Contents

Platform on
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Welcome
Specialist Journal on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights and AIDS

Share-Net International initiates knowledge nodes in four countries on three different continents.

Share-Net International encourages research on SRHR and has awarded research grants for research on SRHR in Burundi, Jordan and Bangladesh.

Share-Net Bangladesh developed a short course on Behavior Change Communication and SRHR in the context of the country. The first course ran in October and was received with enthusiasm.

Read more news from the knowledge nodes in the four countries where Share-Net is active in this issue of the Specialist Journal on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and AIDS.

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NEWS
 

Bangladesh PM receives global plaudits

The Prime Minister (PM) of Bangladesh,
Sheikh Hasina, has received worldwide
approbation for her outstanding
contributions to women empowerment

On Thursday, September 22, the Prime Minister was acknowledged with the “Agent of Change” award by the Global Partnership Forum, alongside her recognition as “Planet 50-50 Champion” by the UN-Women at New York’s UN Headquarters.

Upon receiving the honors, the PM expressed her gratitude to the awarding organizations and shared her vision, where women will be working equally with men. She dedicated the awards to the people of Bangladesh. She also remembered her father and the father of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, for raising her with that vision.

Bangladesh has succeeded remarkably in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of alleviating poverty, improving gender parity in education, and reducing infant and maternal mortality among others. The Prime Minister expressed her gratitude to Bangladeshis for giving solid proof of the country’s commitment, and reaffirmed the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be carried out, with gender equality at the core.

Roundtable discussion on Early marriage in Jordan

Roundtable discussion was conducted on 31/08/2016 with the participation of organisations working on the issue of early marriage and reproductive health. The objective was to shed light on early marriage of the under-aged girls in Jordan, and early marriage in the framework of international law. The discussion also aimed to identify the social, health, psychological and economic consequences of early marriage, and to make recommendations and propose future studies on the subject.

Four presentations introduced in this event were on the following topics:

  1. The dimensions of early marriage of girls in Jordan.
  2. Early marriage in the framework of international conventions.
  3. Marriage of girls under the age of 18, according to the Personal Status law.
  4. Social, health, psychological, and economic consequences of early marriage.
The main recommendations are:
  • Conduct in-depth studies of the effects of early marriage (health, psychological and social), activating the role of community awareness programmes related to the disadvantages of early marriage, focusing on areas with the highest cases of early marriage of girls.
  • Make use of data generated during the 2015 Population and Housing Census while analyzing the issue of early marriage.

Report on Population Projections at the National and Governorate Levels, 2016

With the support of UNFPA and J-CAP, HPC is working together with the Department of Statistics (DOS) to update the report on Jordanian population projections at the national and governorate levels, based on the results of the 2015 Population and Housing Census announced in February 2016. The updated report aims to identify the sizes of Jordanian and non-Jordanian populations for planning purposes in the social, economic and health sectors, while projecting the future size and trends of the workforce in order to assist policy-makers and program directors plan and set development priorities at the national and governorate levels.

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Key Takeaways EuroNGOs 2016

The EuroNGOs 2016 conference took place in Paris from 4 - 5 October. The main aim of this year’s conference was to ensure that the SRHR community is ready to effectively engage in the implementation, follow-up and review of the SDGs, and strategically use them to advance our advocacy on SRHR in a global perspective. On behalf of Share-Net International, Meike Stieglis and Kimberley Meijers attended. Here are some of their most important key takeaways.

Make the SDGs our shared goals so we can have a global conversation on how to achieve them.

Although within the SRHR community the SDG framework and agenda are widely known and acknowledged, this is not enough! We need to push to make them understandable for society by making the SDG more fun and engaging. Civil society should start using creative and smart advocacy. For instance, go to a school in the place you work or live and tell the children about de SDGs. Creating awareness in civil society starts with us!

Maintain Europe’s progressive stance on SRHR

Traditionally European countries as a whole used to be seen as progressive. This is beginning to shift. The anti-choice opposition is growing and is not a single issue movement. They target different issues like LGBT rights, gender mainstreaming, same-sex unions, surrogacy adoption and comprehensive sexuality education. The anti-choice opposition started using different language with a positive message. We need to have our own positive message and appeal to feelings, emotions and values, including love and happiness. We need to involve youth in our advocacy efforts. We should start working in alliances to fight the anti-choice oppositions together. We need to sell our ideas to the people we have never approached before. We need to strengthen our mobilization of individual citizens to convince our politicians and build the necessary capacity.

Reach out to the parallel universe of the non-converted and find common grounds by using the 2030 agenda as tool.

The EU is lacking behind in incorporating the SDGs in their work. The MDGs were a development issue, SDGs are different because

the EU is also part of the game. Local governments often do not know how to integrate SRHR issues across the SDG agenda. We, as civil society, need to hold them accountable and create partnerships with them. We should reach out to the parallel universe of non-converted and try to find common grounds. A good start is to focus on Human Rights. We all have Human Rights and Sexual Rights are part of that.

The 2030 agenda can be used as a tool to find other common grounds. We have to defend and protect SDG 3 and 5, but we have to build alliances with others to bridge those parallel universes. Our strength as civil society in this process is providing evidence as well as having conversations, also on personal level, one to one.

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October 2016: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Bangladesh still has a high death rate from breast cancer, with figures stating over 7,000 deaths 22,000 affected every year, according to news hub Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

The reasons behind high number of deaths are mainly rooted in the lack of breast cancer awareness among rural girls and women, lack of motivation for self-screening or regular screening at hospitals, inadequate facilities in the existing health system, and non-completion of full treatment course.

An effective breast cancer management should be done under a broad perspective that starts from awareness creation among general populations to infusing self-motivation for screening, while offering appropriate diagnosis and treatment facilities in an affordable cost. Doctors from public and private hospitals at local levels should be trained on the prevention of breast cancer to improve the situation. There are many risk factors that increase the chance of developing breast cancer, but the reasons are still unknown as to how some of these factors cause cells to become cancerous.

Sometimes normal breast cells become cancerous because of mutated DNA. This is usually inherited and can exponentially increase the risk of certain types of cancer. However, most of these changes in DNA are usually acquired during a woman’s life, and less when inherited. It is widely believed that breast cancer only happens in developing countries but studies show otherwise. Breast cancer rates are much higher in developed nations where women are the most affected by this disease.

As the month of awareness is here, community leaders, doctors, and more importantly women should do whatever they can to spread the message and help bring down the staggering numbers of breast cancer.

The Bangladesh Cancer Society and The National Cancer Institute runs awareness programs regularly throughout the year. As the stats show the risk of breast cancer, it’s paramount for women to keep their health in

check and visit the doctors should they feel the symptoms. The symptoms to keep in mind are swelling in the breast, a nipple discharge that isn’t breast milk, lump near the underarms and skin dimpling. Better to be safe than sorry!

Source(s):
1. Death from breast cancer still high
2. Everything you need to know about breast cancer and how we can combat it starting now

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Workshop for SRHR projects in Bangladesh

Between 18 and 20 October Share-Net International, Share-Net Bangladesh and NWO-WOTRO organised the kick off workshop for the SRHR research projects in Bangladesh. In total 35 representatives from the different consortia attended this workshop in the Mauritszaal at KIT in Amsterdam.

The following research projects are currently being implemented in Bangladesh:

1. Theater intervention to engage young men in sexual education

BRAC University (project lead), Bandhu Social Welfare Society, National Institute of Mental Health Bangladesh (NIMH), KIKID Foundation and Erasmus University

2. Digital Sister for Urban Youth

University of Amsterdam (project lead), James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University and MayalogyPvt. Ltd.

3. Breaking the shame. Towards improving SRHR education for adolescents and youth in Bangladesh

Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Gender Studies in the Netherlands (project lead), BRAC University (Bangladesh), BRAC Institute of Global Health (Bangladesh) and Bangladesh SRHR alliance (Bangladesh).

4. Sexual and reproductive health and rights and young migrant women in Dhaka

VU University (project lead), Jahangir Nagar University, Research Initiatives Bangladesh (RIB), Bangladesh SanjuktaSramik Federation (BSSF), Indigenous Peoples Development Service (IPDS), HARC

5. Engaging Young Men to Prevent Violence in Bangladesh

Promundo-United States (project lead), Dhaka University (Bangladesh), Center for Men and Masculinities Studies (Bangladesh), United Nations Youth and Students Association (Bangladesh)

The workshop facilitated acquaintance, networking and linking both among the projects as well as between the projects and Share-Net and encouraged further exchange, learning and cooperation among parties. The workshop addressed both academic issues (sharing experiences / challenges concerning theoretical and methodological approaches, dealing with sensitivity of the topic, considering how to measure-progress towards- expected output/outcomes) and on research uptake: how to get results in policy and practice (considering

aspects of research uptake such as (strategies for) stakeholder engagement, communication and monitoring & evaluation). The kick off workshop was closed by a broader dissemination and networking event together with the broader Share-Net Netherlands community to inform them about the research projects and develop new collaborations. A short assessment of the workshop indicated that the workshop contributed to networking, team building, developing collaborations and knowledge exchange.

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EVENTS

Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research

Save the Date

| 14 – 18 November 2016
| Vancouver, BC
| Vancouver Convention Centre

“In Vancouver we will evaluate how far the world has progressed towards adopting a people-centered approach to creating sustainable, equitable, responsive health systems for the benefit of all. In the words of one presenter at the 2014 symposium, we are one world, united in a quest for health for all, beyond the borders of politics and economics. We encourage researchers and funders to contribute towards this global vision.”
- Cape Town Statement from the Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research

The Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) will be organizing the Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre on behalf of Health Systems Global (HSG).

The theme for 2016 is "Resilient and responsive health systems for a changing world"

Background

The Global Symposium on Health Systems Research is hosted every two years by HSG to bring together its members with the full range of players involved in health systems and policy research. There is currently no other international gathering that serves the needs of this community. Previous events have been held in Cape Town (2014), Beijing (2012) and Montreux (2010).

The Symposium aims to:

  • Share new state-of-the-art evidence;
  • Review the progress and challenges towards implementation of the global agenda of priority research;
  • Identify and discuss the approaches to strengthen the scientific rigour of health systems research including concepts, frameworks, measures and methods; and
  • Facilitate greater research collaboration and learning communities across disciplines, sectors, initiatives and countries.

Participants will include researchers, policymakers, funders, implementers, civil society and other stakeholders from relevant national and regional associations and professional organizations.

The program will include plenary addresses from world experts, as many as 12-15 concurrent sessions made up from abstracts and other proposals, an estimated 600 poster presentations, a vibrant marketplace and many other networking opportunities.

It is expected that approximately 2,000-2,200 people will participate in the Vancouver Symposium in 2016.

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Workshop on SRHR Research Methodologies

HPC will conduct a training workshop on "Women’s empowerment to support the achievement and investment of the Demographic Opportunity", the target audience being the communities' leaders and heads of associations in the south, north and center regions. The is scheduled in November, 2016.

The objectives are:

  • Definition of the concept of the Demographic Opportunity and its policies on focusing on and promoting the importance of the reproductive health of women in development policies.
  • Promote the importance of self, social, health and political empowerment and examine the role of these factors in the promotion of women, along with creating opportunities for early married women to enter the labor market.

The Demographic Opportunity in Jordan

Waves of forced migration have impact on the demographic situation in Jordan. In light of the current situation, HPC will update the Demographic Opportunity Policy Document, with the support of UNFPA. It will be the third edition of the document.

The update takes into consideration such elements as the waves of forced migration into Jordan -- the most recent being from Syria -- and the results of the General Population and Housing Census carried out in November 2015. Based on these changes, existing policies will need to be reviewed and new policies will be developed to help achieve and seize the demographic window of opportunity.

Study on Early Marriage in Jordan

Around 13% of the marriages in Jordan involve girls below the age of 18. This number is higher for Syrian refugees: 35% of the Syrian marriages in Jordan involve girls below the age of 18. HPC is conducting a study on early marriage of women in Jordan.

The study is funded by the Danish Center for Gender Equality and Ethnicity (KVINFO). The study relies on desk review and field survey reports. The idea is to determine the prevalence of early marriage among girls below 18 years of age (both Jordanian and non-Jordanian) at the national and governorate levels. The results of the study will assist governmental and non-governmental organizations to deal with this issue.

Marriages in Jordan involve girls below the age of 18
Marriages involve girls below the age of 18 among Syrian refugees in Jordan
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Research & Publications

Right to Health

One of the fundamental rights of human being is to have the highest attainable health services. "The right to health is enshrined in the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Bangladesh acceded in 1998", stated in the report done by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Bangladesh.

The report also mentioned, "Access to health care and the right to health may be explicitly or implicitly denied through laws, religion, social institutions and cultural traditions. Stigma and discrimination negatively impact upon access to

essential healthcare services by marginalized groups, including people living with HIV and people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The cumulative impact of these factors is that marginalized groups are often driven underground and disproportionately affected by health conditions. This in turn has broader social and economic consequences, as poor health impedes upon a persons’ ability to work, to contribute towards society, and to support their family."

Right to health was one of NRRC’s high priority areas in 2011 and played an important role in promoting and protecting health in Bangladesh.

To know more: The Right to health and sexual orientation and gender identity, National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh.

Learn more: Bangladesh Maternal Mortality and Health Care, Summary of Key Findings and Implication

Action Kit Gender-Based Violence

This year marks the 25th year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.

The theme is "From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All". This theme recognizes that structural discrimination and inequality is perpetuated in a cycle of violence that does not end even when girls and young women are in the act of gaining an education.

Gender-based violence with respect to the right to education is a consistent threat in public spaces, schools, and homes and is a detriment to the universal human right to education and it is our obligation to focus on the precarious situation of education for girls and boys, young women and men this year through the 16 Days Campaign.

Stay Connected Download the Action Kit in English

Policy Brief on SRHR services

The Higher Population Council (HPC) has formally advised the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation to form a national committee to raise awareness on the situation of the Syrian refugees and to ensure the financial sustainability of the services. In the Policy Brief "Reproductive Health Services for Syrians Living Outside the Camps in Jordan", HPC recommends a committee consisting of all governmental, non-governmental, local, and international organizations concerned with the provision of reproductive health services to Syrians outside camps, as well as some experts and specialists. The committee should be headed by the Higher Population Council and the Jordanian Ministry of Health.

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Share-Net International

Introduction

Share-Net International combines the expertise and strengths of Dutch organizations, Southern partners and key international actors working in the area of SRHR to achieve the SRHR and HIV related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Share-Net International envisions a world in which all people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the freedom to decide how many children they want and with whom, and access to good-quality care to meet their sexual and reproductive health needs.

The Platform encompasses national knowledge networks in four countries: The Netherlands, Bangladesh, Burundi and Jordan. These networks serve as conduits for situation assessments, defining research priorities, facilitating research participation by country institutions and hosting the local knowledge base/platform. They also stimulate the participation of key international partners and regional and national actors in SRHR, based in their countries.

Research Grants & Small Grants

Share-Net International awarded several research grants managed through NWO/WOTRO (up to 500,000 Euros). Between 18 and 20 October Share-Net International, Share-Net Bangladesh and NWO-WOTRO organised the kick off workshop for the SRHR research projects in Bangladesh.

Besides research grants, this year Share-Net International has granted 2 small grants (up to 25,000 euro) for each country node: Netherlands, Bangladesh, Burundi and Jordan. Selection was done through a process executed by a selection committee consisting of one person of the secretariat, the Core Group and the Steering Committee. Selection was difficult this time, because many well written and interesting proposals were received.

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Share-Net Netherlands

SRHR in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a densely populated country in Western Europe with almost 17 million people in 2016. More than 90% of their population is urban and their median age is 42.9 years old. Even though the Netherlands is a relatively small country, the Dutch promote SRHR internationally. It is one of the four priority themes of the Dutch development cooperation policy.

As knowledge broker and bridge builder, the Dutch aim to initiate and strengthen cooperation between the international community, national governments, civil society organizations, scientists and the private sector, in favor of SRHR.

The strength of the Netherlands lies in bringing taboo subjects out in the open. Matters like prevention and rights, particularly reproductive and sexual rights, including family planning, maternal health and abortion, and the sexuality of young people and vulnerable groups, need to be discussed. The Dutch Approach is to challenge deep-rooted gender inequality and exclusion, and to come up with pragmatic, innovative solutions.

Share-Net in The Netherlands

The country-node Share-Net Netherlands and its members have had exiting months! First of all, we can look back on a very inspiring and lively Share-Net Youth Week. The objective of this week, held from 26th – 30th of September, was to link comprehensive sexuality education and youth friendly health services to broader discussions on gender, gender-based violence and sustainable development.

Together we shared best practices, learned from one another’s experience and developed new strategies and collaborations. We had the pleasure of welcoming 260 people from over 40 different organizations.

For more information:

http://tinyurl.com/yfhscse

Secondly, on 5 October, Share-Net Netherlands members had the pleasure of meeting Jill Sheffield and KatjaIversen, the organisers of the Global Women Deliver Conference that took place in May this year in Denmark.

They were travelling to various countries to meet with key stakeholders to collect first hand feedback on the 2016 conference and ideas for the next Women Deliver conference that will take place in April 2019.

For more information:

http://tinyurl.com/wddebrief

Thirdly, on 28 October, the yearly NVTG Congress took place. This year’s theme was the health of people on the move, with a focus on the health and access to health care of refugees starting from their countries of origin, en route, and in the country of destination. Share-Net Netherlands co-organized an afternoon session on linking research, policy and practice in SRHR research. Its aim was to increase the practical relevance of research outputs and to create and encourage knowledge sharing in order to improve evidence informed policy and practice. Recommendations were shared by 4 presenters, after which the presenters and session participants were invited to reflect on strategies to bring these recommendations into practice.

Finally, on 7 November, the three Dutch alliances working on child marriage (YES I DO, More than Brides and HER CHOICE) in cooperation with Share-Net Netherlands, organized the launch and celebration of the Girls Not Brides the Netherlands, the new Dutch network focusing on linking and learning and joint activities to prevent child marriages both nationally and internationally. The program included a presentation by representatives from Share-Net Netherlands on the facts and figures on child marriage. This presentation was titled Child Marriage: Overview of current state of knowledge and first snapshots of baseline findings in various countries. The Share-Net presenters were: Esther Miedema – Researcher/Lecturer, UvA and Maryse Kok – Researcher, KIT.

For more information:

http://tinyurl.com/girlsnotbrides

For the coming months, Share-Net Netherlands and its members will again be organizing a number of events! Together we are planning a thematic meeting on gender-based violence on 8 December 2016. The first one took place in December 2014 and attracted over 50 people from policy, practice and research backgrounds. The working group Gender-Based Violence organized its first two preparation meetings and is in the process of developing a varied and engaging program. We are aiming to streamline this thematic meeting with other activities that are happening during the 16 days’ campaign to end violence against women. Last but not least, the Linking Research, Policy and Practice working group of Share-Net Netherlands is organizing the next Young Investigator NGO stop which will take place at the Royal Tropical Institute on 7 December 2016.
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Share-Net Bangladesh

SRHR in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a population of 160 million people. Since its independence in 1971 the government of Bangladesh has focused mainly and successfully on family planning and maternal health care. One of the country’s noteworthy development successes has been the significant decrease in maternal and child mortality rate. Current issues are the forgotten group of young married girls; Bangladesh has the second highest rate of child marriages in the world. Many challenges remain in gender equality, adolescent SRHR, sexual diversity, bodily rights and improvement of sexual and reproductive health services.

Key stakeholders in the field of SRHR are the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, a relatively large department of the UN (UNFPA, UN Women, UNDP) a large number of Development Partners and NGO’s and Research Institutes such as the Population Council and universities.

Share-Net Bangladesh is implemented by two partners, James P Grant School of Public Health of BRAC University and RedOrange Media and Communications.

Share-Net in Bangladesh

The online platform of Share-Net Bangladesh is still suffering from the security threats in the country that targeted the LGBT community in April 2016, when the platform had to go offline for a few weeks. The platform is online with limited options for members to post and avoiding subjects that might be considered controversial. Nevertheless, the team has continued expanding the database with news, events and tools and where possible also research.

An important milestone for Share-Net Bangladesh is a short course on Behavior Change Communication and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).

The incentive course integrates communication expertise with knowledge of SRHR from experienced experts from RedOrange and CGSRGR, the two Share-Net Bangladesh partners. The course explains the basics of Behavior Change Communication as well as the basics of SHRH and Gender, in order to link the two disciplines and lead up to theoretical and practical training on developing communications for the promotion and advocacy of SRHR causes.

The five-day course is conducted for the first time in October, hosting 24 enthusiast participants. The evaluation is in process and evaluation is in process and will provide valuable input for improvement. The first impressions from both participants and trainers are positive.

Experts of CGSRGH and RedOrange, along with their respective organizational partners in the non-profit and profit sectors, executed the training, creating a powerful combination for an effective and inspiring course.

In the course, several concepts within the SRHR framework were addressed, around family planning, adolescent SRHR, vulnerable communities and violence against women. The course included messaging, drafting communication packs and press releases considering the sensitivity of the topics and the context of the country. In addition, the course introduced ways to measure behavioral change to ensure greater impact within communities.

Share-Net Bangladesh brings together the dynamic SRHR community, which consists of social and medical researchers, development practitioners, government officials, legal experts, students, and members of vulnerable and underserved groups. As a community, they can engage with one another to find solutions and take critical issues forward. Combining and sharing available knowledge with these communities and within the separate departments and organizations can multiply the impact of the knowledge and experience gathered over the years.

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Share-Net Burundi

SRHR in Burundi

Burundi is a poor, land-locked country with a population of 10.5 million people in east Africa. With the end of the war and progressive recovery of peace and stability, Burundi has made significant progress in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Still the country is far from reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Both successes and challenges are in the fields of family planning, the maternal mortality rate, HIV/AIDS, the high fertility rate and rapid population growth.

Up until 2006, health care in Burundi was limited and access had worsened from 2002 when the government introduced user fees.

Since 2006, a new policy provides free healthcare services to all pregnant women and children less than six years of age.

The fertility rate of young people between the ages of 15 and 19 remains high, although the use of contraceptives has increased from 8.4% in 2004 to 30% in 2014.

Use of contraceptives has increased from 8.4% in 2004 to 30% in 2014

The government aims to reduce the current Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 6.4 children per woman to 3 by 2025. This requires an increase of the use of contraceptives up to 60% by 2025. Share-Net Burundi is implemented by Population Media Center. Share-net Burundi has, so far, organized three meetings of technical working groups on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Share-Net in Burundi

The meeting of the 5th Technical working group held on August 24th 2016 saw the participation of Dr William Bill, President of PMC International, accompanied by Mrs. Lauren Montgomery, PMC Program manager and co-coordinator of Share-Net Burundi. All came from Vermont to attend the launch of the 2nd phase of the Agashi Program in Burundi, which took place on August 23rd 2016.

The theme of the day was "the search for a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system of projects and programs related to sexual and reproductive health and rights for youth and adolescents".

The meeting of the first technical working group of Share-Net Burundi was held on September 28th from 9 am to 12 am in the meeting room of the National Reproductive Health Program.

Participants expressed the need to conduct a mapping of all organizations, programs and projects working on the SRHR of youth and adolescents in the republic of Burundi.

Among the participants, some have sound experience in conducting research and mapping. They proposed to form a small group of 5 people committed to conducting the mapping within a short period. They asked the secretariat of Share-Net Burundi to support them financially and technically during the realization of this mapping.

Research Grant

Two member organizations of Share-Net Burundi have each won a research grant of 25,000 Euro with the waning of a call for proposals to international Share-Net entities whose deadline was fixed forJuly 25th, 2016.

The reports of these two studies are expected before August 31, 2017:

  • MsKwizera SERUKA Centre – Make them visible! Capacity building of the documentation system on cases of gender based violence in Burundi
  • Ms. Nibizi SACODE - Together we can. "Reactive Collaboration between stakeholders in the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescents and Youth: The case study of Cibitoke Province."

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Share-Net Jordan

SRHR in Jordan

Jordan is a country in Western Asia, at a cross road of Asia, Africa and Europe. The almost landlocked country has a population of 9.5 million (2015). Reproductive health services are considered a national priority for primary health care by the government.

Jordan has seen rapid changes in its population. The population doubled more than 10 times within 55 years; most of the increase took place in the past decade. The country hosts an estimated 1.3 million Syrians, of which 650,000 are refugees. At the same time, the current birth rates are considered high.

The birth rates have seen a significant decline over previous decades. The total fertility rate dropped from 7.4 in the seventies, to 3.7 in 2002. Since then, there has been a mild decrease of a few percentage points, to an expected 3.4 in 2015.

Nevertheless, the decline in the total fertility rate is significant. It is considered due to increased education and employment of women, and an increase of the average age at the time of first marriage. The use of family planning methods has increased as well.

Key stakeholders in the field of SHRH in Jordan are governmental and international agencies concerned with health services, as well as NGOs, universities, the Parliament and the Jordanian National Commission for Women.

For the Share-Net project in Jordan, a steering committee was formed, consisting of the key stakeholders in the field of SRHR in the country. The Share-Net Jordan Steering Committee is headed by the Higher Population Council (HPC) a specialized Jordanian semi-governmental agency, acting as the authority for all reproductive health and population issues.

The HPC also serves as rapporteur of the Share-Net Jordan committee.

Share-Net in Jordan

Two organizations have been awarded Share-Net International small grants for 2016. UNRWA and the Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities (HCD). The two organizations were awarded the grants after answering all questions of the Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities, related to the grant.

The Higher Population Council (HPC) has disseminated another Share-Net International call among more than 80 national and international stakeholder organizations and experts: a call for a research program on sexual and reproductive health and rights focused on Jordan. The HPC has been answering questions raised by the institutions, regarding the calls.

The Steering Committee of Share-Net Jordan will have its second meeting this month. Another ongoing activity is the publication of the newsletter: the team has started preparing the content of the second edition.

In April 2016, the Higher Population Council (HPC) of Jordan signed an agreement with Share-net International to create a knowledge platform in Jordan with the aim to support research and qualitative studies on reproductive health. This should be done in partnership with stakeholders from various sectors. The goal of the platform is to generate and disseminate knowledge in the field of reproductive health and rights by way of both online participation and non-electronic communications. The project also seeks to build the capacity of key partners in the area of reproductive health and rights.

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Colofon
 

This eNewsletter is a publication of Share-Net International.

With contributions of:

Share-Net Burundi www.share-net-burundi.org
Share-Net Jordan website in development
Share-Net Netherlands www.share-net.nl
Share-Net Bangladesh www.share-netbangladesh.org

Colin Dixon, Share-Net International Coordinator
T : +31 (0) 20 56 88 701

Karen ‘t Hooft, Share-Net International Country Coordinator
T : +31 (0) 20 56 88 512

Meike Stieglis, Share-Net Netherlands Coordinator
T : +31 (0) 20 56 88 515

Kimberley Meijers, Share-Net Officer
T : +31 (0) 20 56 88 536

E : info@share-netinternational.org
E : info@share-net.nl

www.share-netinternational.org

The Share-Net secretariat is located at the Dutch Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam.

Our visiting address:
Mauritskade 63
1092 AD Amsterdam
The Netherlands
P.O. Box 95001
1090 HA Amsterdam

Concept and Design
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