International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, 8 March 2021

On this special day we concluded the first Stakeholder’s Workshop in Bangladesh for the project “Developing a Protocol for a Low-Budget Reproductive Health Kit/s during Disasters and Crises”. The Workshop was chaired by Dr Jaynal Haque (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Directorate General of Family Planning). The Workshop was attended by representatives from UNFPA, IPAS, RH Step, John Hopkins University, Marie Stopes, Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, OGSB, Directorate General of Disaster Management and Directorate General of Family Planning. Thanks to all these participants.

This year the theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is “Choose to Challenge”. Leicester-BSMMU-DMA-IPPF/SAR project has chosen to challenge the way sexual and reproductive health services are provided during disasters and humanitarian crises.

We aim to contribute to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity from unsafe abortion and post-abortion care complications to achieve the target for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing). The new Target for the SD3 is reducing maternal deaths to 70 per 100,000 live births. We cannot continue with ‘business as usual’ if we are to meet this Target by 2030.

Let’s raise awareness for the provision of sexual and reproductive health during disasters and humanitarian crises. Leicester-BSMMU-DMA-IPPFSAR project’s two Reproductive Health Kits (Facility and Emergency Kits) is a step forward to raise awareness and improve practices to save pregnant mothers’ lives.

On this International Women’s Day we want to emphasise in Maya Angelou’s words:
“[…] It’s fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenal woman.
That’s me”.
That’s us.
We are all Phenomenal Women wherever we are.

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