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RCC Learning Workshop with Participants of SRHR and Law Courses 2016

The Recognizing Consent and Choice (RCC) project is led by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), in partnership with the BRAC James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, supported by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU).

A half-day learning workshop was organized in January 2017, with 23 participants working with diverse communities, including men, women, transgendered persons, adolescent girls and boys, garment workers, and persons with disabilities. This aimed to document their learning from two capacity building short courses on SRHR and the Law, organized under the Recognizing Consent and Choice (RCC) project for legal and SRHR practitioners in 2016. The workshop was facilitated by gender expert, Maheen Sultan from BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, with support from Sara Hossain, Honorary Executive Director, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST). It was organised jointly by BLAST and JPGSPH.

Objective: To assess changes in participants’ knowledge on SRHR and related laws, and their experiences of using their learning

KEY LEARNINGS

  • International Conference on Population and Development
  • Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) concepts
  • Women’s human rights
  • Gender roles and analysis
  • Existing SRHR laws
  • Understanding SRHR as human rights
  • Masculinities
  • Approaching issues of diversity
  • Consent, choice, and need in respect of SRHR
  • Rape and related laws
  • Labour laws
  • LGBT rights
  • Sex workers’ rights
  • Protecting SRHR through law

APPLYING LEARNING IN PRACTICE

  • Counselling adolescents on SRHR
  • Holding medical consultations on SRH
  • Advising legal clients
  • Implementing projects
  • Developing training content
  • Research and advocacy
  • Analyzing legal policies and gaps from an SRHR perspective
  • Supporting marginalized communities and their family members

KNOWLEDGE GAPS AND BARRIERS TO APPLICATION

  • Limited recognition of SRHR in existing laws
  • Lack of availability of accurate information on SRHR laws
  • Lack of public awareness about SRHR laws
  • Challenges in SRHR programme implementation
  • Limited government initiatives on SRHR
  • Limited youth participation

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Research or advocacy organizations should systematically refer cases to legal services organizations for support
  • Share inter-organizational information/experience
  • Map SRHR service providers, focusing on specific issues
  • Share IEC materials on SRHR between organisations
  • Publicize the 109 National Helpline Number for Violence against Women and Girls, and the National Emergency Helpline 999”
  • Disseminate information through adolescent-focused campaigns (e.g. giving information on phone apps, booklets, etc.)
  • Identification of causes to be analysed
  • Seek research funding

One of the participants in the workshop said, “I work on gender, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. After the course, now I can relate legal issues with work areas/issues.”

For more details, please find the report: RCC Learning Workshop Report _ January 2017

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