The IPPF South Asia Regional Office has put together a set of tools that have been tried and tested for capacity building, advocacy and behavior change communication. These tools have indigenous names such as ‘Khirki Kholo, Kuch To Bolo’, ‘Light Jalaao, Uttar Pao’ etc. They are applicable across a wide range of stakeholder and beneficiary segments and can be easily adapted to issues spanning every facet of sexual and reproductive health and rights. For example, the learning tool called ‘Khirki Kholo, Kuch To Bolo’, which means ‘open a window, to open your mind’ is a proven method to initiate group discussions to address myths and misconceptions. Another learning tool called ‘Light Jalaao, Uttar Pao’, which means ‘switch on the light to get the answer’ is an easy way to turn a simple quiz into an electrifying game for young people. For more information, or samples of the interactive learning developed by IPPF SARO, send an e-mail to ssubramanium@ippfsar.org
Research Summary: FPA India has conducted a ‘needs assessment study’ of members of Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sanghatan (in the age group 18-25 years) to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights issues. Using a structured questionnaire, the study assessed the knowledge about adolescence, menstruation, conception, contraceptives–particularly emergency contraception, safe motherhood, abortion and gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS. According to the study, over one-third of the males and two-thirds of the females did not know what to do if a female had unprotected sex. Opining about violence against women, one-half of the respondents said that as per their knowledge, wife beating, rape, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, discrimination between girls and boys and eve teasing do exist in their communities. One-third of the respondents opined that wife beating is normal and one-fourth opined that wife abuse (yelling in anger) is normal. Few (less than 8 percent) thought that bad words, a slap, beating, pulling of hair, or kicking are acceptable. Sixty percent of the females and 21 percent males disagreed that girls’ dressing can provoke sexual harassment. A full report of the study is available with IPPF SARO and for further details contact access@ippfsar.org.
Resources: The Female Condom: Opportunities and Challenges in South Asia is a technical update published by UNFPA. This paper examines experiences of the female condom as a tool for HIV prevention in South Asia and also provides summary information on the product and synthesizes policy and programmatic considerations. Available at:
http://www.femalehealth.com/pdf/TheFemaleCondomSouthAsiaReview.pdf
News: In April 2007 at Sydney, World Association for Sexual Health awarded gold medal for ‘life time achievement in the field of sexual health’ to D. Narayana Reddy, Vice President of FPA India’s Chennai Branch. Dr. Reddy is also a ‘certified supervisor’ of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists.
Events: India will host the Fourth Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights at the International Convention Centre in Hyderabad on October 29-31, 2007. The theme of the Conference is ‘Exploring New Frontiers in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights’. For more information, please visit: http://www.4apcrsh.org or contact Francesca Barolo, Coordinator of 4th APCRSH, at 4thapcrsh@gmail.com
Please send your feedback/information etc. to
access@ippfsar.org
IPPF SARO Team