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2024 Highlights: A Year of Resilience and Progress in Advancing SRHR

In 2024, against a backdrop of challenges, remarkable strides were made in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across East, Southeast Asia, and Oceania Region.

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16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos
story

| 14 April 2022

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos

On the 10th of December 2021, IPPF ESEAOR and Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) organized a panel discussion about online activities and SRHR in Asia. Advocates and experts for GBV in online spaces shared their experiences and key methods during their presentations and Q&A session.  This dialogue highlighted the importance of establishing safe online spaces for citizens, civil societies, and human rights activists to develop GBV issues in Asia. Especially, under the COVID-19 pandemic, more abusive reactions in the digital spaces have been observed as the demands for online activities have risen. The international and domestic governance teams should take immediate and effective actions for securing safe online spaces for everyone.  Nandhini Mazumder, Assistant Coordinator at ASAP gave the opening presentation highlighting the online GBV issues enabled by the AI algorithm, privacy, surveillance, and censorship.   The event was divided into two-panel discussions. The first panel focused on the experiences of managing digital spaces, such as tele-helplines, social media accounts and online activism. It was facilitated by Natassha, Senior Advocacy Officer at IPPF ESEAOR. Each panelist brought a unique experience and innovative ideas to navigate gender spaces online. Our first panelist, Kris Anne, an active IPPF Youth Volunteer, Family Planning Organisations of Philippines (FPOP). She is a trained peer educator and as well as a trained Community-Based Screening Motivator. She emphasized the role of the internet as an SRHR advocacy tool against GBV. She talked about Your Hotline, an online hotline through social media (FB), which contributed to creating safe spaces. Despite the challenges, they are working on building their digital security and pushing for gender-sensitive packages. The second panelist, Amalia from Women on Web has been involved in many research and advocacy projects on SRHR. She has also been an active member of PurpleCode Collective, a collective working towards a feminist internet. Amalia talked about building online solidarity spaces. Through this, we can strengthen collaborative actions and challenge the adversaries together with the government, civil society, and big tech companies.   Our third panelist, Pushpa Joshi, a co-founder of YoSHAN Nepal is working on multiple SRHR activities digitally. An advent advocate of legalizing sex work in Nepal, Pushpa is working day and night against the rising sexism and hate speech in online spaces. To tackle this, they are collectively working to curb misinformation and share correct information about SRHR. Our final panelist, Noval Auliady from Jakarta Feminist has created the carilayanan.com as a cyber-based response to SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) in Indonesia. While sharing his motivation to create this platform, Noval said, “We recognize that people live with their perpetrators. We give them options to access help safely.” He further emphasized the power of youth people and our actions, “Don’t stop talking, tweeting, and posting!”   The second panel was an expert discussion facilitated by Ayesha Bashir, ASAP who interviewed Kirthi Jayakumar to discuss the larger issues of the role of feminist movements, the challenges we face to build safe spaces online and how can we use technology to empower ourselves. Kirthi Jayakumar is a lawyer and feminist researcher. She founded The Gender Security Project, a digital repository on the WPS Agenda and Conflict-related Sexual Violence. She coded Saahas, a mobile app and chatbot to help survivors of gender-based violence find help across 196 countries, and to enable bystander intervention. Kirthi eloquently described the issues we as feminists face while accessing technologies. She also discussed in detail the patriarchal structures that make online spaces rigid, unaccountable, and inaccessible to women and gender non-conforming individuals. She inspired us to not give up and to identify the role of technology to visibilise ourselves and feminize online spaces. In her words, “there is power in numbers. We must get our voice heard while we celebrate our own differences.”  She added, “technologies have the power to empower, however, we also need to develop education, regulation, and legal systems for safer online spaces.” In her closing remarks, Dr. Suchitra Dalvie, co-founder of ASAP, fueled our activism by adding, “Tomorrow is already here and if we want to lead the conversation around the issues, we care about deeply we have a responsibility to understand the shifting and blurring of issues that are core to our work.”   Banner illustration by Shreya Tingal.  Graphic recordings by Claudine Delfin.  Watch the recording here.

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos
story

| 10 December 2021

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos

On the 10th of December 2021, IPPF ESEAOR and Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) organized a panel discussion about online activities and SRHR in Asia. Advocates and experts for GBV in online spaces shared their experiences and key methods during their presentations and Q&A session.  This dialogue highlighted the importance of establishing safe online spaces for citizens, civil societies, and human rights activists to develop GBV issues in Asia. Especially, under the COVID-19 pandemic, more abusive reactions in the digital spaces have been observed as the demands for online activities have risen. The international and domestic governance teams should take immediate and effective actions for securing safe online spaces for everyone.  Nandhini Mazumder, Assistant Coordinator at ASAP gave the opening presentation highlighting the online GBV issues enabled by the AI algorithm, privacy, surveillance, and censorship.   The event was divided into two-panel discussions. The first panel focused on the experiences of managing digital spaces, such as tele-helplines, social media accounts and online activism. It was facilitated by Natassha, Senior Advocacy Officer at IPPF ESEAOR. Each panelist brought a unique experience and innovative ideas to navigate gender spaces online. Our first panelist, Kris Anne, an active IPPF Youth Volunteer, Family Planning Organisations of Philippines (FPOP). She is a trained peer educator and as well as a trained Community-Based Screening Motivator. She emphasized the role of the internet as an SRHR advocacy tool against GBV. She talked about Your Hotline, an online hotline through social media (FB), which contributed to creating safe spaces. Despite the challenges, they are working on building their digital security and pushing for gender-sensitive packages. The second panelist, Amalia from Women on Web has been involved in many research and advocacy projects on SRHR. She has also been an active member of PurpleCode Collective, a collective working towards a feminist internet. Amalia talked about building online solidarity spaces. Through this, we can strengthen collaborative actions and challenge the adversaries together with the government, civil society, and big tech companies.   Our third panelist, Pushpa Joshi, a co-founder of YoSHAN Nepal is working on multiple SRHR activities digitally. An advent advocate of legalizing sex work in Nepal, Pushpa is working day and night against the rising sexism and hate speech in online spaces. To tackle this, they are collectively working to curb misinformation and share correct information about SRHR. Our final panelist, Noval Auliady from Jakarta Feminist has created the carilayanan.com as a cyber-based response to SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) in Indonesia. While sharing his motivation to create this platform, Noval said, “We recognize that people live with their perpetrators. We give them options to access help safely.” He further emphasized the power of youth people and our actions, “Don’t stop talking, tweeting, and posting!”   The second panel was an expert discussion facilitated by Ayesha Bashir, ASAP who interviewed Kirthi Jayakumar to discuss the larger issues of the role of feminist movements, the challenges we face to build safe spaces online and how can we use technology to empower ourselves. Kirthi Jayakumar is a lawyer and feminist researcher. She founded The Gender Security Project, a digital repository on the WPS Agenda and Conflict-related Sexual Violence. She coded Saahas, a mobile app and chatbot to help survivors of gender-based violence find help across 196 countries, and to enable bystander intervention. Kirthi eloquently described the issues we as feminists face while accessing technologies. She also discussed in detail the patriarchal structures that make online spaces rigid, unaccountable, and inaccessible to women and gender non-conforming individuals. She inspired us to not give up and to identify the role of technology to visibilise ourselves and feminize online spaces. In her words, “there is power in numbers. We must get our voice heard while we celebrate our own differences.”  She added, “technologies have the power to empower, however, we also need to develop education, regulation, and legal systems for safer online spaces.” In her closing remarks, Dr. Suchitra Dalvie, co-founder of ASAP, fueled our activism by adding, “Tomorrow is already here and if we want to lead the conversation around the issues, we care about deeply we have a responsibility to understand the shifting and blurring of issues that are core to our work.”   Banner illustration by Shreya Tingal.  Graphic recordings by Claudine Delfin.  Watch the recording here.

2 women in Pakistan
story

| 28 February 2022

Serving Afghan refugees in Pakistan - Update from RESPOND

UNHCR  recorded approximately 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2021, with 30,000 arriving in August alone as the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Government's capacity to respond to this humanitarian crisis remains limited given the scale of need. Living conditions in many camps are poor, with overcrowding a major challenge. Pervasive gender inequality and a de-prioritisation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care mean that women and girls are particularly vulnerable and at heightened risk of illness and death from preventable causes including unsafe abortions and maternal complications. With support from the Australian Government, IPPF is addressing SRH needs through the RESPOND program. This program, running across 19 countries where IPPF has a presence, aims to serve 13,440 Afghan refugees in Pakistan over two years (2021-2023).  IPPF Pakistani Member Association (MA), the Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), is central to these efforts. Since the onset of RESPOND in August 2021, FPAP has already conducted 37 medical camps reaching over 2,000 people across Peshawar and Khyber Agency districts in KP, and in Quetta and Pishin districts in Balochistan, housing the most Afghan refugees in the country. Almost 40 per cent of women and girls accessing care with FPAP are below the age of 20. Some of the clients being reached have been refugees in Pakistan for a long time, whereas others have recently crossed the border. Once in Pakistan, they have limited access to government services.   Women and girls make up 96 per cent of clients accessing the FPAP medical camps. Most women being treated are married with children, with the overwhelming majority seeking SRH services for: Obstetric, gynaecological and antenatal care Menstruation support Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) Sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV) Family planning With the unfolding humanitarian crisis, access to family planning enables women and girls to control whether and when to have children. Currently, FPAP reports that almost half of clients (49%) in the camps are opting for the oral conceptive pill, whilst 1 in 5 are seeking condoms and a smaller proportion are accessing Sayana Press (a form of contraceptive injectable that lasts for 3 months). Long-term methods such as IUDs are not very popular, likely because they’re deemed invasive to privacy or culturally inappropriate. A major challenge in the camps being reported right now is SGBV. FPAP staff has reported a worrying lack of counselling and mental health services available for refugees in KP and Balochistan, in addition to clinical care for survivors of sexual violence. As such, SGBV remains a key priority of FPAP when delivering medical camps.  Nasrin , aged 38, reported ongoing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of male family members. Married with four children, her husband is drug user and as such, the family’s only source of income is from Nasrin’s brother-in-law, who repeatedly beat her. With no financial means to support herself if she were to leave, Nasrin attended the camp to see guidance from FPAP. FPAP was able to provide counselling, clinical care, and connected her with a local NGO focused on women-led income generation.  Supporting women like Nasrin gives rise to the profound impact that the RESPOND program is having. Afghan women and girls are so often silenced, and their health and wellbeing needs are regularly ignored. For many Afghani refugees encamped in Pakistan, services enabled through RESPOND are a lifeline to receive essential SRH care and ensure the futures of those most vulnerable.  

2 women in Pakistan
story

| 28 February 2022

Serving Afghan refugees in Pakistan - Update from RESPOND

UNHCR  recorded approximately 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2021, with 30,000 arriving in August alone as the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Government's capacity to respond to this humanitarian crisis remains limited given the scale of need. Living conditions in many camps are poor, with overcrowding a major challenge. Pervasive gender inequality and a de-prioritisation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care mean that women and girls are particularly vulnerable and at heightened risk of illness and death from preventable causes including unsafe abortions and maternal complications. With support from the Australian Government, IPPF is addressing SRH needs through the RESPOND program. This program, running across 19 countries where IPPF has a presence, aims to serve 13,440 Afghan refugees in Pakistan over two years (2021-2023).  IPPF Pakistani Member Association (MA), the Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), is central to these efforts. Since the onset of RESPOND in August 2021, FPAP has already conducted 37 medical camps reaching over 2,000 people across Peshawar and Khyber Agency districts in KP, and in Quetta and Pishin districts in Balochistan, housing the most Afghan refugees in the country. Almost 40 per cent of women and girls accessing care with FPAP are below the age of 20. Some of the clients being reached have been refugees in Pakistan for a long time, whereas others have recently crossed the border. Once in Pakistan, they have limited access to government services.   Women and girls make up 96 per cent of clients accessing the FPAP medical camps. Most women being treated are married with children, with the overwhelming majority seeking SRH services for: Obstetric, gynaecological and antenatal care Menstruation support Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) Sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV) Family planning With the unfolding humanitarian crisis, access to family planning enables women and girls to control whether and when to have children. Currently, FPAP reports that almost half of clients (49%) in the camps are opting for the oral conceptive pill, whilst 1 in 5 are seeking condoms and a smaller proportion are accessing Sayana Press (a form of contraceptive injectable that lasts for 3 months). Long-term methods such as IUDs are not very popular, likely because they’re deemed invasive to privacy or culturally inappropriate. A major challenge in the camps being reported right now is SGBV. FPAP staff has reported a worrying lack of counselling and mental health services available for refugees in KP and Balochistan, in addition to clinical care for survivors of sexual violence. As such, SGBV remains a key priority of FPAP when delivering medical camps.  Nasrin , aged 38, reported ongoing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of male family members. Married with four children, her husband is drug user and as such, the family’s only source of income is from Nasrin’s brother-in-law, who repeatedly beat her. With no financial means to support herself if she were to leave, Nasrin attended the camp to see guidance from FPAP. FPAP was able to provide counselling, clinical care, and connected her with a local NGO focused on women-led income generation.  Supporting women like Nasrin gives rise to the profound impact that the RESPOND program is having. Afghan women and girls are so often silenced, and their health and wellbeing needs are regularly ignored. For many Afghani refugees encamped in Pakistan, services enabled through RESPOND are a lifeline to receive essential SRH care and ensure the futures of those most vulnerable.  

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos
story

| 14 April 2022

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos

On the 10th of December 2021, IPPF ESEAOR and Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) organized a panel discussion about online activities and SRHR in Asia. Advocates and experts for GBV in online spaces shared their experiences and key methods during their presentations and Q&A session.  This dialogue highlighted the importance of establishing safe online spaces for citizens, civil societies, and human rights activists to develop GBV issues in Asia. Especially, under the COVID-19 pandemic, more abusive reactions in the digital spaces have been observed as the demands for online activities have risen. The international and domestic governance teams should take immediate and effective actions for securing safe online spaces for everyone.  Nandhini Mazumder, Assistant Coordinator at ASAP gave the opening presentation highlighting the online GBV issues enabled by the AI algorithm, privacy, surveillance, and censorship.   The event was divided into two-panel discussions. The first panel focused on the experiences of managing digital spaces, such as tele-helplines, social media accounts and online activism. It was facilitated by Natassha, Senior Advocacy Officer at IPPF ESEAOR. Each panelist brought a unique experience and innovative ideas to navigate gender spaces online. Our first panelist, Kris Anne, an active IPPF Youth Volunteer, Family Planning Organisations of Philippines (FPOP). She is a trained peer educator and as well as a trained Community-Based Screening Motivator. She emphasized the role of the internet as an SRHR advocacy tool against GBV. She talked about Your Hotline, an online hotline through social media (FB), which contributed to creating safe spaces. Despite the challenges, they are working on building their digital security and pushing for gender-sensitive packages. The second panelist, Amalia from Women on Web has been involved in many research and advocacy projects on SRHR. She has also been an active member of PurpleCode Collective, a collective working towards a feminist internet. Amalia talked about building online solidarity spaces. Through this, we can strengthen collaborative actions and challenge the adversaries together with the government, civil society, and big tech companies.   Our third panelist, Pushpa Joshi, a co-founder of YoSHAN Nepal is working on multiple SRHR activities digitally. An advent advocate of legalizing sex work in Nepal, Pushpa is working day and night against the rising sexism and hate speech in online spaces. To tackle this, they are collectively working to curb misinformation and share correct information about SRHR. Our final panelist, Noval Auliady from Jakarta Feminist has created the carilayanan.com as a cyber-based response to SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) in Indonesia. While sharing his motivation to create this platform, Noval said, “We recognize that people live with their perpetrators. We give them options to access help safely.” He further emphasized the power of youth people and our actions, “Don’t stop talking, tweeting, and posting!”   The second panel was an expert discussion facilitated by Ayesha Bashir, ASAP who interviewed Kirthi Jayakumar to discuss the larger issues of the role of feminist movements, the challenges we face to build safe spaces online and how can we use technology to empower ourselves. Kirthi Jayakumar is a lawyer and feminist researcher. She founded The Gender Security Project, a digital repository on the WPS Agenda and Conflict-related Sexual Violence. She coded Saahas, a mobile app and chatbot to help survivors of gender-based violence find help across 196 countries, and to enable bystander intervention. Kirthi eloquently described the issues we as feminists face while accessing technologies. She also discussed in detail the patriarchal structures that make online spaces rigid, unaccountable, and inaccessible to women and gender non-conforming individuals. She inspired us to not give up and to identify the role of technology to visibilise ourselves and feminize online spaces. In her words, “there is power in numbers. We must get our voice heard while we celebrate our own differences.”  She added, “technologies have the power to empower, however, we also need to develop education, regulation, and legal systems for safer online spaces.” In her closing remarks, Dr. Suchitra Dalvie, co-founder of ASAP, fueled our activism by adding, “Tomorrow is already here and if we want to lead the conversation around the issues, we care about deeply we have a responsibility to understand the shifting and blurring of issues that are core to our work.”   Banner illustration by Shreya Tingal.  Graphic recordings by Claudine Delfin.  Watch the recording here.

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos
story

| 10 December 2021

16 Days of Activism 2021 - Transforming Tech & Tackling Taboos

On the 10th of December 2021, IPPF ESEAOR and Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) organized a panel discussion about online activities and SRHR in Asia. Advocates and experts for GBV in online spaces shared their experiences and key methods during their presentations and Q&A session.  This dialogue highlighted the importance of establishing safe online spaces for citizens, civil societies, and human rights activists to develop GBV issues in Asia. Especially, under the COVID-19 pandemic, more abusive reactions in the digital spaces have been observed as the demands for online activities have risen. The international and domestic governance teams should take immediate and effective actions for securing safe online spaces for everyone.  Nandhini Mazumder, Assistant Coordinator at ASAP gave the opening presentation highlighting the online GBV issues enabled by the AI algorithm, privacy, surveillance, and censorship.   The event was divided into two-panel discussions. The first panel focused on the experiences of managing digital spaces, such as tele-helplines, social media accounts and online activism. It was facilitated by Natassha, Senior Advocacy Officer at IPPF ESEAOR. Each panelist brought a unique experience and innovative ideas to navigate gender spaces online. Our first panelist, Kris Anne, an active IPPF Youth Volunteer, Family Planning Organisations of Philippines (FPOP). She is a trained peer educator and as well as a trained Community-Based Screening Motivator. She emphasized the role of the internet as an SRHR advocacy tool against GBV. She talked about Your Hotline, an online hotline through social media (FB), which contributed to creating safe spaces. Despite the challenges, they are working on building their digital security and pushing for gender-sensitive packages. The second panelist, Amalia from Women on Web has been involved in many research and advocacy projects on SRHR. She has also been an active member of PurpleCode Collective, a collective working towards a feminist internet. Amalia talked about building online solidarity spaces. Through this, we can strengthen collaborative actions and challenge the adversaries together with the government, civil society, and big tech companies.   Our third panelist, Pushpa Joshi, a co-founder of YoSHAN Nepal is working on multiple SRHR activities digitally. An advent advocate of legalizing sex work in Nepal, Pushpa is working day and night against the rising sexism and hate speech in online spaces. To tackle this, they are collectively working to curb misinformation and share correct information about SRHR. Our final panelist, Noval Auliady from Jakarta Feminist has created the carilayanan.com as a cyber-based response to SGBV (Sexual and Gender-Based Violence) in Indonesia. While sharing his motivation to create this platform, Noval said, “We recognize that people live with their perpetrators. We give them options to access help safely.” He further emphasized the power of youth people and our actions, “Don’t stop talking, tweeting, and posting!”   The second panel was an expert discussion facilitated by Ayesha Bashir, ASAP who interviewed Kirthi Jayakumar to discuss the larger issues of the role of feminist movements, the challenges we face to build safe spaces online and how can we use technology to empower ourselves. Kirthi Jayakumar is a lawyer and feminist researcher. She founded The Gender Security Project, a digital repository on the WPS Agenda and Conflict-related Sexual Violence. She coded Saahas, a mobile app and chatbot to help survivors of gender-based violence find help across 196 countries, and to enable bystander intervention. Kirthi eloquently described the issues we as feminists face while accessing technologies. She also discussed in detail the patriarchal structures that make online spaces rigid, unaccountable, and inaccessible to women and gender non-conforming individuals. She inspired us to not give up and to identify the role of technology to visibilise ourselves and feminize online spaces. In her words, “there is power in numbers. We must get our voice heard while we celebrate our own differences.”  She added, “technologies have the power to empower, however, we also need to develop education, regulation, and legal systems for safer online spaces.” In her closing remarks, Dr. Suchitra Dalvie, co-founder of ASAP, fueled our activism by adding, “Tomorrow is already here and if we want to lead the conversation around the issues, we care about deeply we have a responsibility to understand the shifting and blurring of issues that are core to our work.”   Banner illustration by Shreya Tingal.  Graphic recordings by Claudine Delfin.  Watch the recording here.

2 women in Pakistan
story

| 28 February 2022

Serving Afghan refugees in Pakistan - Update from RESPOND

UNHCR  recorded approximately 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2021, with 30,000 arriving in August alone as the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Government's capacity to respond to this humanitarian crisis remains limited given the scale of need. Living conditions in many camps are poor, with overcrowding a major challenge. Pervasive gender inequality and a de-prioritisation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care mean that women and girls are particularly vulnerable and at heightened risk of illness and death from preventable causes including unsafe abortions and maternal complications. With support from the Australian Government, IPPF is addressing SRH needs through the RESPOND program. This program, running across 19 countries where IPPF has a presence, aims to serve 13,440 Afghan refugees in Pakistan over two years (2021-2023).  IPPF Pakistani Member Association (MA), the Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), is central to these efforts. Since the onset of RESPOND in August 2021, FPAP has already conducted 37 medical camps reaching over 2,000 people across Peshawar and Khyber Agency districts in KP, and in Quetta and Pishin districts in Balochistan, housing the most Afghan refugees in the country. Almost 40 per cent of women and girls accessing care with FPAP are below the age of 20. Some of the clients being reached have been refugees in Pakistan for a long time, whereas others have recently crossed the border. Once in Pakistan, they have limited access to government services.   Women and girls make up 96 per cent of clients accessing the FPAP medical camps. Most women being treated are married with children, with the overwhelming majority seeking SRH services for: Obstetric, gynaecological and antenatal care Menstruation support Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) Sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV) Family planning With the unfolding humanitarian crisis, access to family planning enables women and girls to control whether and when to have children. Currently, FPAP reports that almost half of clients (49%) in the camps are opting for the oral conceptive pill, whilst 1 in 5 are seeking condoms and a smaller proportion are accessing Sayana Press (a form of contraceptive injectable that lasts for 3 months). Long-term methods such as IUDs are not very popular, likely because they’re deemed invasive to privacy or culturally inappropriate. A major challenge in the camps being reported right now is SGBV. FPAP staff has reported a worrying lack of counselling and mental health services available for refugees in KP and Balochistan, in addition to clinical care for survivors of sexual violence. As such, SGBV remains a key priority of FPAP when delivering medical camps.  Nasrin , aged 38, reported ongoing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of male family members. Married with four children, her husband is drug user and as such, the family’s only source of income is from Nasrin’s brother-in-law, who repeatedly beat her. With no financial means to support herself if she were to leave, Nasrin attended the camp to see guidance from FPAP. FPAP was able to provide counselling, clinical care, and connected her with a local NGO focused on women-led income generation.  Supporting women like Nasrin gives rise to the profound impact that the RESPOND program is having. Afghan women and girls are so often silenced, and their health and wellbeing needs are regularly ignored. For many Afghani refugees encamped in Pakistan, services enabled through RESPOND are a lifeline to receive essential SRH care and ensure the futures of those most vulnerable.  

2 women in Pakistan
story

| 28 February 2022

Serving Afghan refugees in Pakistan - Update from RESPOND

UNHCR  recorded approximately 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2021, with 30,000 arriving in August alone as the Taliban took control in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Government's capacity to respond to this humanitarian crisis remains limited given the scale of need. Living conditions in many camps are poor, with overcrowding a major challenge. Pervasive gender inequality and a de-prioritisation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care mean that women and girls are particularly vulnerable and at heightened risk of illness and death from preventable causes including unsafe abortions and maternal complications. With support from the Australian Government, IPPF is addressing SRH needs through the RESPOND program. This program, running across 19 countries where IPPF has a presence, aims to serve 13,440 Afghan refugees in Pakistan over two years (2021-2023).  IPPF Pakistani Member Association (MA), the Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP), is central to these efforts. Since the onset of RESPOND in August 2021, FPAP has already conducted 37 medical camps reaching over 2,000 people across Peshawar and Khyber Agency districts in KP, and in Quetta and Pishin districts in Balochistan, housing the most Afghan refugees in the country. Almost 40 per cent of women and girls accessing care with FPAP are below the age of 20. Some of the clients being reached have been refugees in Pakistan for a long time, whereas others have recently crossed the border. Once in Pakistan, they have limited access to government services.   Women and girls make up 96 per cent of clients accessing the FPAP medical camps. Most women being treated are married with children, with the overwhelming majority seeking SRH services for: Obstetric, gynaecological and antenatal care Menstruation support Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) Sexual and Gender-based violence (SGBV) Family planning With the unfolding humanitarian crisis, access to family planning enables women and girls to control whether and when to have children. Currently, FPAP reports that almost half of clients (49%) in the camps are opting for the oral conceptive pill, whilst 1 in 5 are seeking condoms and a smaller proportion are accessing Sayana Press (a form of contraceptive injectable that lasts for 3 months). Long-term methods such as IUDs are not very popular, likely because they’re deemed invasive to privacy or culturally inappropriate. A major challenge in the camps being reported right now is SGBV. FPAP staff has reported a worrying lack of counselling and mental health services available for refugees in KP and Balochistan, in addition to clinical care for survivors of sexual violence. As such, SGBV remains a key priority of FPAP when delivering medical camps.  Nasrin , aged 38, reported ongoing physical and emotional abuse at the hands of male family members. Married with four children, her husband is drug user and as such, the family’s only source of income is from Nasrin’s brother-in-law, who repeatedly beat her. With no financial means to support herself if she were to leave, Nasrin attended the camp to see guidance from FPAP. FPAP was able to provide counselling, clinical care, and connected her with a local NGO focused on women-led income generation.  Supporting women like Nasrin gives rise to the profound impact that the RESPOND program is having. Afghan women and girls are so often silenced, and their health and wellbeing needs are regularly ignored. For many Afghani refugees encamped in Pakistan, services enabled through RESPOND are a lifeline to receive essential SRH care and ensure the futures of those most vulnerable.