March 2012
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- Parent Category: News
- Published on Thursday, 22 March 2012 16:08
APA UPDATE #32 March 2012
E-NEWS AND INFORMATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
FROM THE SECRETARIAT
APA Factsheet to be Translated into 5 Languages
‘Women and Girls and the 2011 Political Declaration’ the factsheet produced by APA in collaboration with APCASO, will be translated into 5 local languages: Bahasa, Hindi, Mandarin, Nepali, and Thai. APA members Planned Parenthood Association of Thailand and Raks Thai Foundation will assist with the Thai version. Access the English version of the factsheet here.
FROM THE MEMBERS
APA Members at the CPD
Three APA Members will have representatives at the upcoming UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD): Family Planning International, New Zealand; Population Action International, Planned Parenhood Association of Thailand. The CPD has the theme Adolescents and Youth for its 45th session, and takes place in New York from 23-27 April.
UNAIDS Executive Director Opens Positive Women Inc.'s Community House
Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director, opened Positive Women Inc’s new community house in Auckland for women living with HIV, on March 8. Mr Sidibe was in New Zealand for a short visit with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), also present at the opening. The community house has been designed as a safe and welcoming space for women living with HIV and their families. Read more here.
AFPPD Promotes HIV and RH Awareness with Indian Legislators
AFPPD, with partner < IAPPD, organized a study visit to Thailand for 19 members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly of India, last month. The legislators observed programs and issues related to HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, including national challenges, policies, strategies, public health services and rule of law in Thailand during the 5 day tour.
SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA PACIFIC
Save the Date! For Regional Meeting on Beyond ICPD
'Beyond ICPD and the MDGs: NGOs strategizing for sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Asia-Pacific region' is being organized by ARROW in cooperation with GIZ and UNFPA. The meeting will be held 2-3 May in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Read more here.
GAVI Says Australian Funding Crucial
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) CEO Dr Seth Berkley says Australian funding will play a crucial role in savings lives in the developing world. Australia has contributed 94 million to GAVI, and a third of GAVI’s support goes to the Asia Pacific region. GAVI also works closely with AusAID and Australian NGOs on the ground to distribute the vaccines to those in need. Read more here.
GLOBAL NEWS, UPDATES AND RESOURCES
Seeking Input for UNFPA Global Survey
The ICPD Beyond 2014 Secretariat is sharing a draft of the UNFPA Global Survey with civil society and youth. UNFPA, with partners, is currently conducting a Global Review of the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action. The results of the Review will provide a robust report of what works and where gaps remain in how humanity can best focus efforts and move faster to a world where everyone enjoys a better quality of life with dignity. Get involved and share your feedback by 4 April here.
UN Launches Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children!
UNICEF and UNFPA launched a high-level commission to improve access to essential but overlooked health supplies that could save the lives of millions of women and children every year. The Commission will identify strategies for improving the delivery of essential health supplies, including strengthening local production capacities, promoting new technologies and products, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and enhancing innovative financing mechanisms at both the global and local levels. Read more here.
Human Rights Experts Call for Greater Accountability for Rio+20
In an open letter to world Governments, a group of 22 UN independent human rights experts called on States to incorporate universally agreed international human rights norms and standards with strong accountability mechanisms into the UN Rio+20 sustainable development conference’s goals, as the Rio+20 first round of informal-informal negotiations began today in New York. Read the letter here.
Human Rights Law Does Not Recognize a Right to Life Before Birth
According to a new toolkit ‘Whose Right to Life?: Women’s Rights and Prenatal Protections under Human Rights and Comparative Law’ published by The Center for Reproductive Rights. By examining international standards and national court precedents, it demonstrates that human rights law does not recognize a right to life before birth. It also explores the legal and human rights implications of recognizing an embryo or fetus as a rights holder, and proposes how states can legitimately promote an interest in prenatal life without undermining women’s rights. Access the factsheet here.
Apply Now: IPPF/WHR Consultancy for External Evaluator
IPPF/WHR has a request for proposal for an external evaluator to develop and initiate an evaluation framework and tools for the international advocacy work conducted by IPPF/WHR. The external evaluator will work closely with the WHR Advocacy and Evaluation Teams to help design a conceptual framework with which to assess the effectiveness of their international advocacy work. Access more information here.
- Details
- Parent Category: News
- Published on Thursday, 08 March 2012 15:11
APA UPDATE #31 March 2012
E-NEWS AND INFORMATION ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
FROM THE SECRETARIAT
Congratulations to Suzanne Ehlers – Named a Young Global Leader for 2012
APA wishes to extend a warm congratulations to our APA Steering Committee member, Suzanne Ehlers, President and CEO of Population Action International (PAI), who was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2012. The honor is bestowed each year by the Forum and recognizes up to 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. Read more here.
APA Invited to ‘Integrating Human Rights into National Strategic Plans Regional Workshop’
APA has been invited to the ‘Integrating Human Rights into National Strategic National Strategic Planning Regional Workshop’ taking place 14-16 March, in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop aims to create understanding regarding the importance addressing HIV-related human rights issues as a core component of effective HIV-responses and to generate support for rights-based responses to HIV.
FROM THE MEMBERS
New FPI Project in Kiribati
Family Planning International (FPI) NZ, is now implementing ‘The Healthy Families Project’ in Kiribati. The project aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of I-Kiribati living in the capital, South Tarawa. FPI is jointly implementing the project with the Kiribati Family Health Association. Read more here.
IPPF Seeking a Regional Director for East, South East Asia and Oceania Region
IPPF is seeking a Regional Director for East, South East Asia and Oceania Region (ESEAOR) to complete the implementation of its Strategic Framework. Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience working at a senior level in complex organizations, and will engage volunteers and staff to unite around a clearly prioritized delivery plan, mobilizing resources effectively through the Region. As part of the Director-General’s Senior Team, this position contributes to the international management and leadership of the organization. Access the job description here.
SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA PACIFIC
New Asia Pacific MDG Report Available
“Accelerating Equitable Achievement of the MDGs Closing Gaps in Health and Nutrition Outcomes”, the 2011/12 report produced by UN ESCAP, ADB and UNDP, in cooperation with UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO, is now available. In addition to illustrating regional disparities, two of the issues highlighted in the comprehensive resource are maternal health and gender equity. Access the report here.
Call for Applications to East and Central Asia Gender and Politics Training
Applications are now being accepted for the ‘Sub-Regional (East & Central Asia) Gender and Politics Level 1 Training’, organized by Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) in cooperation with CHRD (Centre for Human Rights & Development). Held in Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia from 16 – 18 May, the training aims to build on skills and capacity of women who want to engage in political processes and advance women’s agendas in their respective countries and across the region. Read more here.
Call for Papers on Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights
A call for papers on the topic of 'Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights' in SE Asia for the ‘Second International Conference on Human Rights And Peace and Conflict in South East Asia’ had been announced. The deadline for abstract submission is 25 May. The two day event takes place 17-18 October 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is jointly organized by the Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network (SEAHRN) and the Human Rights Center, Faculty of Law, Universitas Indonesia. Read more here.
People living with HIV and TB in Burma Unable to Access ART
Tens of thousands of people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in Myanmar are unable to access lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART), a dire situation exacerbated by the recent cancellation of a new round of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Read the Doctors Without Borders Report here.
GLOBAL NEWS, RESOURCES, AND UPDATES
Honouring International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) was celebrated yesterday, 8 March 2012. In honour of the day, the International Global Commission on Women and AIDS (GCWA) released a statement calling to intensify efforts to engage and empower girls and young women living with and affected by HIV - read it here. A new campaign, ‘Surviving the Global Fund Crisis, what next for Women?’ was also initiated on IWD. Read about the campaign here.
Groundbreaking Human Rights Council Debate on Violence and Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenders
The UN Human Rights Council held the first-ever formal UN inter-governmental debate on violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on 7 March. The first UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report specifically focusing on LGBT issues was published late last year, and documented discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Access the report here.
Link Between Abortion and Mental Health Problems?
A study purporting to show a causal link between abortion and subsequent mental health problems has fundamental analytical errors that render its conclusions invalid, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Guttmacher Institute. Read more here.
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