REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING

Azerbaijan getting ready for reproductive health law Azerbaijan has developed a draft law on reproductive health which has not been adopted yet. MP Ayten Mustafayeva has reported that the reason this draft law was not adopted is that public is not ready yet. “Azerbaijani society and mainly Parliament are not ready to adopt the law on reproductive health. Similar situation was observed when draft law on domestic violence was put forward, but we succeeded in adopting it. Now we need to succeed in introducing amendments and changes in legislation in this area in accord with international practice” she said. www.abc.az Indian law on teen sex met with heavy criticism India is raising the age of consent for sex to 18 under a new law seen by some children’s rights activists as being out of step with social changes and open to abuse. Under a provision in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act approved by parliament last month, sex with a person under the age of 18 will be deemed as statutory rape and subject to prosecution. Once formally signed into law by the president, the new legislation will supersede a clause in India’s Penal Code that previously set the age of consent at 16 and will carry sentences ranging from three years to life imprisonment. www.inquirer.net Pakistan has most negative family planning indicators in the region A huge gap between policy and practice was pointed out by the speakers at a national consultation organised in Islamabad when they highlighted the fact that Pakistan was the first ever country in the region to formulate National Policy on Family Planning, but it has one of the most negative family planning indicators in the region. The speakers were of the opinion that Pakistan has all the policies, assessments and expert reports with it, but the population agenda still remains unimplemented. They shared detailed statistics depicting the need for taking immediate steps for the implementation of family planning policies to save future of the country. www.thenews.com.pk India: Gap between Policy and Practice in Maternal Health As the UN Special Rapporteur on maternal mortality in India points out there is a 'yawning gulf between commendable maternal mortality policies and their urgent, focused, sustained, systematic and effective implementation', the May issue of Reproductive Health Matters explores the causes and impact of this gap, but also highlights hopeful signs of progress. Two papers from India included in the issue capture both the good and bad news that characterise the gap between rhetoric and reality in maternal health and maternal mortality. www.news-medical.net GENDER EMPOWERMENT India: Kerala launches scheme for security of women, children The policy recommendations for a scheme called ‘Nirbhaya’ (meaning fearless) have now been approved by the cabinet. Through the innovative scheme, the government aims at making the state women-friendly where women can safely travel even at midnight. The chief minister has gone on record saying that special fast track courts would be set up for the early disposal of sexual harassment cases and other cases involving violence against women. Nirbhaya mainly focuses on a three-point agenda - prevention, prosecution and protection. This comprehensive policy and action plan with multi-stakeholder convergence will also cover legal reforms and the creation of a corpus fund for rehabilitation and relief. www.deccanchronicle.com India National youth policy to target transgenders, gays and lesbians For the first time, the government is trying to focus on problems of transgenders, gays and lesbians with the draft national youth policy 2012 placing the social group in the targeted category that needs suitable policy interventions to deal with social or moral stigma. “Transgenders have for long been the butt of ridicule and derision of society. They have virtually lived a life of complete segregation from the mainstream," said the draft policy, including them among the groups that suffer from social or moral stigma along with gays and lesbians and those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. www.timesofindia.com

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