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October proved to be a month of trial and tribulation for the country. The tremors of the offensive launched in South Waziristan in early October were felt all across the country in the shape of worsening security situation. However, with a number of initiatives demanding extensive travel, WPF, Pakistan team decided to stick to the original work plan, not withstanding the security threat that loomed large across the horizon.
As a result while the research team travelled across 7 districts in all the 4 provinces of the country to conduct Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in line with the research study on the “State of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in Pakistan”, the project team for the Gender Based Violence and Reproductive Health initiative went to target districts for a string of Capacity Building Workshops organized to spread awareness about Gender Based Violence. In the same realm extensive monitoring visits were made in the target districts for the LSBE in Madaris project while the 3rd National Life Skills Based Education Forum was also held in October focusing on the theme of “LSBE: Moving from Policy to Implementation”. Finally the month of October ended with an orientation session held for the partner organizations for our new project, “Empowering Girls, Transforming Communities”!
In this time of distress, WPF, Pakistan team remains steadfast to the cause of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and prays for peace to prevail!
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Editorial Team |
Editorial Team:
Areebah Shahid
Saeed-ur-Rehman
Technical Contributors:
Qadeer Baig
Design & Layout:
Kashif Muneer
Aasia Niazi
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WPF,Pakistan
News |
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3rd National Life Skills Based Education Forum 2009 – Moving from Policy to Implementation |
“Equipping young people with Life Skills information is the key to protect them from abuse and exploitation”. These views were expressed by Mr. Jo Reinders, Technical Advisor Sexuality and Youth from World Population Foundation, the Netherlands on the occasion of 3rd National Life Skills Based Education Forum organized by World Population Foundation (WPF), Pakistan in collaboration with Aahung and Plan-Pakistan, on 7th October, 2009 in Islamabad. The Forum was aimed at propagating the importance of Life Skills Education and its effective integration into national curricula as pledged in the National Youth and Education policies 2009. Accordingly, this year the Forum focused on the theme of “LSBE: Moving from Policy to Implementation”. |  |
The Forum was attended by officials from ministries of Health, Education, Youth Affairs and Population Welfare, relevant UN agencies (UNICEF and UNFPA), NGOs, media personal and Implementing Partners of LSBE from across Pakistan. Officials from local education departments from districts Vihari, Mitiari and Karachi were also present on the occasion. Reflecting on the positive impact that Life Skills Education has had on the local youth, they assured the participants of their full support in every way possible for the effective implementation of LSBE.
Recommendations presented to the ministries at the end of the Forum reiterated the need to integrate Life Skills Education into national curricula. The need to introduce a Child Protection Policy was also voiced. It was further recommended that a LSBE Forum at the national level should be formulated with representation from the ministries of Population Welfare, Youth and Education. The recommendations also voiced the need to include such topics as bodily changes in the curriculum to ensure that young people are well-prepared and at ease with the biological changes that they experience upon reaching puberty. Talking on the occasion, Country Representative, WPF, Pakistan emphasized the need to translate LSB Education from policy to implementation to raise a confident and progress generation for the greater development of Pakistan.
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| LSBE Level 1 Orientation Seminars Held With Stakeholders at Multan, Mitiari and Karachi |
To roll out the LSBE programme in Multan, Matiari and Karachi three orientation seminars were held with relevant stakeholders, which included teachers, school administration and principals to orient them on the project and importance of LSBE for young people in partnership with local Education Departments by Implementing Partners in all three areas. The rationale is to build a common and mutual understanding of stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation of the programme. All relevant Executive District Officers (EDOs) Education and District Officers (DDOs) participated in the events to ensure their support to implement this programme for next 4 years in their areas. |
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| Training of Teachers Conducted for LSBE Level 1 |
After the
successful round of training master trainers on level 1 of LSBE
in Karachi, Matiari and Multan Training of teachers were held
in all three respective areas by Implementing Partners and trained
Master Trainers. The two days training of teachers focused on
helping them understand the basics of LSBE level 1 and issues
and importance of LSBE for them. The teachers will now implement
the curriculum of level one with students from grade 7th to 09th
in the first year.
| Training |
Number of Participants |
Target Area |
| Training of Teachers | 142 | Karachi |
| Training of Teachers | 80 | Matiari |
| Training of Teachers | 80 | Multan |
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| LSBE Level 2 Orientation Seminar Held at Vehari |
Implementing Partners from Vehari held an orientation seminar with the stakeholders to orient them on the topics and curriculum of Level II which focuses exclusively on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights issues of young people. The need of the orientation seminar came after the reaction faced by Implementing Partners after the second level training of teachers where a few teachers showed concerns on few topics related to growing-up issues of young people. The EDO of Vehari discussed each session with the teachers and it was finalized that all teachers and EDO(E) will be involved in the process of finalizing the curriculum to avoid unnecessary confusion. Similarly the partner organization from Quetta is also planning to hold an orientation meeting in coming month. |
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| Technical Advisor, Sexuality and Youth from WPF, the Netherlands Unpacks Sexuality for Staff and Implementing Partners |
Technical Advisor, Sexuality and Youth from WPF, the Netherlands, Mr. Jo Reinders visited Pakistan from 28 September up to 7 October 2009 to technically assist WPF Pakistan in their work; especially regarding activities related to Life Skills Based Education.
As a first activity he trained WPF staff on SRHR and young people, using the 2-day-standard training on SRHR and young people that headquarters always uses in its programmes. The training workshop not only confronted WPF staff with similar approaches and knowledge, attitudes, social influences and skills as project partners in WPF’s core intervention countries, but also gave them the opportunity to adapt the standard training to the Pakistani culture where needed. |  |
The same training was also replicated for 18 participants of 9 partner organizations, at Islamabad, collaborating in Life Skills Based Education.
WPF, Pakistan staff and partner organizations confirmed that the training proved as very useful and effective and planned to adapt it to the local context to train their partners in the future.
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| Orientation Session Held for Partner Organization for the New Project: “Empowering Girls, Transforming Communities” |
World Population Foundation has initiated a new project: Empowering Girls – Transforming Communities (2009-12), with funding from the Packard Foundation from 1st October, 2009. Since, during the first quarter, the major task is to familiarize WPF and Implementing Partners and share project through orientation visits and workshop, thus a one day orientation workshop was held for Implementing partners, Sindh Agriculture Forestry Worker Organization (SAFWCO) in Sanghar (Sindh) and BARGAD (in Gujranwala, Punjab). |  |
The objectives of this workshop were to:
- To orient IPs(Implementing partners) on the project cycle management
- To enhance understanding and mutual consensus on the project including its goals, objectives, strategies and expected outcomes
- To clarify roles & responsibilities of all partners , i.e WPF, IPs and ECI (and)
- To develop and agree on future steps & work plan.
As a next step, The ToRs for the baseline survey to be conducted in the first quarter of the project will be finalized and launched and WPF will also share the selection criteria for Master Trainers with the Implementing Partners.
Prior to the formal orientation session held at WPF office, orientation visits were made to the target districts, i.e. Sanghar and Gujranwala, by Country Representative and Programme Officer HR and M&E. The objectives of these visits were to review the preparedness of partners for implementing the project; discuss project work plan, organizational structure and systems; finalize recruitment process and meet with potential candidates; and visit target schools and meet with local government officials of Education department to take them on board for successful implementation of project. |
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A Series of capacity Building Workshops Organized to Spread Awareness about Gender Based Violence |
Realizing the need to address the issue of Gender Based Violence in relation to reproductive health, World Population Foundation, Pakistan in partnership with its six partner organizations in DG Khan, Muzaffargarh, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Nasirabad and Jaffarabad organized six workshops for the 60 partner Community Based Organizations (CBOs) from different towns and tehsils of these districts.
These workshops were attended by 180 participants was aimed at preparing partner CBOs in the target district so that capacities of local organizations can be strengthening for continuing working on the issue of gender based violence. These workshops were conducted by 18 master trainers trained by WPF on the theme of Gender Based Violence and reproductive health. |  |
As a result of comprehensive discussions on this theme, participants identified many issues like teenage pregnancies, sex selective abortion, gender discrimination, physical and mental torture, sexual abuse and exploitation, forced sex, intimate partner violence, malnutrition, reproductive health complications in delivery and availability of services regarding the reproductive health.
The participants also identified and explained the co-relation between GBV and traditional practices such as early marriages, honour killing, infanticide or neglect in care, denial of education and basic human rights, traditional patriarch family structure, feudalism, lack of literacy rate, and gender disparity and differences from the early stages of childhood.
Participants emphasized that lack of accurate information and awareness regarding pre-natal and post-natal care is the major factor for higher maternal and infant mortality rate in these six districts. It was shared that the maternal mortality ratio in Pakistan is 276 deaths per 100,000 live births, though maternal mortality ratio is almost twice as high in rural than urban areas, and is highest in Balochistan (785) compared to only 227 in Punjab. Though there are a few more studies showing that actual maternal mortality ratio is between 320 to 400 in Pakistan, whereas in these six districts it is estimated to be between 450-500.
Sharing the trend of home-deliveries one participant shared that a high percentage of pregnant and lactating mothers are anemic and more than 80% of pregnant women give birth at home with limited access to community midwives or skilled birth attendants in Sindh. The maternal mortality rate constitutes a major cause of death among women of childbearing age.
Reflecting on the stereotype and traditional Gender Based Violence types, facilitators shared the findings from the newspaper analysis indicating high number of reported cases of gender based crime since January 2009 in the six target districts. The analysis showed 89 cases of honour killing, 86 cases of rape, 65 cases of kidnapping and some other crimes, mostly taking lives of women and young girls. They stressed the importance of reporting cases of gender based violence as the tendency and trend of actual offences was much higher.
Recommending the solutions for addressing and preventing these issues, participants strongly suggested that change in the behavior of males, their active engagement in addressing gender issues, mass level awareness raising endeavours and improvement in service delivery by state and non-state actors will help in addressing the issue at different levels.
During the course of the workshop, Mr. Anwar Muhammad, Programme Manager, WPF briefed the participants about the Gender Based Violence and Reproductive Health project of WPF funded by the World Bank. He also appreciated the role of different civil society organizations at district level and suggested for strong linkage development at district level. He also appreciated the role of electronic and print media, to increase awareness regarding rights of people, particularly of women and young girls and in gradually changing the traditional values, culture and mind-set of people.
Country Representative, WPF Qadeer Baig reflected that the overall situation of Gender Based Violence and reproductive health in Pakistan is dismal. Women residing in rural areas and low-income urban neighborhoods are the victims of poor planning, lack of commitment and negligence as a vast majority of them have little access to modern health services, particularly during pregnancy and childbirth.
Sharing the next plan of action he said that as a next step of this project two weeks of campaign “Community level Activism to prevent and reduce Gender Based Violence” will be organized from October 27 to November 10, 2009. Under the campaign a series of 60 advocacy seminars will be organized at community level and 6 seminars at district level by engaging key stakeholders to address the issue of Gender Based Violence. These events will be targeting more than 6000 people, in 289 union councils of these districts and mainly targeting men and young people for sensitizing and orienting them about the issue.
He further said that these advocacy events will be organized in partnership with its local partner NGO Al-Asar (DG Khan), Social Youth Council of Patriots (Muzaffargarh), Community Development Foundation (Jacobabad), Kainaat Development Association (Kashmore), The National Educational and Environmental Development Society (Nasirabad) and Society for Community Organization for Promotion of Education (Jaffarabad) and 60 partner CBOs.
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| Strategic Planning Workshops Held to Orient Partner Organizations on Programmatic Approach |
As part of the strategic requirement of the capacity building interventions under GBV-RH project, for partner organizations, two strategic planning workshops were arranged in Jacobabad (CDF and KDA) and Jaffarabad (SCOPE and NEEDS) in Sindh and Balochistan respectively. The workshops were attended by 16 board members and senior management of the organizations. The purpose of the workshops was to review and develop the organizations’ vision, mission and strategies aligning them with programmatic rather than project-oriented structures. This exercise was part of developing their organizations’ strategic plan document which will be finalized within a month’s time. Board members and senior management appreciated the effort of WPF for developing their strategic plan document. Similar workshops will be conducted for partner NGOs in Southern Punjab in coming weeks. |
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Rights-driven Institutionalization of Sexual and Reproductive Health in Pakistan-Donor European Union | |
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Focus Group Discussions Conducted Across Pakistan for SRH Research |
The initial results generated following the successful completion of the e-survey to analyze the “State of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in Pakistan” brought forth a number of areas that required further investigation for validating the findings. These issues were included in the guides prepared for the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), which were conducted in the first two weeks of October. To have maximum representation of all stakeholders, FGDs were conducted with groups of adolescents (12-18 years of age), young people (19-24 years of age), members of civil society and media; religious scholars, school teachers (who also play the dual role of parents), young transgender people and young sex workers. For the purpose of conducting these Focus Group Discussions, the research team travelled to 7 districts, i.e. Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore, Multan, Vehari, Karachi and Matiari to ensure that there was representation from all the four provinces of the country. |
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Alongside the FGDs, In-depth Interviews (IDIs) were also conducted. While one layer of IDIs was held with at least 2 participants identified from every FGD, the second layer was conducted with policy makers and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights experts whose names had been previously determined by the research team.
The research team is now in the process of analyzing and compiling the qualitative and quantitative data for the final report that will be put forth for scrutiny to the SRHR Experts at a Technical Review Meeting on 24th November, 2009. The preliminary findings and recommendations will be presented at the meeting by research team and Dr. John di Wit, international consultant for the study. |
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| Staff Recruitment |
Ms. Sobia Raja joined WPF, Pakistan in October 2009 as Project Coordinator for the up-coming project, “Empowering Girls, Transforming Communities” that will be launched in November 2009 with support from Lucile and David Packard Foundation.
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| WPF Team Takes Part in 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights |
A three member delegation from WPF, Pakistan, consisting of Programme Manager Learning, Communication and Reflection; Programme Manager SRHR Education and Programme Officer We Act took part in 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights held from 18 to 20 October, 2009 in Beijing, China. Programme Manager LCR presented his paper titled, “From Evidence to Advocacy: Status of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in Pakistan”, while Programme Manager SRHR Education presented her paper titled “Inclusive Approach to Sexuality Education” and Programme Officer We Act read a paper titled “Get Informed, Be Involved, Bring a Change” focusing on youth development initiatives. |
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| KM team planning to develop a Virtual Resource, online SRH interactive counseling and Referral System |
The Knowledge Management team is planning to develop an online SRH counseling and referral system. The system will be quite participatory and interactive as well as easy to access, having user friendly features. It is aimed at providing technical information related to counseling of SRH issues, to youth. Major features will include chat, discussion forum, helpline information and counseling support through emails etc.
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Expressions |
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When Should Sexuality Education Start?By Cyma Ashraf,
Programme Manager, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Education
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Sexuality education that works starts early, before young people reach puberty, and before they have developed established patterns of behaviour. The precise age at which information should be provided depends on the physical, emotional and intellectual development of the young people as well as their level of understanding. What is covered and also how, depends on who is providing the sex education, when they are providing it, and in what context, as well as what the individual young person wants to know about.
It is important not to delay providing information to young people but to begin when they are young. Providing basic information provides the foundation on which more complex knowledge is built up over time. This also means that sex education has to be sustained. For example, when they are very young, children can be informed about how people grow and change over time, and how babies become children and then adults, and this provides the basis on which they understand more detailed information about puberty provided in the pre-teenage years. They can also when they are young, be provided with information about viruses and germs that attack the body. This provides the basis for talking to them later about infections that can be caught through sexual contact.
Providing basic information provides the foundation on which more complex knowledge is built up over time.
Some people are concerned that providing information about sex and sexuality arouses curiosity and can lead to sexual experimentation. There is no evidence that this happens. It is important to remember that young people can store up information provided at any time, for a time when they need it later on.
Sometimes it can be difficult for adults to know when to raise issues, but the important thing is to maintain an open relationship with children which provides them with opportunities to ask questions when they have them. Parents and care-givers can also be proactive and engage young people in discussions about sex, sexuality and relationships. Naturally, many parents and their children feel embarrassed about talking about some aspects of sex and sexuality. Viewing sex education as an on-going conversation about values, attitudes and issues as well as providing facts can be helpful. The best basis to proceed on is a sound relationship in which a young person feels able to ask a question or raise an issue if they feel they need to. It has been shown that in countries like The Netherlands, where many families regard it as an important responsibility to talk openly with children about sex and sexuality, this contributes to greater cultural openness about sex and sexuality and improved sexual health among young people.
Who should provide sexuality education?
Different settings provide different contexts and opportunities for sexuality education.
At home, young people can easily have one-to-one discussions with parents or care-givers which focus on specific issues, questions or concerns. They can have a dialogue about their attitudes and views. If given at home it also tends to take place over a long time, and involve lots of short interactions between parents and children. There may be times when young people seem reluctant to talk, but it is important not to interpret any diffidence as meaning that there is nothing left to talk about. As young people get older advantage can be taken of opportunities provided by things seen on television for example, as an opportunity to initiate conversation. It is also important not to defer dealing with a question or issue for too long as it can suggest that you are unwilling to talk about it.
In school the interaction between the teacher and young people takes a different form and is often provided in organized blocks of lessons. It is not as well suited to advising the individual as it is to providing information from an impartial point of view. The most effective sex education acknowledges the different contributions each setting can make. Schools programmes should also involve parents, notifying them what is being taught and when, can support the initiation of dialogue at home. Parents and schools both need to engage with young people about the messages that they get from the media, and give them opportunities for discussion.
In some countries, the involvement of young people themselves in developing and providing sex education has increased as a means of ensuring the relevance and accessibility of provision. Consultation with young people at the point when programmes are designed helps ensure that they relevant and the involvement of young people in delivering programmes may reinforce messages as they model attitudes and behaviour to their peers. |
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World SRHR News |
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| In a rare show concern for women without a dissent, the National Assembly unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday to provide for a higher punishment for their sexual harassment, expanding the definition of the crime to facilitate prosecution. |
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, which must be passed by the Senate as well to become law, amends both the Pakistan Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, increasing the punishment for the crime to up to three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs500,000 from up to one year and unspecified fine already provided in the PPC for a vague ‘insult (to) the modesty of a woman’.
The draft, fruit of a campaign by women activists, was introduced in the house early this year by then information minister Sherry Rehman, who won special plaudits from both sides of the house during speeches after the bill -- already approved by a 16-member standing committee on law with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani cited as its minister-in-charge -- was passed without a debate.
However, some members from the both treasury and opposition benches voiced fears about the possibility of misuse of the new law, particularly in rural areas to settle scores -- though some others dismissed such concerns -- and called for an effective implementation, possibly with amendments in other relevant law and rules governing police.
The bill is the second passed by the present 19-month-old lower in three months, the first being a private bill adopted by it in early August -- and later by the Senate -- to provide for monetary and other relief to sufferers of domestic like women, children and other vulnerable persons such as the elderly and domestic servants.
It will be followed by another pro-women bill, designed to make provisions for their protection against harassment at workplaces, which was put on the agenda of the house on Monday but was put off because of an opposition walkout to protest against the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that the government later decided not to bring for approval.
‘Harassment is one of the most common issues faced by the women of Pakistan,’ a statement of objects and reasons accompanying the new bill said. ‘They face intimidation in the marketplace, in buses, at bus stops and at workplace.’
It said this issue alone inhibited most women to move out of their houses for education, availing medical facilities and earning a livelihood.
The statement said that although the PPC already had some sections that ‘attempt to address sexual harassment to a certain extent, (their) the terminology is vague’ and open to interpretation.
It said the new amendment was ‘in the same spirit’ as of the PPC’s original section 509 and other relevant clauses providing protection to women but that it ‘elaborates and specifies what constitutes harassment of women in public, private and workplaces’.
‘This amendment will not only make public and work environment safer for women but will open up the path for more women to pursue livelihood with dignity,’ the statement said. ‘It will reduce poverty as more and more women will get the courage to enter the job market.’
The existing brief section 509 of the PPC on the subject of ‘word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman’, defines the culprit as one ‘intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman’.
The proposed new section 509 with modified title of ‘insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment’, additionally defines the culprit as one who conducts sexual advances, or demands sexual favours or uses verbal or non-verbal communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature which intends to annoy, insult, intimidate or threaten the other person or commits such acts at the premises of workplace, or makes submission to such conduct either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, or makes submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual a basis for employment decision affecting such individual, or retaliates because of rejection of such behaviour, or conducts such behaviour with the intention of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
Source: Daily Dawn |
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| Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies to Launch One Day, One Struggle campaign. |
Through the One Day, One Struggle campaign, which will be held on the ‘other 9/11’ (i.e., November 9, 2009) Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) will disseminate the message of solidarity among various organizations that work in different continents across the globe on various aspects of sexuality and sexual rights. The Campaign aims to contribute to the advocacy efforts of CSBR members by raising public awareness on sexuality and sexual rights in national contexts and drawing international public attention to issues and struggles. The Campaign consists of simultaneous actions that will take place in the countries of coalition members and allies.
The theme of each activity is based on pertinent issues in each context.
Issues include: sexuality education in Tunisia; stoning as a punishment for adultery in Aceh, Indonesia; femicide; the impact of the Apartheid Wall and house demolitions on women in Palestine; women’s reproductive rights in Sudan and Bangladesh; the treatment of homosexuality as a disease in Pakistan. Campaign activities are very diverse, ranging from conferences to artistic performances to book launches. All are public events, aimed to raise awareness amongst other civil society groups, the media, and the general public.
Source: www.awid.org |
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| International Workshop on Poverty Reduction and SRHR Held at Brussels |
On 14-15 October 2009, representatives from 5 of the 6 regions of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) gathered in Brussels to attend an “International Workshop on Poverty Eradication and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”.
The purpose of the programme was to help 22 of the poorest African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries to manage and improve their own delivery of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) care; also to ensure that the most vulnerable and socially excluded groups had access to these services.
IPPF and UNFPA representatives presented the results of their joint work to some 130 delegates at the workshop, including ministers of health from ACP countries, key-decision makers from European institutions and donor governments as well as UN agencies and civil society.
According to the Conclusions and Recommendations that were issued at the end of the workshop, many countries are unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 5 to improve maternal health and achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015, unless action is taken urgently.
It was recommended that, political and long-term, predictable financial commitments to achieving the ICPD Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals remain a global priority.
Recommendations also highlighted the importance of linking SRH
and HIV, mainstreaming gender in SRHR, further promoting civil society participation and policy dialogue at country level and focusing on the SRH needs of young people, including the needs of vulnerable or marginalized young people.
Source: IPPF European Network |
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For more information please contact World Population Foundation (WPF) |
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