistan as part of its Safe Motherhood Campaign had been engaged
in an advocacy effort to have Pakistan endorse the Maternal Mortality
and Human Rights Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council. While
the initial response was lukewarm, it is heartening to know that
the efforts made by WPF and other civil society organizations finally
prevailed. Not only did Pakistan eventually support the resolution
but also played an instrumental role in building consensus as the
coordinator for member countries of Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC) in the UN Human Rights Council.
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WPF, Pakistan acknowledges the efforts of Ms. Shehnaz Wazir Ali, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sector and Dr. Firdous Aashiq Awan, Federal Minister for Population Welfare for pushing the agenda forward. While the endorsement of the resolution is a milestone achievement, it also means that the collective responsibilities of the Government and civil society have increased manifold. They must now deliver to ensure that the spirit of the resolution is translated into concrete action. WPF is committed to continue its efforts for the cause of Safe Motherhood and realize the dream of a Pakistan where every pregnancy would soon be planned and safe. |
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| YAN Brings SRHR Awareness Drive to Islamabad |
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Youth Advocacy Network (YAN) Islamabad chapter organized an awareness raising session on "Youth Situation in relation to SRHR in Pakistan" on 13th June 2009 at WPF office. The session, which was attended by 20 young individuals from all backgrounds, revolved around issues of the youth and how the youth itself can bring about change in the society. “Talaash”, a documentary made by YAN, highlighting the various predicaments of Pakistani youth, was screened at the session and was well appreciated for focusing on the SRHR issues of young people. Similar sessions are also scheduled for Quetta and Peshawar.
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WPF and Plan Pakistan Launch Provincial Consultations for National Adolescent Development Policy Framework |
World Population Foundation and Plan Pakistan have commenced the process of provincial consultations to devise National Adolescent Development Policy Framework (NADPF). In this regard the first consultation was held in Lahore from 25 to 26 June, 2009 where Pahchaan, working with street children became our local partner.
The Lahore consultation was divided into two parts:
- Meeting with Adolescents at Pahchaan Drop in Center
- Meeting with Civil Society and Government Representatives
The group of street children at Pahchaan Drop in Center shared various issues including the frequency of corporal punishment to which they are subjected by their employers and teachers as well as the burden of earning and managing their education. It was further shared by Mr. Salman Malik, Coordinator Pahchaan that religious shrines are a hub where these adolescents are exploited for small amounts of money and especially for child sexual abuse.
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The consultative meeting with members of Civil Society organizations was held on 26 July, 2009. The meeting was attended by representatives from various organizations including Sheed, Legal Aid Cell, Sanjog, Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB), Ministry of Education, AGHS-Children Association and Pahchaan.
Salient recommendations that came forward as a result of the consultative meeting are as follows:
- Close coordination is required as too many organizations are working but seldom collaborate with each other;
- Awareness of Policy issues by the stakeholders and adolescents;
- SRH Rights should be part of the syllabus;
- The framework should elaborate more on children in crisis;
- Skillful training of teachers is a key (and)
- Deterrence against parental abuse should be part of the framework.
Consultations in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar will follow in the months of July and August. The draft framework will be revised accordingly and shared with consultative groups for final approval.
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| Referral Mechanism Formulated to Cater for the Health Issues of Young People in Madaris |
WPF has recently started health screening of Madaris-going young girls and boys as part of its Life Skills Based Education intervention in non-formal education systems in Quetta and Peshawar. The process has identified a great need for strong referral mechanism to cater for the health issues of these boys and girls living in a difficult situation away from their support structures. For this purpose WPF with its implementing partners is doing an exercise of identifying strong referrals to cater for these issues by providing maximum support. This referral will ensure maximum usage of the existing resources within the community and will include experts of general health, mental health, reproductive health and officials from police as well as lawyers and media personnel. |  |
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| Ensuring Rights in SRH Education |
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An internal exercise was recently carried out by WPF to ensure that basic Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights are efficiently addressed in its SRHR Curriculum for young girls and boys. For this purpose various sessions of the curriculum were reviewed in light of the indicators identified for a research study on SRH rights in Pakistan by WPF. The need to make the curriculum cater to the current needs as well as to ensure young people’s right to information still demands more facts on issues related to sex with parallel efforts to change society’s attitude towards these issues.
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Training Conducted to Capacitate Local NGOs on Issues of Gender Based Violence and Reproductive Health - Donor: World Bank |
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The first capacity building workshop for Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Reproductive Health project was held in Sukkhar from 15 to 19 June, 2009. It was organized to increase the understanding and knowledge of partner NGOs on issues of gender, Gender Based Violence and Reproductive Health; to help the participants identify problems related to this subject in their communities, develop strategies for overcoming them; and to strengthen the human and institutional capacity for integration of GBV programming in their organizations’ strategic priorities. Five participants from each partner NGO participated in the workshop, including their chief executives, presidents, board members and management staff. The workshop was facilitated by a consultant and Programme Manager, Institutional Strengthening.
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The workshop was divided in three modules:
Module 1: Understanding and Context: Gender, Human Rights and GBV
Module 2: Gender Based Violence and Reproductive Health
Module 3: Institutionalize GBV Response at Organizational Level
As a result of the training, follow up activities and plan of action was developed by the participants to be implemented by end of the project.
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WPF and Packard Foundation Gear-up to Launch ‘Empowering Girls – Transforming Communities’ |
WPF has
successfully submitted a grant proposal
to David and Lucile Packard Foundation
for its innovative project titled ‘Empowering Girls–Transforming
Communities’ 2009-2012. The project is proposed to be implemented
in districts Sanghar and Gujranwala with
focus on empowering leadership skills
in young girls between the ages of 14-16
years, ultimately enabling them to deal
with their SRH issues. To develop this
proposal, several consultative meetings
were held with potential partners i.e.
BARGAD, Youth Engagement Service (YES),
Empowerment through Creative Integration
(ECI) and Sindh Agricultural and Forestry
Workers Coordinating Organization(SAFWCO). |
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| Interim Progress Report Submitted to European Union |
The first interim progress report for the project ‘Rights Driven Institutionalization of SRH in Pakistan 2009-2012”, which was due on June 15 has successfully been submitted to European Union. |
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Rights-driven Institutionalization of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Pakistan – Donor: European Union | |
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| List of Knowledge Bearers Finalized for the Sexual and Reproductive Health Study |
To develop
a list of at least 1,000 Knowledge Bearers
of SRHR, WPF coordinated with NGOs working
on Sexual and Reproductive Health issues
including Rozan, Heartfile, Population
Council, Packard Foundation, Awaz Foundation
Pakistan and Health and Nutrition Development
Society (HANDS). Cleaning and confirmation
of about 1,000 Knowledge Bearers has
been done and now it is ready for testing. |
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| National Steering Project Committee Formalized |
WPF has
formulized a ‘National Project Steering Committee’ for progress
review, networking and guidance on regular
basis for Rights-driven Institutionalization
of Sexual and Reproductive Health in
Pakistan. The committee comprises of
some experts who actively contributed
in the research process along with representatives of
CSOs, INGOs, UN agencies, media, youth
networks, relevant ministries and implementing
partners; details can be accessed from this
link.
The members of the committee will meet
twice a year, during 4 years period (2009-12)
as per following
ToRs:
- Periodic review of the project’s performance and work plan and advice corrective measures;
- Support project’s networking and advocacy efforts for SRHR and
youth friendly policies;
(and)
- Participate in project forums at national level for SRHR
institutionalization in ongoing education and health sector initiatives.
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| What’s New on WPF, Pakistan Website! |
During last month an E-Survey form was added to the website to collect updated data from people. This data will be used to conduct an e-survey on SRH Rights.
Moreover, the website was updated to include:
- List of the Expert Panel for the EU project page;
- WPF news coverage;
- Details of National Project Steering Committee for Gender Based
Violence and Reproductive Health project,
information on MoU signing ceremony with
local partners and Literature Review for
Rights-driven Institutionalization
of SRH in Pakistan ”. Click
for details
You can also find an e-card, designed especially for Father’s Day along
with the screen savers and desktops designed for the Sexual and Reproductive
Health Right for July i.e. "The Right to Privacy”.
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| Resource Center |
20 new publications were added to WPF Resource Center (RC) in June, bringing the total number of publications to 2054. Details can be accessed at this link. |
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| Staff Travel |
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| World Congress for Sexual Health |
World Association of Sexual Health (WAS) organized 19th WAS World Congress for Sexual Health on “Sexual Health and Rights: A Global Challenge” in Goteborg, Sweden from June 21-25, 2009. The Congress held at Goteborg Convention Centre was attended by about 800 participants from 84 countries representing rights-based organizations, NGOs working on SRHR issues, sexologists, and medical professionals.
Qadeer Baig, Country Representative (CR), WPF, Pakistan presented his paper on “What Works for Sexuality Education in Conservative Muslim Society” under the theme, “Sexuality Education and Religion”. In the same plenary there was also a paper from Iran on “Family Life Education for Adults”. The session |
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attracted an audience of more than 100 individuals from all over the globe. The participants asked questions regarding details of our methodology, government response and homosexuality. The congress also served as a good networking opportunity, facilitating meetings with representatives from International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), UNESCO, Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) and Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) from Turkey, Jordon and Egypt.
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| CR Visits WPF HQ |
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Country Representative for Pakistan visited WPF Head Quarters in Utrecht, Netherlands from June 28-July 2, 2009. During this visit he met with the new Executive Director of WPF, Dianda Veldman to inform her about Pakistan programmes. He was briefed about the details of the merger between WPF and Rutgers Nisso Group (RNG) vis-à-vis WPF field offices, and had a farewell dinner with the out-going Executive Director, Frans Baneke. He also presented an appreciation shield to the out-going Executive Director on behalf of WPF, Pakistan staff. Detailed meetings were held with Manager International Programme as well as project, communication, advocacy and finance teams. The schedule of technical support to
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WPF, Pakistan by WPF Technical Advisor on Sexuality Education and Advocacy Officer in July and September 2009 was finalized. Country Representative, Pakistan also participated in “Meet and Greet” session held at WPF office with RNG and WPF teams on June 30, 2009. |
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| Staff Recruitment |
Ms. Tabinda Najeeb Zuberi joined us as Programme Associate, Monitoring and Evaluation in June. She is currently getting acquaintance with WPF’s M&E mechanisms. Ms. Zubairi has recently completed her 4 years Bachelors in Development Studies and is now completing her Masters in the same field. She has previously worked as an intern with esteemed development organizations.
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Expressions |
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| A Ray of Hope for Transdangered People in Pakistan |
Why is a transgender being tortured by the police less of a human rights concern than the torture of a “normal” man or woman? Why should a eunuch being coerced into sex inspire any less outrage than a victim of rape? If development is to be seen as the process of expanding the real freedoms that people enjoy, then the freedom to express one's sexual orientation or gender identity is a development issue as important as any other!
For an eternity now, the transgender people in Pakistan have been condemned to a life of shame and ridicule. While their parents often give them away and communities shun them for being born in the “wrong body”, they are forced to exist in the bottom rung of the Pakistani social ladder. They get no opportunity to education and instead are trained to beg, dance or forced into prostitution. Such people are even denied their right to inheritance and civil rights. They cannot travel freely in trains, buses or use facilities available to common citizens of the country – including adequate healthcare.
However, transgendered people in the country can now hope for justice as the Supreme Court has ordered a survey of eunuchs to save them from a life of shame. A bench of the court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Mahmood Akhtar Shahid Siddiqui, issued the order to the provincial governments in June while taking up a petition seeking the establishment of a commission to emancipate effeminate men who are detested by the society for no fault of theirs.
Islamist jurist Dr Mohammad Aslam Khaki filed the petition for the welfare of this marginalized group after police raided and arrested several eunuch-transvestites in Taxila last month.
According to the court order, advocate generals of all the provinces are to arrange a survey through provincial social welfare departments to compile facts and figures about eunuchs. The departments would also evaluate facilities available to hermaphrodite children and determine the offence their parents commit in handing them over to gurus (eunuch leaders) at the time of their birth.
While the action taken by the Supreme Court certainly comes as a welcome development, one that inspires great hope, however it is imperative that the whole process does not linger on endlessly. Justice has already been delayed for too long and to further deny it would spell out undiluted insolence. For law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to be forced to steal bread.
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SRHR News |
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| New Abortion Legislation in Slovakia under Fire |
Rights groups in Slovakia have condemned new abortion legislation, which allegedly violates women's rights to privacy and regulations on medical confidentiality, forcing some women into undergoing risky, illegal abortions.
Under the legislation, women who want abortions will only be able to undergo the procedure two days after they have been given official advice on the ‘risks and alternatives’ by their doctor. Information about them, including an identity number given to every Slovak at birth, will also be sent to a state health information institute. The age at which adolescents have to gain their parents’ informed consent for an abortion has also been raised from 16 to 18.
This is the first time that an EU member state has managed to create significant barriers to women accessing abortion and runs against a worldwide trend of liberalisation of abortion laws which reflect the fact that creating barriers to abortion does not reduce abortion numbers, it merely endangers women’s health and rights.
Parliamentarians from the ruling coalition have dismissed the concerns from women’s rights groups, stating that the new law will reduce the number of “terminations”, allowing life for “everything that has a chance of life”.
But women’s rights groups have said passages in the law, especially the raising of the age at which parental consent must be given for the procedure, will make many women and young girls scared of being open about their plans for abortion and lead them to opting for risky operations.
Courtesy: Article IPS New, Pavol Stracansky |
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| HIV Infected Women Being Made Infertile Against their Will |
Women's rights activists have claimed that South African and Namibian public health doctors are making HIV-infected women infertile against their will. Promise Mthembu, a Wits University researcher based in Durban, who is helping compile the cases, said coerced sterilisations were happening "in very large areas" of South Africa.
Mthembu said many of the patients were told that to gain access to medical services they had to undergo the procedure. A documented case was that of a 19-year-old patient at Prince Mshiyeni Hospital, outside Durban. In 2007 she was allegedly pulled out of the delivery ward while in labour and told by the doctor that "you have to be sterilised".
"It comes down to the issue of informed consent," said Aziza Ahmed of the Washington DC office of the International Coalition of Women Living with HIV. If you don't understand what sterilisation means, or if the physician doesn't speak your language, that's not informed consent. You also can't really consent when you're in labour. If someone says to you 'sign these forms to have assistance with delivery', you're going to sign whatever's put in front of you."
In Namibia, the ICW is planning legal action against the government over alleged sterilisations. The group claims to have 40 confirmed cases, seven of which will be aired in court by the end of the year.
"Sterilising a woman without her consent goes against fundamental concepts of people having the right over their own bodies," one activist said. "Part of being a human, and especially a woman, is the right to reproduce."
Courtesy: Article License: Copyright - Article License Holder: The Mail and Guardian |
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Noami Campbell Appointed Global Ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood |
International super model Naomi Campbell has been appointed global ambassador to the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) at the influential African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles.
Naomi Campbell, in the past year through Fashion For Relief, her charity catwalk show, has helped to attract new supporters to the cause from all over the world. Her extraordinary contributions through public efforts, fundraising and awareness has gone towards ensuring mothers and their newborn babies survive childbirth and give birth to healthier families, communities and nations.
Source: White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, June 2009 |
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