FPA conducts one day workshop on Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights

Srinagar: Family Planning Association Of India(FPA) Srinagar Branch, conducted a one day workshop, Thursday, on Youth perspectives of  FP2020. The main agenda of the gathering was breaking the barrier of  communication around SRH&R (Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for all)

The programme was attended by lawyer fraternity Adv. Fahad-ul-Malik and Adv. Anurag Bhaskar, Executive Committee Member Ms. Fehmeeda Akhtar, Youth Volunteers ( Ms. Parveen, Ms. Tasleem, Mr. Sushant, Mr. Mamoon, Mr. Naazir, Mr. Irfan ), Consultant Youth Perspective Ms. Sana, Staff of FPA India Srinagar Branch under the guidance of I/c Branch Manager Basit Bhat.

The program was about the fundamental right of individuals to decide, freely and for themselves, whether, when, and how many children to have is central to the vision and goals of Family Planning 2020 (FP2020). By securing and fulfilling the rights of an additional 120 million women and girls to access family planning information and services by the year 2020, FP2020 efforts aim to result in fewer unintended pregnancies, fewer women and girls dying in pregnancy and childbirth, including fewer infant deaths. Despite public health services being accessible and affordable, the private sector often is a major source of health care for youth populations, leading to disproportionate out of pocket expenditures and a tendency to avoid or delay investments in preventive health care, including family planning.

The Government of India is committed to the FP2020 goals, driven by Access, Choice and Quality of FP services, to increase the modern contraceptive usage from 53.1% to 54.3% and ensure that 74% of the demand for modern contraceptives is satisfied by 2020. Vision FP 2020 for India is not just about providing contraceptive services to an additional 48 million users but aversion of 23.9 million births, one million infant deaths and over 42000 maternal deaths by 2020.

The youth volunteers took an active part in the project by conducting various Field surveys, asking the youth about their rights on their well beings (SRHR, Access to Contraception, Gender-based Violence, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, Comprehensive Sexuality Education). The main point of this programme was to highlight the overall progress regarding the awareness in the youth, And it was conveyed to media fraternity that much on groundwork needs to be done to aware the masses regarding the menaces which hurdle SRHR.

In her speech about Fundamental Rights and Sexual Rights, Ms. Sana Said, ‘as per the random sample interviews with the local youths in many areas of Srinagar we found a lack of information and awareness among youth that leads to Gender-Based Violence, Drug Abuse and Child Abuse .

While talking to media Mr. Basit said, ‘ We are working on these issues and have sensitized many families with the involvement of local religious leaders, mohalla and Community presidents. Our Out Reach workers are active in all Operational Area’s and we also have Community based depots in different locations to give easy access to the information and services to our clients.’

He further said, ‘no religion prohibits any individual in making their choice regarding their wellbeing, and as far as births are concerned every religion promotes healthy pregnancies with sensitized healthy Deliveries.”