August 2011
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- Parent Category: News
- Published on Friday, 19 August 2011 09:54
APA UPDATE #15 August 2011
E-NEWS AND INFORMATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
FROM THE SECRETARIAT
In the run-up to the International Congress on AIDS in Asia Pacific, ICAAP10, APA has focused this issue of the Update on events at the conference being held in Busan, Republic of Korea from 26-30 August.
Women and Girls Join the Community Forum, in the run-up to ICAAP10!
Women and girls’ participation at the 10th ICAAP Community Forum is being organized by APA, along with the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO), the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), the New Progressives Party Sexual Politics Committee (local partner in Korea) and the International Community of Women with HIV/AIDS-Asia Pacific (ICW-AP). Join us at the Community Forum on the 25th and the morning of the 26th, August 2011 at BEXCO in Busan, Republic of Korea. For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Join APA to ‘UnZip the Lips’ on Issues Facing Key Affected Women and Girls at ICAAP 10!
Key affected populations are presenting stories and realities from a women and girls’ perspective, sharing views on the extent to which women and girls’ needs and rights are being addressed in national HIV/AIDS policies and programmes. Attend the “Unzip the Lips: Meaningful participation of key affected women and girls in national HIV responses” session and listen to the voices of:
- Ms. Asha Ramiah (India), Indian Network of Positive People;
- Ms. Swikriti Rana (Nepal), YouthLEAD;
- Ms. Fatimah Abdullah (Malaysia), Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (TBC);
- Ms. Nidgie Tindoc (Philippines), Mindanao Advocates Association;
- Mr. Dean Lewis, Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs (Moderator)
In cooperation with Coalition of Asia Pacific Regional Networks on HIV/AIDS (7 Sisters) and regional partners, APA is organizing the Common Ground session being held on Saturday, 27 August 2011 from 16.00 – 18.00 pm at BEXCO, Glass Hall (2nd Floor) Room No.M-202-4.
Join APA to Meet the Donors and Dialogue about Mobilizing Resources for Key Affected Women and Girls, at ICAAP10!
“Money Talks” is an interactive dialogue for civil society, government officials and donors is being organized by APA, Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organizations (APCASO) and International Coalition on Women Living with HIV – Asia and the Pacific (ICW-AP), focusing on resource mobilization for key affected women and girls in a concentrated epidemic. Come and meet:
- Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Vice-President of Asian Development Bank
- Dr. Christoph Benn, Director for Partnerships and External Relations, Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria;
- Hon. John Hyde, MLA, Member for Perth, Australia;
- Ms. Shannon Kowalski, Senior Program Officer, Open Society Institute.
An exciting opportunity bringing donors and civil society together to discuss regional priorities and strategies as part of countries’ efforts to meet global commitments towards women and girls, the Common Ground session will be held Sunday, 28 August from 14.00 - 15.30 pm BEXCO, Glass Hall (2nd Floor) Room No. M-202-4.
MEMBER NEWS
AFPPD Session on Political Commitment and HIV/AIDS at ICAAP10
The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) is organizing a satellite session on “Political Commitment and HIV/AIDS: What’s Next?” at ICAAP10. The session will take place 27 August from 12 -13:30, BEXCO Convention Hall 105.
ICOMP Strategic Planning for SRHR and HIV/AIDS at ICAAP10
International Council on Management of Population Program (ICOMP) is organizing a presentation on “Strategic Planning for Linked Response to Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS” on 27 August at 15:20-16:30 at the BEXCO Convention Hall (1st Floor) C 103 &104.
PPFK Open Forum on Incorporation of SRHR service and HIV/AIDS Care Services
Planned Population Federation of Korea (PPFK) is organizing an open forum on the incorporation of SRHR service and HIV/AIDS care services on August 29 in Busan, Republic of Korea. APA will present on the topic "How MDG5 Helps HIV/AIDS”, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) East & South East Asia and Oceania Region (ESEAOR) will present on Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS service. The forum is also being partially supported through the APA Advocacy Grants program.
Congratulations to Burnet Researcher Awarded for HIV/AIDS Research
The Co-head of Burnet’s Centre for Virology, Professor Sharon Lewin, has been recognized for her contribution to research into HIV and AIDS, presented with the Fenner Award for 2011. The Fenner Award recognizes significant contribution to the vision and mission of the Institute in the areas of medical research and public health. Read more here.
PAI Discusses the Release of the PEPFAR Annual Country Operation Plan
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) released its annual Country Operational Plan (COP) Guidance last week. According to PAI, while it does contain some positive language on the need for family planning among both HIV-positive and negative women and the importance of comprehensive “combination prevention” approaches. Nevertheless, it is disappointing that OGAC refuses to fund contraceptives despite the fact that there is no statutory prohibition preventing them from doing so. Read more here.
NEWS, RESOURCES and OPPORTUNITIES
New Sources of Aid as Developing Countries Switch from Recipients to Donors
A recent article by the Economist highlights the increasing role that developing countries are playing as donors in development aid. India’s switch from the world’s biggest recipient to donor is part of a wider change shaking up foreign aid. Read more here.
RH Blog highlights why RH Rights are Key in an Age of Environmental and Population Change
RH reality check provides news, analysis and commentary on reproductive and sexual health and justice. "Of Rights and Resilience: Why Women’s Rights are Key to Thriving in the Age of the “Black Swan”, which highlights role of RH rights, is the first in a multi-part series to examine the causes and consequences of population and environmental change from various perspectives and the policies and actions that need to be put in place. Read more here.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education Meeting Report Available
The report from the Asia Pacific Regional Consultation on Sexuality Education and Gender, with a focus on reaching Adolescent Girls, is now available. Jointly organized by UNFPA, UNESCO and UNICEF it took place 18-21 July 2011, in Bangkok, Thailand. Access the report here.
The International Museum of Women calls for Submissions on Motherhood
The International Museum of Women (IMOW) - an online social change museum that uses art and multimedia technology to connect women across the globe, spark dialogue, and inspire action- is accepting submissions for a global community project “Your Voices: on Motherhood”. IMOW wants to showcase artists, filmmakers, photographers, musicians and writers’ work addressing a topic related to motherhood. Read more here.
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- Parent Category: News
- Published on Friday, 05 August 2011 10:19
APA UPDATE #14 August 2011
E-NEWS AND INFORMATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
FROM THE SECRETARIAT
New Resources on Youth Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Girl’s Empowerment
APA has been scaling up its resources on Comprehensive Sexuality Education and the Empowerment of Girls. A number of targeted resources have been added to the resources section of the website under “Youth.” They were gathered from the Regional Consultation on Sexuality Education and Gender in Bangkok from July 18- 20, which APA Secretariat attended. Access the resources here.
Online Consultation on Key Affected Women and Girls in the Run-up to 10 International Congress on AIDS in Asia and Pacific (ICAAP)
What strategies would you prioritize in order to address the needs and rights of key affected women and girls? Who do you consider key affected women and girls and what are the main challenges in ensuring a more enabling environment for them?
In cooperation with the Citizen News Service (CNS) and SEA-AIDS eForum team, APA Secretariat have put these questions forward in an online consultation on SEA- AIDS in the lead up to the 10 ICAAP that will take place in Busan, Republic of Korea from 24 - 30 August 2011.
The organizations are hosting the online consultation on key affected women and girls from 1-20 August. SEA-AIDS is a regional eForum focused on AIDS, and other health and development issues in Asia and the Pacific. To join the SEA-AIDS eForum send a blank message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
MEMBER NEWS
Raks Thai Holds Regional Meeting on SRHR of Mobile Populations
Approximately 25 participants from South East Asian countries attended the ‘Regional Meeting on Mobile Population and Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights in Thailand’ organized by Raks Thai from July 24-29. Participants visited projects for vulnerable migrant populations in either Trat or Samutsakorn province. Policy recommendations on capacity building for service providers in the provision of reproductive health services for mobile populations using a reproductive health rights-based approach were formulated as a result of the tour. Rose Koenders (APA Executive Director) shared information on advocacy strategies on reproductive health, and entry points with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Youth Living with HIV Express Their Right to Sexuality Education
Through the APA Advocacy Grants Program, the regional meeting ‘Advocacy for Sexual and Reproductive Health Education and Services for Youth Living with HIV in Northern Thailand,’ was held in Chiang Mai on July 30. Led by the youth themselves, the meeting was attended by Thailand’s Ministry of Health, Reproductive Health Division. As a result of the programme, a comprehensive curriculum was produced to address the need for sexual and reproductive health education of young people living with HIV.
Pathfinder’s Innovative HIV Program in India Targeting At-Risk Populations Published by Harvard
A new case study highlighting Pathfinder International’s innovative HIV prevention program in India with most-at-risk populations, including sex workers, has been published by Harvard Business Publishing and Harvard University’s Global Health Delivery Project. Pathfinder’s “Mukta” project in Maharashtra, India demonstrates HIV prevention taking a community and health system strengthening approach, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Avahan India AIDS Initiative. Read more here.
NEWS, RESOURCES and OPPORTUNITIES
New MSI Partnership Combines Community Action on AIDS and Family Planning
Marie Stopes International (MSI) and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance announced a new partnership which will combine their collective strengths within the sexual and reproductive health arena: community action on AIDS and family planning, as the leading causes of maternal and child death in many developing countries are the lack of quality antenatal care and family planning services, increasing rates of HIV infection and the gap in access to life-saving HIV treatment. For more information read here.
New Women’s Rights Blog by Reuters launches report on Child Marriage
A special multimedia report on child marriage had been launched by TrustLaw, a blog and news service set up by Reuters Foundation to promote women's rights. World experts including Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA Executive Director, are helping to kick-start the discussion. Read more here.
India Setting Up Foreign Aid Agency
The government of India is streamlining the process of aid delivery and monitoring of aided projects abroad by setting up an agency, Indian Agency for Partnership in Development. The agency will be modeled on the US Agency for International Development (USAID), handling aid and projects worth about R50,000 crore in the next 5-7 years and helping end discretionary financial powers of individual officials. In 2010-11 alone, the country extended a $3-billion new line of credit, including the highest ever one-time assistance of $1 billion to Bangladesh. Altogether, there are 121 Indian operational lines of credits to 54 countries worth $6.43 billion as of June this year. Read more here.
IPPF SARO Requesting Expressions of Interest to Develop Training Modules
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) South Asia Regional Office (SARO) is inviting 'Expressions of Interest' from leading SRHR and HIV organizations/individuals to develop 3 training modules OR any of the modules separately and to train project partners and CSOs on the following: a. Gender Equality and Mainstreaming in Global Fund proposals, b. Global Fund proposal writing and c. Global Fund budgetary processes and financial management. The modules are part of an EU supported project which will contribute to improve overall SRHR by empowering civil society to advocate for integrating SRH in Global fund mechanisms. More information is available here.
European Commission ODA Commitments for Reproductive Health and Population Programmes reach 5 Year High in 2010
The “Annual Report 2011 the European Union's development and external assistance policies and their implementation in 2010” has just been published, showing that commitments on population policies/programmes and reproductive health reached a five-year high in 2010 with 105 million EUR, or 0.98% of total ODA commitments. Providing aggregated data by region, sector and instrument on EU’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), it reports that 64 million EUR were committed through the EU's Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) thematic programmes, and 20 million EUR via the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) that exclusively support EU partner countries in the Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean. Read the report here.
Joint statement calls for clear Gender Equality Objectives and Targets within the EU Development Cooperation Instrument and other Funding Programs
A joint statement calling on policy-makers at EU and national level to ensure that total EU funding for women’s rights and gender equality within the EU Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 is increased or at least maintained has been released by European Women’s Lobby (EWL), WIDE Network, and the Gender Working Group of CONCORD (the European Confederation of Relief and Development NGOs). Furthermore, clear gender equality objectives and targets with earmarked budgets must be established within the Development Cooperation Instrument and other relevant funding programmes; gender mainstreaming made a requirement in the founding regulations of all financing programmes, and its operationalisation ensured with sufficient financial and human resources and followed up in strategic program documents. Read more here.
- Details
- Parent Category: News
- Published on Monday, 01 August 2011 09:59
APA UPDATE #13 August 2011
E-NEWS AND INFORMATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
FROM THE SECRETARIAT
Online Consultation on Key Affected Women and Girls in the Run-up to 10 International Congress on AIDS in Asia and Pacific
What strategies would you prioritize in order to address the needs and rights of key affected women and girls? Who do you consider key affected women and girls and what are the main challenges in ensuring a more enabling environment for them?
In cooperation with the Citizen News Service (CNS) and SEA-AIDS eForum team, the Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA) have put this question forward in an online consultation on SEA- AIDS in the lead up to the 10th International Congress on Aids in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) that will take place in Busan, Republic of Korea from 24 - 30 August 2011.
The organizations are hosting the online consultation on key affected women and girls, which is topic 2 and will run from 1-20 August. SEA-AIDS is a regional eForum focused on AIDS, and other health and development issues in Asia and the Pacific.
In order to ensure more attention to women and girls at 10 ICAAP and beyond, APA would like to offer this opportunity to hear from you in this online consultation. Join the consultation and be involved in our mobilization efforts to ensure more awareness and attention to key affected women and girls in the HIV and AIDS response.
Most countries in the Asia Pacific region are experiencing concentrated epidemics, with men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers (SW) and their clients, and people using drugs (PUD) identified as the key affected populations (KAPs). Programmes for KAPs should be designed to include women and girls such as female drug users, female and transgender sex workers and wives of married MSM. For example, women and girls have specific sexual and reproductive health needs that are often not sufficiently addressed in HIV and AIDS programmes.
Instructions to join the SEA-AIDS eForum:
- To join, send a blank message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- To leave, send a blank email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Alternatively you can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and your email address will be forwarded to the moderators for inclusion.
SEA-AIDS is coordinated by the Health & Development Networks eForums Team (HDN, www.hdnet.org) with the support of Irish Aid (www.irishaid.gov.ie).
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