In humanitarian settings, self-care offers an opportunity to ensure access to essential SRH services, even amidst a strained health system. This blog, written by IAWG members, discusses the need for self-care for SRH in humanitarian settings.
News Articles
In this English version of a podcast based on translations from the original Arabic, Fatima Azzeh from CARE interviews Samar Karamo and Baraa Bobaki from IHSAN Relief and Development, who talk about what they've learned on designing cash programming so it supports and protects women facing gender-based violence. This interview covers why cash is important, how to make sure we don't retraumatize survivors and the importance of understanding local context and testing our approach. It also shows how important it is to set up safety plans, think about potential harm, and build holistic services. it is also available in the original Arabic.
It's no secret that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have hit some harder than others. For women and girls, in particular, those effects are exacerbated by (and contribute to) gender-based violence (GBV). Over the past two years, partners in the field and our very own social entrepreneurs have learned nuanced connections between menstrual health (MH) needs and varying forms of GBV.This blog post explores those connections and discusses how supportive MH environments are an essential component of GBV prevention. As waves of the COVID-19 pandemic continue around the globe, this year's campaign urges us to remember women and girls and persevere in the fight for health, dignity, and opportunity for all.
In the final newsletter of the year, the African Youth Digest looks back at the exciting activities over the past year, including empowering men and youth to fight GBV, training 55 youth advocates to provide SRH services, 16 days of activism against GBV, and more.
December 1, 2021, marks the second World AIDS Day since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. For populations affected by conflict and crises, COVID-19 has held specific consequences for service delivery and access to care, including for HIV prevention and response. Interruptions to HIV service delivery are often experienced during disruptions such as civil unrest, elections, flooding, cyclones, and disease outbreaks. These disruptions may further drive the HIV epidemic by fueling gender-based violence, child labor, and lack of access to HIV services. As we observe World AIDS Day this year, the STIs/HIV Sub-Working Group (SWG) wishes to emphasize the need for adaptive strategies during humanitarian crises, particularly during the continued COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure uninterrupted service delivery to those we serve.
On October 11, 2022, International Day of the Girl, government leaders and other key stakeholders came together for an Advocacy Activation Meeting focusing on advancing menstrual equity in Malawi. The event was sponsored by The First Lady of Malawi's foundation, Shaping Our Future Foundation, Days for Girls Malawi, and UNFPA.