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Bangladesh: Rh Curriculum Enhances Vocational Students' Knowledge And Behavior, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Bangladesh: Rh Curriculum Enhances Vocational Students' Knowledge And Behavior, Frontiers In Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health
In 2004, the Population Council’s FRONTIERS Program and the Bangladesh Ministry of Youth and Sports collaborated on an intervention to introduce reproductive health education into government-run vocational-training courses. The training, offered to males and females aged 15–30, includes livestock husbandry, electronics, and secretarial work. The intervention built upon the positive results of the 1999 Bangladesh Youth Reproductive Health Study, which introduced a life-skills curriculum into secondary schools. The interactive reproductive health curriculum was modified to suit older adolescents and youth attending courses at vocational training centers. Topics included reproductive biology, family planning, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, critical thinking, and negotiation …
The Impact Of Childhood Mortality On Fertility In Six Rural Thanas Of Bangladesh, Mian Bazle Hossain, James F. Phillips, Thomas K. Legrand
The Impact Of Childhood Mortality On Fertility In Six Rural Thanas Of Bangladesh, Mian Bazle Hossain, James F. Phillips, Thomas K. Legrand
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This Population Council working paper examines the causal structure of the relationship between child mortality events and subsequent fertility during a time of rapid decline in fertility in Bangladesh. Results lend support to the hypothesis of an insurance effect, while demonstrating that its demographic significance is likely to be less prominent than that of replacement behavior. Findings indicate that the insurance motive remains intact even after total fertility declined to fewer than three children per woman. The well-documented role of gender bias as a determinant of child health and survival is also a factor in child-replacement decisionmaking. Although the rapid …
Integration Of Reproductive Health Services For Men In Health And Family Welfare Centers In Bangladesh, Ubaidur Rob, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan, Ahmed Al-Sabir, Mohammed Ahsanul Alam
Integration Of Reproductive Health Services For Men In Health And Family Welfare Centers In Bangladesh, Ubaidur Rob, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan, Ahmed Al-Sabir, Mohammed Ahsanul Alam
Reproductive Health
Since the mid-1970s, the Bangladesh national family planning program primarily focused on motivating women to use modern contraceptive methods and encouraging them to seek services from clinics. In addition, female field workers were recruited to deliver contraceptive methods at homes. The program design facilitated women’s access to information and medical care through clinics and home visits. In the process, however, the medical needs of males were marginalized. Men generally seek services from pharmacies, private practitioners, and district hospitals, and often ignore preventive steps and postpone seeking medical care for chronic health conditions. In cases of acute illness, they often resort …
Does Dowry Improve Life For Brides? A Test Of The Bequest Theory Of Dowry In Rural Bangladesh, Luciana Suran, Sajeda Amin, Lopita Huq, Kobita Chowdury
Does Dowry Improve Life For Brides? A Test Of The Bequest Theory Of Dowry In Rural Bangladesh, Luciana Suran, Sajeda Amin, Lopita Huq, Kobita Chowdury
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In recent years, dowry levels in Bangladesh have risen to previously unforeseen levels—sometimes three or four times a family’s total assets. Some recent economic writings suggest that dowry functions as a bequest or pre-mortem inheritance, implying it persists because it is “good for the bride.” Using panel data from an adolescent study in rural Bangladesh, this Population Council working paper explores the association between dowry and the prevalence of domestic abuse to test the bequest theory of dowry. Contrary to the prediction of the bequest theory, married females who paid dowry at marriage have a higher likelihood of reporting domestic …
Popular Perceptions Of Emerging Influences On Mortality And Longevity In Bangladesh And West Bengal, Sajeda Amin, Alaka Malwade Basu
Popular Perceptions Of Emerging Influences On Mortality And Longevity In Bangladesh And West Bengal, Sajeda Amin, Alaka Malwade Basu
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Although new environmental and pathological threats to human survival and longevity have been documented, relatively little is known about how these threats are perceived in the popular imagination. During fieldwork in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, researching the changing costs of and motivations for reproduction, the authors included survey questions on respondents’ perceptions of changing mortality. Child-mortality levels were perceived to have fallen drastically in recent times, but for the middle-aged and the elderly, the past was seen as a better time in terms of health and survival. The decline in adult health is attributed to environmental deterioration and …
Marriage In Transition: Evidence On Age, Education, And Assets From Six Developing Countries, Agnes R. Quisumbing, Kelly Hallman
Marriage In Transition: Evidence On Age, Education, And Assets From Six Developing Countries, Agnes R. Quisumbing, Kelly Hallman
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Marriage is an event of great social and economic significance in most societies. Despite the centrality of marriage in an individual’s life history, the literature on marriage patterns pays little attention to men. This paper examines trends in schooling, age, and assets at marriage for both men and women, and spousal differences in these variables in six countries-Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa-using comparable data sets and methodologies.
Marriage In Transition: Evidence On Age, Education, And Assets From Six Developing Countries [Arabic], Agnes R. Quisumbing, Kelly Hallman
Marriage In Transition: Evidence On Age, Education, And Assets From Six Developing Countries [Arabic], Agnes R. Quisumbing, Kelly Hallman
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Marriage is an event of great social and economic significance in most societies. Despite the centrality of marriage in an individual’s life history, the literature on marriage patterns pays little attention to men. This paper examines trends in schooling, age, and assets at marriage for both men and women, and spousal differences in these variables in six countries-Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa-using comparable data sets and methodologies.
Evidence-Based Development Of Health And Family Planning Programs In Bangladesh And Ghana, James F. Phillips, Tanya C. Jones, Frank K. Nyonator, Shruti Ravikumar
Evidence-Based Development Of Health And Family Planning Programs In Bangladesh And Ghana, James F. Phillips, Tanya C. Jones, Frank K. Nyonator, Shruti Ravikumar
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper describes two initiatives that have used experimental studies to guide the development of community-based health and family planning programs. In Bangladesh and Ghana, factorial experiments were implemented in stages. An exploratory phase developed a service system for community-based health care; an experimental phase assessed the demographic impact of the system; a replication phase examined the transferability of the experimental program to a non-research setting; and a scaling-up phase facilitated the extension of the new system to the national health care program. All stages were guided by research, with questions, mechanisms, and outcomes shifting as the process developed. Large-scale …
Training Service Providers On Emergency Contraception: Lessons Learned From An Or Study, M.E. Khan, Sharif M.I. Hossain
Training Service Providers On Emergency Contraception: Lessons Learned From An Or Study, M.E. Khan, Sharif M.I. Hossain
Reproductive Health
The Bangladesh Directorate of Family Planning in collaboration with the Population Council, Pathfinder International, and John Snow, Inc. is conducting an operations research project to test the feasibility of introducing emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) in the national family planning (FP) program and to answer operational questions on implementing the use of ECP efficiently. In Bangladesh, 1.2 million births are unplanned and the number of menstrual regulation/abortions is increasing. ECP could be a good reproductive health intervention for women since it gives them a chance to avoid unwanted pregnancy. ECP does not induce abortion. In fact, it helps in reducing the …
Introducing Emergency Contraception In Bangladesh: A Feasibility Study, M.E. Khan, Sharif M.I. Hossain
Introducing Emergency Contraception In Bangladesh: A Feasibility Study, M.E. Khan, Sharif M.I. Hossain
Reproductive Health
Approximately 28,000 maternal deaths occur every year in Bangladesh due to pregnancy and delivery-related complications, while many more women suffer major physical and psychological injuries. Available statistics indicate an increase in menstrual regulation (MR) and abortions, most performed by untrained practitioners under unhygienic conditions. Introducing emergency contraception (EC) in the national family planning (FP) program in Bangladesh could substantially reduce unwanted pregnancies and as result MR/abortions should also decrease. Because MR/abortions in Bangladesh significantly contribute to high maternal morbidity/mortality, introducing EC could be an important reproductive health intervention to provide couples with a back-up support to prevent unwanted pregnancy. EC …
Some Preconditions For Fertility Decline In Bengal: History, Language Identity, And An Openness To Innovations, Alaka Malwade Basu, Sajeda Amin
Some Preconditions For Fertility Decline In Bengal: History, Language Identity, And An Openness To Innovations, Alaka Malwade Basu, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper argues that looking solely for the immediate causes of reproductive change may fail to take into account not only the impact of policies and programs but the societal decision to adopt these policies and programs to begin with. The paper examines the historical origins and spread of ‘modern’ ideas in Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India. It concludes that a colonial history in which education and modernization processes took hold very early among the elite in the larger Bengal region was paradoxically accompanied by a strong allegiance to the Bengali language. This strong sense of …
Spatial Variation In Contraceptive Use In Bangladesh: Looking Beyond The Borders, Sajeda Amin, Alaka Malwade Basu, Rob Stephenson
Spatial Variation In Contraceptive Use In Bangladesh: Looking Beyond The Borders, Sajeda Amin, Alaka Malwade Basu, Rob Stephenson
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper tries to promote a more complete understanding of social change by analyzing spatial patterns of contraceptive use in Bangladesh and the contiguous state of West Bengal in India. The paper takes it’s cue from earlier analysis which found strong evidence of higher contraceptive prevalence in districts of Bangladesh that border Bengali speaking districts on India, as well as from analysis of fertility decline in historical Europe where language played a critical role. Using multilevel analysis to control for variations in individual and household level correlates, mapping districts that deviate considerably from their regional averages, the analysis highlights an …
Review Of The Policy Process In Bangladesh Following Icpd, Nancy J. Piet-Pelon, Ubaidur Rob, Syeda Nahid Mukith Chowdhury, Abul Barkat, Sushil Ranjan Howlader, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Ismat Bhuiya, Siraj-Us- Saleheen
Review Of The Policy Process In Bangladesh Following Icpd, Nancy J. Piet-Pelon, Ubaidur Rob, Syeda Nahid Mukith Chowdhury, Abul Barkat, Sushil Ranjan Howlader, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Ismat Bhuiya, Siraj-Us- Saleheen
Reproductive Health
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994 was the culmination of months of national and international discussions. The issues had been crafted into a Program of Action, which represented a potential shift in thinking. Delegates left the conference espousing a new paradigm and a broad definition of what people, especially women, should expect from their national health services. Governments were encouraged to recognize that the improved health status of women could only be achieved by a life-cycle approach and that health depended not only on good family planning information and services but on women’s empowerment …
Involving Private Medical Practitioners In Family Planning Services In Bangladesh, Abu Yusuf Choudhury, Ubaidur Rob, Sharif M.I. Hossain
Involving Private Medical Practitioners In Family Planning Services In Bangladesh, Abu Yusuf Choudhury, Ubaidur Rob, Sharif M.I. Hossain
Reproductive Health
The project "Involving Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs) in Family Planning Services" is an innovative initiative to involve PMPs in protecting the reproductive health (RH) of couples, attract private investment in the family planning (FP) sector, and eventually reduce the increasing financial pressure on the government. The project was implemented in two phases. In phase I, qualified PMPs from urban areas were given training on FP. In phase II, nonqualified PMPs were given training on FP. PIACT Bangladesh, a local NGO, conducted two pilot projects to involve the PMPs in FP. The first one was to involve qualified PMPs in urban …
Women's Lives And Rapid Fertility Decline: Some Lessons From Bangladesh And Egypt, Sajeda Amin, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Women's Lives And Rapid Fertility Decline: Some Lessons From Bangladesh And Egypt, Sajeda Amin, Cynthia B. Lloyd
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In some of the more traditional parts of the world, fertility is falling steadily, sometimes rapidly, in environments where women’s lives remain severely constrained. The recent experiences of Bangladesh and Egypt, both predominantly Muslim countries, are illustrative in this regard. Since the late 1970s, rural and urban areas in both countries have experienced steady declines in fertility, with recent declines in rural Bangladesh similar to those in rural Egypt, despite lower levels of development and higher rates of poverty. This paper provides an in-depth exploration of the demographic transition in these two societies as seen through the dual lens of …
The Impact Of An Integrated Micro-Credit Programme On Women's Empowerment And Fertility Behavior In Rural Bangladesh, Fiona Steele, Sajeda Amin, Ruchira Tabassum Naved
The Impact Of An Integrated Micro-Credit Programme On Women's Empowerment And Fertility Behavior In Rural Bangladesh, Fiona Steele, Sajeda Amin, Ruchira Tabassum Naved
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper examines the impact of participation in women’s savings and credit groups organized by Save the Children USA on women’s empowerment, contraceptive use, and fertility in a rural area of Bangladesh. The data are drawn from a panel survey conducted in 1993, shortly before the groups were formed, and in 1995 after interventions began. This quasi-experimental design enables us to identify the characteristics of women who chose to join savings groups. The findings show that those who joined tend to more educated and more socially independent than are women who did not. Thus, to control for selection bias, preintervention …
The Impact Of Family Planning Household Service Delivery On Women's Status In Bangladesh, James F. Phillips, Mian Bazle Hossain
The Impact Of Family Planning Household Service Delivery On Women's Status In Bangladesh, James F. Phillips, Mian Bazle Hossain
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Since 1982, the Maternal and Child Health and Family Planning Extension Project has compiled longitudinal panel data on rural women’s contact with household service providers who visit homes to discuss family planning and offer services to women on request. This study tests the hypothesis that home-based services reinforce customs of purdah (female seclusion) by sustaining the dependency and isolation of the women served by the program. Results show that household services improve women’s status. This effect is largely attributable to the impact of outreach on effective fertility regulation. Findings do not support the hypothesis that household service delivery is detrimental …
Incentive Schemes For School Attendance In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Gilda Sedgh
Incentive Schemes For School Attendance In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Gilda Sedgh
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper examines the impact of two incentive schemes on school attendance in rural Bangladesh: a food-for-education program for poor primary school children and a female secondary school scholarship scheme. The data come from an in-depth village study, before and after the programs went into effect. Both programs provide direct financial incentives to families to send their children to and keep them in school. The data also allow for an assessment of an informal school program sponsored by BRAC, a national non-governmental institution, at the study sites. School enrollment in the target population increased more rapidly than would have been …
Ensuring Community Participation In Mch/Fp Activities: Lessons Learned From A Pilot Project, Abbas Bhuiya, Ubaidur Rob, Maruf Rabban Quaderi
Ensuring Community Participation In Mch/Fp Activities: Lessons Learned From A Pilot Project, Abbas Bhuiya, Ubaidur Rob, Maruf Rabban Quaderi
Reproductive Health
Family planning (FP) and maternal and child health (MCH) in Bangladesh have achieved commendable success in the recent past, mostly through a large-scale government service-delivery system supported by donors and nongovernmental organizations. Although encouraged by this success, there was concern about programmatic, financial, and social sustainability of the program, including quality of services. It is now believed that most of these concerns will be taken care of if effective community participation can be ensured. A pilot project was initiated in 1997 in Anowara, a low-FP-performing area in rural Chittagong, with assistance from the Population Council. The main objective of the …
Observations From A Study Tour Of Bangladesh And Indonesia On Their Family Welfare Programme, M.E. Khan, Jayanti Tuladhar, R.B. Gupta, Ubaidur Rob, Meiwita B. Iskandar
Observations From A Study Tour Of Bangladesh And Indonesia On Their Family Welfare Programme, M.E. Khan, Jayanti Tuladhar, R.B. Gupta, Ubaidur Rob, Meiwita B. Iskandar
Reproductive Health
Bangladesh has a successful family planning (FP) program and has succeeded in bringing about a demographic transition at a much faster rate than many of its neighboring countries. The contraceptive prevalence rate in Bangladesh increased from 3 percent in 1971 to 45 percent in 1993, and the fertility rate decreased from 7.0 to 3.4 births per woman during the same period. This reflects the effort that the Government of Bangladesh, with the help of international agencies, has made to educate couples about FP and increase access and choice of contraceptive methods, even in remote areas. Another predominantly Muslim country that …
Study Of Adolescents: Dynamics Of Perception, Attitude, Knowledge And Use Of Reproductive Health Care, Syed Jahangeer Haider, Shamsun Nehar Saleh, Nahid Kamal, Alan Gray
Study Of Adolescents: Dynamics Of Perception, Attitude, Knowledge And Use Of Reproductive Health Care, Syed Jahangeer Haider, Shamsun Nehar Saleh, Nahid Kamal, Alan Gray
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Knowledge, perceptions, and behavior related to reproductive health (RH) and sexual matters underlie all the conditions that family planning/maternal and child health (FP/MCH) programs address, thus these are important issues for FP researchers, population policymakers, and service providers. To achieve significant levels of fertility or mortality declines, participation of adolescents in reproductive health programs, including FP/MCH, is essential. Studies focusing on sexuality and attitudes of adolescents on RH, and the interacting influences of family, community, and the social sector developmental programs (health, FP/MCH, education, women’s development) would give useful revelations. This report presents findings from a study that was designed …
Transition To Adulthood Of Female Factory Workers: Some Evidence From Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Ian Diamond, Ruchira Tabassum Naved, Margaret Newby
Transition To Adulthood Of Female Factory Workers: Some Evidence From Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Ian Diamond, Ruchira Tabassum Naved, Margaret Newby
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The rapidly expanding sector of garment manufacturing for export is unusual for Bangladesh in that it employs young, unmarried women in large numbers. This paper examines data from a study on garment workers in Bangladesh to explore the implications of work for the early socialization of young women. For the first time young women are given an alternative to lives where they move directly from childhood into adulthood through early marriage and childbearing. Work creates a period of transition as contrasted with the abrupt assumption of adult roles at very young ages that marriage and childbearing mandate. It is argued …
Men And Family Planning In Bangladesh: A Review Of The Literature, Debbie Donahoe
Men And Family Planning In Bangladesh: A Review Of The Literature, Debbie Donahoe
Reproductive Health
This report reviews the literature on men and family planning (FP) in Bangladesh. A variety of topics are covered: male fertility preferences, opinions about male methods of contraception, family planning (FP) decision-making, and recent efforts to involve Bangladeshi men in FP programs. Men’s desired family size in Bangladesh is small; only one-third of respondents in the most recent DHS survey wanted more than two children. The same survey revealed that knowledge of at least one modern method of FP is practically universal and that attitudes toward contraception are overwhelmingly favorable. Only superficial information on the frequency and quality of communication …
Community Participation In Health, Family Planning And Development Activities: A Review Of International Experiences, Abbas Bhuiya, Fatima Yasmin, Farida Begum, Ubaidur Rob
Community Participation In Health, Family Planning And Development Activities: A Review Of International Experiences, Abbas Bhuiya, Fatima Yasmin, Farida Begum, Ubaidur Rob
Reproductive Health
The family planning (FP)/maternal and child health (MCH) program in Bangladesh has achieved success in the recent past, mostly through a large-scale government service-delivery system with support and cooperation from donors and nongovernmental organizations. There is concern about the financial and social sustainability of the program. Other issues include achievement of replacement-level fertility within a stipulated period and improvement of MCH-FP service quality. It is widely believed that most of the concerns will be taken care of with effective community participation. Before activating community initiatives, it is worth carrying out action research. A literature review was completed from July to …
Adolescent Family Life Education: Review Of Curriculum, Ladly Faiz, Hasina Banu, Devi Sharma
Adolescent Family Life Education: Review Of Curriculum, Ladly Faiz, Hasina Banu, Devi Sharma
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Adolescents, who are about 23 percent of the total population of Bangladesh, are entitled to grow up as healthy and responsible members of society. The Adolescent Life Education (ALE) program ensures the rights of this large section of the population and helps them develop as healthy and responsible members of their family and society. ALE is internationally known as Family Life Education, and its incorporation in Bangladesh’s education sphere is a recent phenomenon. Due to rapid social change worldwide, the young generation is presently facing an enormous problem coping with the erosion of traditional family, social life, and values. Adolescent …
Male Involvement In Family Planning: A Challenge For The National Programme Workshop, National Institute Of Population Research And Training, Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (Gtz), Population Council, Avsc International
Male Involvement In Family Planning: A Challenge For The National Programme Workshop, National Institute Of Population Research And Training, Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (Gtz), Population Council, Avsc International
Reproductive Health
The Bangladesh family planning (FP) program has achieved success in reducing fertility during the past decades, but male involvement is lagging behind. A two-day seminar on "Male Involvement in Family Planning: A Challenge for the National Programme" was held in Dhaka June 25–26, 1996. The objectives were to review research findings on methods currently used, determine male involvement policy and strategy, and formulate an action plan including IEC, counseling, and programmatic interventions. Speakers emphasized the need for more male involvement in FP and the prevailing misconceptions about male contraception that should be addressed with IEC programs. Participants felt that to …
The Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition, Bonnie J. Kay, Adrienne Germain, Maggie Bangser
The Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition, Bonnie J. Kay, Adrienne Germain, Maggie Bangser
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition (BWHC) represents an important initiative in the movement toward more responsive modes of family planning delivery. In the context of a society where there are strict limits on the social role and physical mobility of most girls and women, BWHC has set itself the ambitious goal of enabling women—no matter what their income or education—to learn how to manage their own reproductive health and the health of their children in a way that enhances their sense of strength and competence. One of the real strengths of BWHC has been its willingness to learn from experience …
Developing Non-Craft Employment For Women In Bangladesh, Marty Chen
Developing Non-Craft Employment For Women In Bangladesh, Marty Chen
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Too often when development planners or practitioners plan income-generating schemes for women they consider only handicrafts. While in some situations craft production may provide a secure source of income for women, in many cases it results in poor returns and proves more complicated an undertaking than expected. The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) is one agency that has developed a successful program of non-craft employment opportunities for women. Some 10,000 poor women have been engaged by BRAC in viable economic schemes: 9,000 in non-craft production. This issue of SEEDS reviews BRAC's experience in developing non-craft employment opportunities and participatory associations …
Creación De Empleos Distintos De Las Artesanías Para Las Mujeres De Bangladesh, Marty Chen
Creación De Empleos Distintos De Las Artesanías Para Las Mujeres De Bangladesh, Marty Chen
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Con demasiada frecuencia los planificadores profesionales del desarrollo que diseñan proyectos destinados a producir ingresos para las mujeres, lo único que consideran son las artesanías. Si bien es cierto que en determinadas circunstancias éstas pueden proporcionarles una renta segura, en muchos otros casos las artesanías dan poco rendimiento y resultan ser una empresa mas complicada de lo que se esperaba. El Comité de Adelanto Rural de Bangladesh (BRAC—sigla de su nombre en inglés, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), es una organización que ha logrado desarrollar con éxito un programa de oportunidades de empleo femenino, distinto de las artesanías. De las 10.000 …