2009-2010 - BIDS

Population, Health and Gender
Issues
Assessing the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice
of Religious Leaders towards Reproductive
Health and Gender Related Issues
The study examines the change in knowledge,
attitude and practices of trained religious leaders
relative to those not reached by the UNFPA
supported intervention programs on reproductive
health and gender related issues including violence
against women. The study brings out that training
of religious leaders improves the knowledge and
awareness towards major aspects of reproductive
health and gender issues. The findings suggest that
the level of knowledge of religious leaders regarding
‘safe motherhood’, ‘complications during pregnancy’
and understanding of ‘reproductive health’ changes
significantly because of training. Trained religious
leaders are found to deliver important messages
and disseminate information on the benefits of small
family, family planning, need for anti-natal and postnatal
care, and other aspects of reproductive health
including STD, HIV/AIDS. The study was completed in
April 2009 and its Project Director was M.A. Mannan
with Mohammad Sohail as the co-researcher.
The Stakeholders’ Consultation Report: The Mid
Term Review of the Bangladesh Health, Nutrition
and Population Sector Program
The consultation was organized to elicit views
of different stakeholders on family planning and
maternal health care services at the local level
and understand the major obstacles of women,
particularly rural women, in using these services.
The report was based on focus group discussions,
in-depth interviews, case studies and consultation
workshop with different stakeholders both at local
and national levels. The findings suggest that the
first important task with regard to maternal services
in the national level is to create awareness in the
community about importance of maternal health
care services and make people understand that the
act of childbearing viz. pregnancy and childbirth
require special attention and care. The project was
completed in August 2008 and Sharifa Begum was its
Project Director with Zulfiqar Ali as the co-researcher.
An Inventory and Statistics on Violence against
Women in Bangladesh: Who is Doing What and
Where
The study provides an inventory of statistics
on violence against women in Bangladesh
and identifies existing services to address the
needs of the victims of violence and suggests
indicators for monitoring. The findings show that
violence against women is rising especially due
to unchanged deep rooted values, beliefs and
attitudes towards women, social tolerance of
domestic violence, and lack of gender sensitivity in
dealing with cases of violence. Various actions are
suggested for reducing violence against women
such as organizing resistance movement, creating
awareness, providing legal services and working
for legal reforms. The study was completed in May
2009 and its Project Director was M.A. Mannan
with Salma Chaudhuri Zohir as the co-researcher.
Discriminatory Provisions Towards Women and
Girls
In order to promote women’s human rights and
protect all their interests, the UN CEDAW is an
international human rights treaty devoted to the
rights of women. The study assesses the CEDAW
implementation in Bangladesh based mostly on
secondary information and recommends that
measures have to be taken to create awareness
among people, particularly among policymakers,
planners and program/project implementers
about CEDAW, NPWA, and NAP to make them
gender sensitive and enable them to appreciate
the role and importance of women. The study was
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BIDS Biennial Report 2009-2010