Contents

• Small Projects • National Projects • Regional Projects
• Parliamentary Study Tours

The Australian Reproductive Health Alliance is currently developing an international program to further the aims of the ICPD by working in partnership with Pacific Island NGOs on public education programs on reproductive health, reproductive rights and sexuality education.

1. Small Projects

2001

a.Sexual Health Research - Solomon Island

Baseline STI/HIV/AIDS Behavioural Surveillance Survey for Solomon Islands Young People 2000.
A small top up grant was provided to a team of researchers investigating sexual health amongst youth in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. The goal of the report has been to present preliminary research findings about the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of young people in Auki, and how individual and wider factors affect these.

b.Domestic Violence Counselling and community education - Bougainville, PNG

ARHA has provided funding for a women's officer from Central Bougainville to attend a two-week training course at the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre. This course includes areas on: Domestic violence, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment, religious cultural and socio-economic issues and violence, gender sensitivity training and counselling skills, legal literacy, lobbying and advocacy, conventions of the Rights of the Child and CEDAW and media training. Further funding will support training for women's groups on domestic violence

c.Training for Traditional Birth Attendants - Bougainville, PNG

A two week workshop for 50 - Traditional birth attendants was funded and facilitated by ARHA in conjunction with Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency in Bougainville. During the civil war, the PNG blockade prevented medical and educational supplies reaching many areas in Bougainville which resulted in high mortality amongst pregnant women who no longer had access to medical attention. The maternal mortality in PNG has been estimated between 500-900 deaths per 100,000 births and with 40% of births still occurring at home, VBA training is seen as a priority.

2002

Peer education for Men in Port Vila - Vanuatu

a grant has been provided to Wan SmolBag (WSB) in Vanuatu, a community theatre organisation who also manage a Youth Drop-in centre in Port Vila and run peer educational programmes. This grant allows WSB to extend their peer education programmes. This grant allows WSB to extend their peer education programme to targeted men in Port Vila and surrounding settlements. Peer educators visit the Sea Front, Market house, Kava Bars, Night Clubs, peri-urban settlements and streets around Port Vila.

2. National Projects

At present there are no large programs within individual countries.

3. Regional Projects

Two regional projects for the Pacific Islands have been developed and are currently seeking funding.

a. Men as Partners

The Program of Action (POA), stresses that males as well as females must have access to appropriate information and services to achieve good sexual health and exercise their reproductive rights and responsibilities. Men's roles are seen as part of a strategy to strengthen preventative programs that address threats to women's health. Male involvement is used as an umbrella term to encompass the various ways in which men relate to reproductive health problems and programs, reproductive rights and reproductive behaviour. Men in the Pacific region are the main policy makers, media gatekeepers, religious leaders, managers, community leaders and heads of households. Men need information, counselling and services to address a wide range of problems and concerns related to reproductive health. For too long, men's role in reproductive health has been marginal, ignored or portrayed as selfish, uninterested and dismissive of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH). Programs that educate, test and equip only one partner will be ineffective. Men who are educated about sexual and reproductive health are more likely to support their partners in decisions on SRH, to play an important role in educating their sons and to ensure their daughters are given equal educational opportunities. Interventions involving men will have an impact on reducing not only their own vulnerability to infection or unplanned pregnancies, but an entire range of information as can be seen below.

A regional workshop for men in the Pacific is planned for October 2002 in Fiji. A workshop circular will shortly be available on the website for interested parties.

b. Reproductive Rights and Advocacy

This proposal addresses the need for increased advocacy and documentation of reproductive health rights by Pacific NGOs. Pro-active support of reproductive health and reproductive health rights is an essential part of affecting long-term change and requires more than existing information, education and communication (IEC) strategies. While advocacy may have as a long-term goal a change in attitudes or behaviours, short and medium term goals for specific campaigns may include changes in policies, legislation, budget and resource allocation, or increased media attention. Advocacy for reproductive health and rights takes place at the local and community, national, regional and international levels.

As agreed in the International Convention on Population and Development (ICPD), advocacy is a critical strategy for implementing reproductive health and right. However, exactly what is encompassed in Reproductive Health Rights is often an enigma to many women and NGOs in the Pacific. There is a need to supplement existing UNFPA programs specifically within the NGO community to clarify both rights issues and provide advocacy training and assistance.

4. Parliamentary Study Tours

Study tours for Parliamentarians provide an opportunity to observe both government and NGO programs working in the field of family planning and reproductive health. It provides closer links between Parliamentary Forums and can often lead ti closer collaboration especially on international conventions and foreign aid. A Danish Parliamentarian who had visited Tunisia and Morocco commented that the most important fact that she learnt was that developing country people want family planning, alleviating her concern that the North might be pushing an unwanted product on developing countries. Most parliamentarians are expected to report results of tours and can become ICPD "ambassadors", speaking and writing on issues.

ARHA has facilitated two tours and are currently planning a third tour to the Philippines in 2003.

Thailand and Vietnam

July 1998 - In Partnership with the Asian Forum on Population and Development (AFPPD) and NZFPA, the international arm of Family Planning New Zealand, ARHA organised a study tour of ten Australian and Four New Zealand Parliamentarians to Vietnam and Thailand in July 1998. Following this tour, two members from the house of representatives moved and seconded a Motion of Notice supporting overseas aid, recognising the commitment of the Thai and Vietnamese Governments as they work towards achieving their population and planning and community development goals. The two members were from opposing parties and it is almost unheard of for such a joint motion to be put.

Fiji and Vanuatu

July 1999 - Seven Parliamentarians toured Fiji and Vanuatu were also joined by MPs from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and the Assistant Health Minister from Fiji. The MPs were more than satisfied with where Australian Taxpayers money was being spent as well as being impressed with projects visited in these two islands. The Secretariat for the Pacific Community (SPC) acted as host partner for the group.

Philippines

The next tour will take place in the Philippines, an archipelago stretching from the South China Sea to the Northern tip of Borneo. The Philippines has a population of 76 million and an average total fertility rate of 3.7. Australia's assistance to the Philippines is focused on the southern Philippines, particularly Mindanao, where rural poverty is pervasive and where about one third of the nation's poor live. Australian aid of approximately $63.1 million per year focuses on the key areas of rural incomes, the environment, education and health and living standards for men, women and children living in poverty. Study tour partners will include the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD). It is anticipated that seven Australian and Two Pacific Islands Parliamentarians will undertake the tour.