Thirty women leaders from across the country are currently attending a 3-days workshop to develop an action plan on how to improve reproductive health services in their respective communities.
The program that has been put together by Ministry of Women and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) features presentations by the Fiji Police, Ministry of Health, Empower Pacific and Medical Services Pacific (MSP).
The interactive session between the women leaders and the service providers will see information sharing and identifying strategies to effectively address issues like teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s), Gender Based Violence, suicide, abuse of alcohol and drugs.
The director for the Department of Women, Mrs Arieta Moceica says that the strategies identified by the women leaders will help to effectively carry out their roles as family planning agents in their communities.
“These women leaders have come as far as Taveuni, Kadavu, Naitasiri highlands, Tailevu, Rewa and Ra. They represent the communities that already have infrastructure like Women Resource Centres developed by the Ministry. These Centres create opportunities for women to earn income and now these facilities will be used as a platform to disseminate information and raise awareness on the sexual reproductive health, particularly targeting women, youths and young mothers.
“The women leaders will go back with ample information and share their knowledge with the male leaders, women and youths in their communities. They will also be provided with resource materials and contraceptives like condoms are one of the many family planning tools made available at the women resource centres. Our team will continuously monitor this program and work together with the family planning agents,” Mrs Moceica explained.
Representing the women from Cakaudrove Multicultural Women’s Resource Centre in Taveuni, Mrs Nanise Ratu, said that the workshop have given them confidence to overcome challenges that they face in their communities.
“In Taveuni, there are 72 women’s groups that usually meet at the Cakaudrove Women’s Centre. And time and again, we hear about reports like teenage pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and we need awareness such as this to help us make informed decisions about our reproductive health.
“Often talking about issues like women’s sexual health is not a very comfortable topic in traditional communities. This workshop has been an eye opener for us women leaders, on the importance of getting right information regarding our reproductive health. Now we when return to our communities, we will be able to share the things we have learnt and help more women and youths to protect themselves from killer diseases like HIV/AIDS,” Mrs Ratu said.
The following statistics provided by the Ministry of Health reveals that:
· Of the 493 people living with HIV/AIDS registered in the past four years in Fiji, 85 per cent contracted the disease through heterosexual sex.
· The majority of those living with HIV/AIDS are in most productive age range of 20-29 years of age.
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