Girls' and Women's Rights to Menstrual Health in Nepal

2018 ◽  
pp. 156-168
Author(s):  
Kay Standing ◽  
Sara L. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
School Attendance ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Menstrual Health ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based

Being able to manage menstruation safely and without stigma is a basic human right which many women and girls in Nepal are denied. Unhygienic and ineffective menstrual hygiene practices have been linked to negative consequences for women and girls, in terms of both reproductive health and social factors such as school attendance. Negative cultural attitudes and taboos around menstruation are widespread in Nepal and basic knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene, especially in rural areas, is limited. The chapter begins to explore the barriers to menstrual health and right and how menstrual Hygiene Management Projects providing education on menstruation and the provision of reusable sanitary pads, are widely used by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Nepal to address these problems, with a stated goal of improving girls' reproductive health, educational performance, employment, reducing gender based violence and other psycho-social outcomes.

Digital Technologies and Interventions Against Gender-Based Violence in Rural Areas

2021 ◽  
pp. 105756772110404
Author(s):  
Andrea Adams ◽  
Suzanne G. Lea ◽  
Elsa M. D’Silva
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Culture Of Silence ◽  
Common Barriers

This study reports experiences of combining digital technologies and facilitated interventions to address gender-based violence in rural areas. The methodology was based on the Safecity platform with a combination of communicative methods, digital technologies, and participant-led interventions to address gender-based violence in the State of Bihar and the Satara district in rural India. The findings indicate that the most common barriers to creating change in rural communities include patriarchal mindsets that foster a culture of silence around women's rights, lack of education, digital illiteracy, and lack of access to digital tools and services. Notwithstanding these obstacles, rural Indian women and girls participated in an intervention to create a new narrative informed by technological solutions that addressed gender violence in their communities.

scholarly journals Addressing Menstrual Health & Hygiene Practices in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh Kumar Mishra ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Work ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene ◽  
Menstrual Health ◽  
The Face ◽  
Displaced People ◽  
Women And Girls

Menstruation is the natural bodily process of releasing blood and associated matter from the uterus through the vagina as part of the menstrual cycle. Menstrual health take into account both menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices and the broader interventions that link menstruation to health, wellbeing, gender, education, equality, empowerment and rights. Ensuring menstrual health & hygiene (MHH) practices in the face of COVID-19 health crisis gains increased significance in today’s world. In relation to MHM, several countries have reported that COVID-19 pandemic has worsened key challenges for women and adolescent girls who bleed due to several reasons. This research work aims to address strategies needed to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on MHH. Also, attempts have been made to investigate into considerations needed for ensuring MHH practices among women and girls with disabilities, and refugee and displaced people, as they are likely to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data (largely qualitative in nature) have been used in the work and nature of data analysis is descriptive. The paper concludes that there is need to ensure that MHH supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are in place for both menstruating women and girls, and health care workers in hospital settings offering both menstrual health and COVID-19 care and services.

scholarly journals Sexual health (excluding reproductive health, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence) and COVID-19: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
pp. sextrans-2020-054896
Author(s):  
Navin Kumar ◽  
Kamila Janmohamed ◽  
Kate Nyhan ◽  
Laura Forastiere ◽  
Wei-Hong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated existing socioeconomic and health disparities, including disparities in sexual health and well-being. While there have been several reviews published on COVID-19 and population health disparities generally—including some with attention to HIV—none has focused on sexual health (ie, STI care, female sexual health, sexual behaviour). We have conducted a scoping review focused on sexual health (excluding reproductive health (RH), intimate partner violence (IPV) and gender-based violence (GBV)) in the COVID-19 era, examining sexual behaviours and sexual health outcomes.MethodsA scoping review, compiling both peer-reviewed and grey literature, focused on sexual health (excluding RH, IPV and GBV) and COVID-19 was conducted on 15 September 2020. Multiple bibliographical databases were searched. Study selection conformed to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewers’ Manual 2015 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. We only included English-language original studies.ResultsWe found that men who have sex with men may be moving back toward pre-pandemic levels of sexual activity, and that STI and HIV testing rates seem to have decreased. There was minimal focus on outcomes such as the economic impact on sexual health (excluding RH, IPV and GBV) and STI care, especially STI care of marginalised populations. In terms of population groups, there was limited focus on sex workers or on women, especially women’s sexual behaviour and mental health. We noticed limited use of qualitative techniques. Very few studies were in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).ConclusionsSexual health research is critical during a global infectious disease pandemic and our review of studies suggested notable research gaps. Researchers can focus efforts on LMICs and under-researched topics within sexual health and explore the use of qualitative techniques and interventions where appropriate.

scholarly journals Understanding Period Poverty: Socio-Economic Inequalities in Menstrual Hygiene Management in Eight Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2571
Author(s):  
Laura Rossouw ◽  
Hana Ross
Keyword(s):  
Decomposition Methods ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Menstrual Health ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Sanitary Pads ◽  
Unequal Access

Menstrual hygiene management and health is increasingly gaining policy importance in a bid to promote dignity, gender equality and reproductive health. Effective and adequate menstrual hygiene management requires women and girls to have access to their menstrual health materials and products of choice, but also extends into having private, clean and safe spaces for using these materials. The paper provides empirical evidence of the inequality in menstrual hygiene management in Kinshasa (DRC), Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rajasthan (India), Indonesia, Nigeria and Uganda using concentration indices and decomposition methods. There is consistent evidence of wealth-related inequality in the conditions of menstrual hygiene management spaces as well as access to sanitary pads across all countries. Wealth, education, the rural-urban divide and infrastructural limitations of the household are major contributors to these inequalities. While wealth is identified as one of the key drivers of unequal access to menstrual hygiene management, other socio-economic, environmental and household factors require urgent policy attention. This specifically includes the lack of safe MHM spaces which threaten the health and dignity of women and girls.

Menstrual Hygiene Practices of Adolescent Girls in Rural Maharashtra

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-137
Author(s):  
Sumit Aggarwal ◽  
Deepti Ambalkar ◽  
Jayaprakasam Madhumathi ◽  
Vijay Badge ◽  
Arun Humne
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Personal Interview ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Sanitary Products ◽  
Sanitary Pads ◽  
The Right

Menstrual practices of adolescent girls in rural parts of India are greatly influenced by taboos and socio-cultural beliefs. In this study, the menstrual hygiene practices and beliefs of 122 adolescent girls between the ages of 13 and 19 years from rural Maharashtra were evaluated by personal interview and questionnaires. None of the girls had the right scientific knowledge about menstruation and were isolated during menstruation. They used cloth or home-made sanitary pads and were at risk of infections. There is a dire need for knowledge dissemination among school children and their families, increased awareness of menstrual hygiene and access to the requisite sanitary products in rural areas.

Sexual and Reproductive Health in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qianling Zhou ◽  
Chu-Yao Jin ◽  
Hai-Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Intercourse ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Induced Abortion ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
The Disabled ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Contraceptive Practice ◽  
Hiv Aids

Databases of PubMed, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were used to search relevant articles on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in China published from 2005 to the present (2021), based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Operational Framework on Sexual Health and Its Linkages to Reproductive Health. The following results were found. (a) SRH education and information among the Chinese were insufficient, in particular regarding contraception, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Adolescents, migrants, and the rural population had insufficient knowledge of SRH. (b) Fertility care services were mainly available in large cities, in urban areas, and for married couples. Services targeted for rural-to-urban migrants, rural residents, and the disabled and elderly are needed. (c) A total of 22.4% of youths aged 15–24 had premarital sexual intercourse, and the age of first sexual intercourse was decreasing. Risky sexual behaviors included multiple partners, casual and commercial sex, and having sex after drinking alcohol. (d) The contraceptive practice rate of women aged 15–49 in China was higher than the world’s corresponding figure. However, contraceptive use among young people was low (only 32.3% among unmarried women). (e) Unmarried pregnancy induced by low contraceptive practice is a critical issue in China. (f) Induced abortion was the major consequence of unmarried pregnancy. The rate of induced abortion among the general population in 2016 was 28.13‰, and the rate among unmarried women was increasing annually. (g) There were 958,000 HIV-infected cases in China as of October 2019. Sexual transmission was the major transmission route of HIV-AIDS. More men than women were infected. Men having sex with men comprised the high-risk group of sexual transmission of HIV-AIDS. (h) Gender-based violence including intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence, sexual coercion, and child sexual abuse (CSA) might be underreported in China, since many victims were afraid to seek help as well as due to limited services. Legal and regulatory measures should therefore be taken to prevent and reduce gender-based violence. For future perspectives of SRH in China, it is important to pay attention to SRH education and services. An up-to-date national survey on SRH is needed to reflect the current situation and to capture changes over the past decade. Most of the current research has been conducted among adolescents, and more studies are needed among other groups, such as the disabled, the elderly, and homosexual populations.

scholarly journals Social work with women from agricultural locations, which would brought: general principles and questions for professional preparation

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 175-190
Author(s):  
Оксана Кравченко
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Women Victims ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Professional Preparation ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Gender Policy ◽  
Gender Based

An article devoted to the issue of social work with women from rural areas that were violent, as well as coverage of approaches to training specialists providing social services to this category of population. It is established that gender policy is based not only on international normative legal acts ratified by Ukraine, but also regulated by national legal acts on equality between women and men. An important area of gender policy is the provision of equal rights and opportunities for women from rural areas, including the realization of their human rights. At the same time, women in rural areas are more vulnerable to gender-based violence than women living in cities that require a specially designed program for their social and psychological rehabilitation. As a result of the clarification of the content and focus of social work with women, the study of the regional experience of social services with women, the disclosure of the specifics of the training of future social workers to work with this category of citizens, recommendations for improving the quality of social services for women victims of domestic violence have been developed.

scholarly journals Opinion Review of Socioeconomic Impact of COVID-2019 on Women's Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victory U. Salami ◽  
Stanley I. R. Okoduwa ◽  
Aimee O. Chris ◽  
Susannah I. Ayilara ◽  
Ugochi J. Okoduwa
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Maternal Complications ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Clinical Procedures ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based

The global battle to survive the onslaughts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in December 2019 and continues today. Women and girls have borne the brunt of the hardship resulting from the health crises. This paper examined the effects of COVID-19 on women. Socioeconomic factors resulting from the pandemic, especially in relation to women's health, were discussed after studying published articles. They include gender specificity and COVID-19, the economic toll of COVID-19 on women, pregnancy and COVID-19, gender-based violence due to COVID-19, and health-care impacts of COVID-19. Making up the majority in the healthcare workforce, women were at higher risk of infection with COVID-19 due to their exposure as caregivers to infected patients. The pandemic took its toll on them as part of the greater population in the informal sector of the economy due to the lockdown directive, as many experienced severe monetary shortages and job losses. Pregnant women infected with COVID-19 were prone to severe diseases, maternal complications, and death due to their weakened immunity and exposure during clinical procedures. Gender-based violence was observed to have increased across the globe for women. The results of this review strongly indicate that women are disproportionately affected by the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. This review will help health-care professionals and policymakers arrive at properly-thought-through decisions to better manage health crises. Governments and all key players should address the challenge by devising effective policies with a gendered view.

scholarly journals A Feminist Future for the Pacific

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Cliffe
Keyword(s):  
Sexual And Gender Minorities ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Gender Minorities ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Marginalised Groups ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender

The COVID–19 pandemic continues to devastate the lives and wellbeing of millions of people around the world; women and girls, people with disabilities, youth, older people, and sexual and gender minorities are most at risk of ‘being left behind’. While confirmed cases of COVID–19 are low in the Pacific compared with other regions, the threat of the virus remains and the wider social and economic impacts are already evident. Pacific Island countries grappling with pervasive inequality, sustainable development challenges and climate change now must consider their response to the COVID–19 pandemic. This paper envisions an inclusive and transformative feminist response focused on four key outcomes: preserving access to healthcare and essential services; promoting women’s economic empowerment; protecting women and girls from gender–based violence; and supporting vulnerable and marginalised groups to express their voice and claim their rights amid the pandemic.

scholarly journals Menstrual Hygiene Practices among Adolescent Girls

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 364-366
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Cycle Plays

The menstruation cycle plays a major role in every women’s life, with this periodic cycle she undergoes a lot of stress and strains due to her mental and physiological balancing issues, because of the hormone changes. By the time of menstruation, she seeks some comfort with her, for this the sanitary napkins ran a greater part by avoiding the leakages of blood contaminant in her cloths. Some of the pads having wings or flaps that fold over the sides of underwear to protect against from leaks and stains. Also in some rural areas the women’s not much aware of maintaining the menstruation hygiene, they are using some rectangular fabric and can be washed then reused. In the hygiene part of menstruation women are unaware of determining the whole imbalance activities of maintaining cleanliness.

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