Women

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Community Development, Cultural practices in Africa, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

FEMALE ROLES IN ERADICATING HARMFUL CULTURAL PRACTICES

Certain cultures in different parts of the world accommodate harmful practices that encourage forms of exploitation, violence, abuse, injustice, discrimination and marginalization, committed primarily against women and children. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child/forced marriage, initiation rites, infanticide, male preference, honour killings, forced begging, stoning, acid attacks, bonded labour, sexual slavery, breast ironing, and nutritional taboos are harmful practices that are detrimental to the health and wellbeing of its victims.

Significant progress has been made thus far to eradicate harmful cultural practices globally, but the economic, physical and social disruptions caused by the ongoing pandemic could deter the advancement. The new United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projections in April 2020 predict that the COVID-19 pandemic may cause about 2 million more cases of Female Genital Mutilation and about 13 million new child marriages in the next decade because of significant delays in programmes organized to tackle harmful cultural practices and economic hardships.

Women are at the forefront raising their voices against harmful cultural practices and providing interventions to support its victims even amidst the pandemic. Stephanie Linus is an award winning Nigerian actress, filmmaker and activist passionate about women and child rights. ‘Dry’ an award winning movie produced by her exposes the evils of child marriage and the physical and psychological consequences associated with it. Through her foundation ‘Extended Hands’ she has partnered with local and international organizations in building awareness on fistula prevention, maternal health, family planning and has provided various medical interventions to indigent girls and women suffering Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in Sokoto, Kebbi, Cross River, Oyo, and Kwara states in Nigeria. Her foundation has continued to provide more interventions to vulnerable women and girls, deflating the number of new victims of harmful traditional practices in the COVID-19 era. She was recently appointed as the UNFPA Regional Goodwill Ambassador for West and Central Africa.

It is important to note that women are the most qualified advocates to fight for the eradication of harmful traditional practices. This is because women are the highest fatalities who have experienced and survived the repercussions of these practices. Hence, more women should be encouraged to speak up and empowered to be self-reliant.

Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) continues to echo the call for an end to the suffering of girls and women caused by harmful traditional practices through community outreaches, policy-oriented research, and media campaigns. CFHI has through the United States Consulate Women And Youth Empowerment (WYNE) project, mitigated the rate of female genital mutilation, child marriage, violence against women, land disinheritance, gender (Son) preference, Incest, rape and harmful widowhood practices in Ngor Okpala community, Imo State, Nigeria. After having ten community dialogues with the community stakeholders, resolutions on these harmful practices were reached, leading to the development of a community charter that was signed by the paramount traditional ruler and representatives of the villages that make up the community. Operation-Know-Your-Right Campaign was thereafter organized through which over 735 women and 28 youths were sensitized with the right knowledge to stand against harmful cultural practices within and outside the community.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative to stop the cycle of domestic violence by breaking the silence around gender based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media handles for more episodes.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Health Communication, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Health communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions for health promotion. Health communication can help raise awareness of health risks and solutions by providing the skills and motivation needed to influence social and behavioral change, and increase demand for appropriate health services.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), women make up 75% of the healthcare workforce in many countries affirming women’s indispensable contributions in health communication. Effective communication with health care providers on health matters is crucial in the delivery of high quality health care. Findings from National Library of Medicine (NIM) have proven that female health care providers are likely to use more patient-centred communication strategies by asking more questions, engaging in more information sharing, encouraging patient participation during interactions, and providing more psychosocial counselling to patients compared to the men.

The practices of health communication have contributed to health promotion and disease prevention in several areas. In early 2003 for example, WHO epidemiologists learned that a deadly disease known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was quickly spreading to other countries from China. WHO and other public health officials were able to place announcement in local media such as the radio and newspaper. The radio was able to quickly disseminate the information as it is easily accessed and reaches people at the grassroots level. Also, in the case of the present Pandemic, through health communication, different countries became more prepared for Corona Virus and plans were put in place to mitigate the spread.

Moji Makanjuola is a female health journalist in Nigerian who has contributed significantly to the improvement and development of health journalism. She is a Media Consultant to the United Nations Women, after working for decades in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) where she rose to the position of head of health and gender desk. She was a pioneer member of the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC), Atlanta in USA. Presently, she is the Executive Director of International Society of Media in Public Health, and the Chief Executive Officer of Bronz and Onyx. Other examples of Nigerian women who are key players in health communication include; Princess Osita-Oleribe, the Co-Founder, Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI); Babafunke Fagbemi, Executive Director, Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI); Dr. Mojisola Odeku, Project Director, Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI); Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, among others.

Female participation in health communication does not only enable timely information access to the family members, it also strengthens gender transformative change to improve women health and access to health care and services. For effective health communication strategies, more women should be involved in the process of disease control right from the planning stage through to implementation and evaluation.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender, Health, Politics, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

FEMALE ROLES IN POLICY MAKING

Policies are deliberate systems enacted by those in positions of authority to define the rules, standards, regulations, and procedures that affect almost every aspect of human life such as education, health, agriculture, migration, aviation, finance, defence, environment, trade, justice, transportation, science and technology.

Valentina Tereshkova quotes, a bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women. Yet, for several decades, the society encouraged male dominance and totally excluded women from occupying positions that influence key decision making processes. Forgetting that making policies without the contribution of women may not adequately reflect the needs and preferences of women, youths, and children.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian-born economist and international development expert who during her tenor as the Minister of Finance for Nigeria, helped the country’s economy grow an average of 6% (per annum) over three years. She is credited with developing reform programs that helped improve governmental transparency and stabilizing the economy. Another example is Angela Merkel, who transformed German politics since being voted into office in 2005. Her numerous achievements at home and abroad have seen her top Forbes’ most powerful women list eight times.

A Member of Parliament in Rwanda, Thacienne Dusabeyezu once said, “The more women in the parliament, the better it is for children”. This is because women are generally more attached to children than men and they understand the needs of children. Hence, are more likely to enact child-friendly policies.

The role of women in policy making and implementation is essential in every society to help advance gender equality. Most women elected to be in the parliament will place women concerns and rights at the forefront of their agendas, suggesting policies that would promote women and speaking against policies that abuse women rights and deter their development.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said that to fix the gridlock in Congress, more women should be involved. This is because women are more focused on finding common ground and collaborating. Women are characterized by tenderness, love, care, creativity, innovation, reliability, and if more women are key decision makers, perhaps organizations could respond effectively to challenges before the challenges are escalated to bigger problems.

It is inappropriate to ignore the intellectual capital resource of over half the population of the world. To address global injustice and advocate for compassionate policies, both men and women must recognize the value of a balance in government. Women should not simply emulate the male role model, but should bring their own principles to every negotiating table.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Community Development, Gender, WHO, Women / cfhinitiative

FEMALE ROLES IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

According to Paul O’Neill, a good community is a cohesive, safe, confident, prosperous and happy place. A place that values and promotes open, participative development processes underpinned by a continuous culture of trans-generational learning. It is somewhere that people wish to stay in and see future generations grow up in.

Community development is almost impossible without the role of women both at the family level and in the society. Women are said to be the first teachers in the lives of every child, and whatever is embedded in the child springs forth to determine if the child will be responsible and patriotic citizen or otherwise.

As the society moves closer to gender equality, women are working to build a more substantial presence in the traditionally male-dominated industries. Women have grown from being relegated to the kitchen or bedroom, to taking up jobs that are supposedly designed for men. United Nations Women opined that not only has this contributed greatly to the economic growth of the community but has created a niche for future generations to strife. Some of these women are entrepreneurs, employing male and females alike.

Late Ameyo Stella Adadevoh is a Nigerian physician credited for curbing the wider spread of the Ebola Virus in Nigeria by placing the patient, Patrick Sawyer in quarantine despite pressure from the Liberian government. Women who are frontline health workers are fighting the war to eradicate COVID-19, and others who are human right activists work passionately to protect the rights of people in communities and taking up positions to tackle issues that affect the masses.

The role of women in community development can never be overemphasized. Therefore, to increase the efficiency and productivity of women in the communities, women should be appreciated and encouraged to do more.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Breast Care, Gender, Health, WHO, Women / cfhinitiative

MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV DURING BREASTFEEDING

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and is spread through the blood and certain body fluids, including breast milk. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is the primary mode of HIV infection in infants. If neither the mother nor baby is on consistent HIV treatment, there is a high chance that the baby will be infected through breastfeeding.

Several factors can increase the risk of perinatal transmission. Having a high viral load implies that the white blood cells (CD4) which provides immunity to the body is low. A viral load indicates how much of the HIV is present in the body of an infected person. A high viral load may mean a recent HIV transmission, an untreated or uncontrolled HIV. Positive pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers with a CD4 count lower than 200 are at a greater risk of transmitting the virus to their infants.

HIV screening is essential during antenatal appointments at any health centre to ascertain the HIV status because the earlier the virus is detected the better the chances of living longer and enjoying a normal life. Test should also be repeated every three months and a Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) should be received if exposed to an infected blood within forty eight hours.

Accumulating evidence has also shown that giving antiretroviral medicines to the mother or the infant can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding. Antiretroviral prophylaxis should be made available to HIV infected mothers and mothers-to-be in all health settings and should be administered to HIV exposed infants immediately after birth. The duration for antiretroviral care and treatment for the infant is dependent on the mothers’ choice of feeding either exclusive breast feeding or replacement feeding. However, World Health Organisation recommends HIV infected mothers to only do exclusive breastfeeding except replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, and safe. Mixed feeding on the other hand is strongly discouraged as a breastfeeding option for reactive mothers.

All exposed infants should be tested for HIV at birth, at six (6) weeks and eighteen (18) months. This is done to monitor the HIV status of the newborn.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) to tackle issues of basic health concerns. Join us every Monday for more health related articles on all our social media platforms.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender, Politics, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

GENDER ROLES IN LEADERSHIP

With the increasing interventions and awareness to promote equal rights and opportunities for boys and girls in Africa, more females are raising their voices against gender inequality. Women are now asserting their power as global ground breakers dominating fields and positions of leadership that were exclusively reserved for men. Women are seizing opportunities and attaining heights of success.

Around the world, women are leading countries. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has been the reigning queen since 1952. Africa is not left out. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. She served as the President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Catherine Samba-Panza served as interim President of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She was the first to hold that position in the country. Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba served as the governor of Anambra State, Nigeria, from 2006-2007.

Anyone irrespective of gender who possesses leadership skills and qualities can be a leader. Thus, men and women show distinct leadership traits and qualities. Many argue that women cannot withstand the challenges that come with leadership because their biological formation detests stress and pressure. Women are judged to be reserved and soft so they can be easily swayed. Well, these qualities are more of strengths than weaknesses. The soft nature of women makes them considerate leaders that listen to the plight of the masses and strive to protect the interest of the people they serve. This is a unique leadership quality called selflessness.

Compassion is an asset every leader must possess. A leader must be compassionate, deferential, submissive, self-effacing, and treat everyone with the same level of dignity. A compassionate and humble leader will learn from others and accept mistakes because he/she is not all knowing. Women are not just compassionate and humble, they are innovative, creative, and logical thinkers. Selecting leaders based on these attributes would definitely produce more female than male leaders. These attributes earn female leaders the collaboration and cooperation of the followers to advance for a better future.

Women led nations seem to be particularly successful in fighting COVID-19. New York Times reports that the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel has had fewer death rates than France, Italy and Spain. 34 year old Sanna Marin who is the Prime Minister of Finland with collaboration of 4 female led parties has had far lower deaths than nearby Sweden. Without a total national lock down, Tsai Ing-wen the female president of Taiwan has achieved one of the most successful efforts in the world at containing Corona Virus.

Women should be given more opportunities to occupy positions of leadership. Instead of criticizing the leadership abilities of women, men should be encouraged to embrace unique leadership traits of women leaders. The world will advance for the better when this is achieved.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative to stop the cycle of domestic violence by breaking the silence around gender-based violence. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media handles for more episodes.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Breast Care, Exclusive Breastfeeding, Gender, Health, Viral Hepatitis, WHO, Women, World Breastfeeding Week / cfhinitiative

BREASTFEEDING WITH HEPATITIS B INFECTION

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) which is transmitted by blood, semen or other body fluid from an infected person. A pregnant woman with hepatitis B can infect the fetus through the placenta especially in cases of preterm labour, depending on the mother’s viral load. At birth and during breastfeeding, infants may also be infected with the virus through contact with blood and body fluids.

According to World Health Organization, Breastfeeding has been suggested as an additional mechanism by which infants may acquire HBV infection, because small amounts of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) have been detected in some samples of breastmilk. This study also found no association between maternal e-antigen status and transmission rates. In other words, any risk of transmission associated with breastmilk is negligible compared to the high risk of exposure to maternal blood and body fluids at birth. This is because breast pathology such as cracked or bleeding nipples or lesions with serous exudates could expose the infant to infectious doses of HBV.

To avoid any form of HBV transmission from mother to child. Center for Disease Control (CDC) opined that all infants must receive hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth. The second dose of vaccine should be given at age 1–2 months, and the third dose at age 6 months. This includes infants born to HBV-infected mothers. The infant should be tested after completion of the vaccine series at age 9–12 months, to determine if the vaccine worked and that the infant is not infected with HBV through exposure to the mother’s blood during the birth process.

In conclusion, the risk of HBV mother-to-child transmission through breastfeeding is negligible if infants born to HBV-positive mothers receive the HBIG/HBV vaccine at birth. Hence, hepatitis B infected mothers can breastfeed the babies provided the necessary precautions are taken. There is no need to delay breastfeeding until the infant is fully immunized.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Cultural practices in Africa, Gender, Health, Hygiene, WHO, Women / cfhinitiative

SPEAK WEDNESDAY – SEXISM

According to Wikipedia, Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to stereotypes and gender roles, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another.

Sexism manifests in various forms and due to stigmatization from the society, women are forced to accept abuse and neglect. Some females are denied access to proper health care, good nutrition, education and legal rights which is an infringement on their basic human rights as humans. Child marriage, female genital mutilation and other traditional harmful practices, objectification, women trafficking, forced labour, and unequal school participation are other instruments of sexism.

It is pertinent to know that not just violence but other forms of sexism have devastating consequences. Some of these repercussions affect the physical and mental health of the individuals. Sexual transmitted infections, mental disorders, depression, anxiety, low birth weight and sometimes death of the fetus of teenage mothers, obstetric fistula, death of the victim, excessive bleeding, urinary tract infections, neuroses, hatred for any form of sexual relation and psychoses fall into this category.

Education is the key for women to achieve economic independence, yet, Unite Nations (UN) estimates that women make up more than two-third of the world’s 796 million illiterate people. If a nation must achieve sustainable success, education and proper sensitization is essential. According to a popular quote by African Proverb “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation”.

Proper sensitization with full participation of all genders should be encouraged to end gender stereotypes and harmful cultural practices that affect women and girls. The goal is to create a balanced system for everyone.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative to stop the cycle of domestic violence by breaking the silence around gender based violence. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media handles for more episodes.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Breast Care, Gender, Health, Women, World Breastfeeding Week / cfhinitiative

MONDAY HEALTH BURST – BREAST CARE

Breasts come in different shapes and sizes. Most women have changes in the breasts at different times during their lifetime.

After delivery, the breast naturally produces milk for the newborn to feed and to avoid contaminating the food, breast care is a necessity. Hence, in today’s Monday Health Burst, simple tips that can help prevent issues like cracked nipples, inflammation and relieve discomfort from engorged breasts are discussed below.

Firstly, remember to practice good hygiene: Wash hands before breastfeeding, wash breasts during bath, avoid using soap on the breasts to prevent loss of natural oils and cracked skin over the area.
Support: Wear supportive braziers to keep from developing back ache, but not too tight to allow the breast air. Also, to prevent infection and inflammation of the breast, change braziers or brazier pads regularly.
Latch and release: As earlier noted in the previous article, a child needs to latch properly to the breast during breastfeeding to avoid injuries or pain on the mother’s nipples. Also, the removal of the child from breast or release of the breast is just as important to prevent infection and inflammation.
Moisturize: Moisturize the breast after breastfeeding with the breast milk on the nipples! This helps to prevent drying out and cracking of the skin over the nipple areas.
Swollen? Yes, this may occur during breastfeeding and can cause the breast to harden and the milk ducts to become blocked. A cold compress can help to relieve the pain or inflammation and a warm water breast bath (without soap) can help open up the ducts.

In conclusion, breastfeeding is from the breast and as such regular breast self-examinations is essential. This care can help identify earlier blocked ducts which may appear as lumps that go away with time. Breast lumps, cysts, mastitis and painful breasts can occur in many women. Hence, knowing what is normal, how to conduct a breast check and when to see a doctor is very important especially in cases where lumps persist.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Cultural practices in Africa, Gender, Health, Hygiene, Women / cfhinitiative

HARMFUL GENDER-BASED CULTURAL PRACTICES IN AFRICA

Africa accommodates various cultural, religious and traditional beliefs and practices that encourage discrimination, marginalization and injustice. Women and girls in Africa are mostly subjected to these harmful practices because these cultures encourage male preference and domination.

Female genital mutilation, breast ironing, early marriage, widowhood rites, girls initiation rites, trokosi, sororate, levirate, inability to access good healthcare especially during childbirth, lack of access to education and good nutrition, lip plate, milk teeth extraction, eyebrow incision are some of the harmful cultural practices melted out to women and girls in Africa. Females are groomed to fit into these stereotypes and are stigmatized when they do otherwise.

Female genital mutilation can lead to serious health complications such as infection, infertility, prolonged bleeding and complications during delivery, often leading to death. Infants of teenage mothers are likely to be still born or die in the first month of life. Pregnant and nursing mothers who suffer malnourishment are majorly victims of early marriage, who dropped out of school and may never get the opportunity to return.

Some victims of harmful cultural practices run away to break free from these practices, only to become vulnerable to sexual predators and human traffickers. They could suffer emotional and psychological damage that may lead to depression and suicide. Other effects include pain, resentment for sex, premature birth, low birth weight, increased violence against women and girls, increased risk of contracting HIV and STIs, impaired emotional and sexual relations, social stigma and isolation.

Raising awareness on the dangers of harmful gender-based cultural practices in Nigeria is one of the effective ways to curb this silent menace. Just like Centre for Family Health Initiative, other Community Based Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations can work with communities to source ways to end harmful practices and promote gender equality. The government should enact policies at all levels to protect women and girls, ensuring that these policies are implemented irrespective of the socioeconomic class.

Free education, skill acquisition trainings, increased access to basic health amenities, especially for the poor and vulnerable are measures that can aid the eradication of harmful practices in communities.

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