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http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=973&p=local&a=1

 

YEMEN: Trained Preachers to Activate Gender and Productive Health Issues


Yemen Times Staff

 

 

Preachers in the training course that held in Sana'a.

SANA'A,Aug.15 — A two day course in Sana’a was aimed at preachers to discuss productive health and gender issues from the Islamic perspective.

The course was attended by 25 preachers and arranged by the Women’s National Committee (WNC) with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and with cooperation of the Ministry of Religious Endowments. It was part of training courses covering Dhamar, Taiz, Almhwit, Haja, Sana'a, and Hodida.

In the six regions the course reached 150 preachers and religious leaders, according to JICA.

“The aim of this course is to inform the preachers of the problems of productive health in Yemen and gender and how they can activate and handle these issues in their religious speeches to raise the public awareness with such issues," said Masako Takada, of JICA.

The productive health problem in Yemen is being reviewed by Dr. Jamela Al-Raiby, General Director of Women's affair in Ministry of Health, because WHO statistics revealed Yemen has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world.

"The statistics estimate that maternal mortality is 366 per 100,000 live births. These women are passing away due to complications during the delivery or post delivery and sometimes due diseases during pregnancy term. The rate of mortality among children under five years reached 102 children out of 1000," said Al-Raiby.

She pointed to the importance raising awareness of the public to avoid the medical risks that may face the mother and her child saying, "We don’t talk about birth control, but we are taking about the means and the ways which help to plan for healthy mothers and healthy children."

The course will be followed by an evaluation and mentor process for the performance of the preachers to see how they handle these issues in their speeches, according to Takada who added, "The evaluation team will also meet the people who attend the lectures in the mosques.”

The project coordinator for WNC, Noria Shujaa Aldeen, explained the reason behind insertion gender concept when she said, "The gender concept means knowing the roles, relations, and duties between men and women and how it differs from one society to another. We insert this concept with productive health because woman carry the pregnancy, but her opinion is rarely taken in consideration regarding medical care, or using family planning methods. Such decisions are still taken by men. Therefore the aim of this course is to expose women's rights in Islam and in gender concept framework. Women must be involved and must know her rights and men must admit these rights which are not out Islam.”

The preachers are the most effective group in the society and they can address the educated people and illiterate people, according to Aldeen.

"Unfortunately the government organizations address the educated people, ignoring the fact that the uneducated people are form a huge part of the Yemeni society in rural and urban regions. These illiterate people believe many misconceptions regarding protective health. Moreover if the religious are not aware of such issues they might cause many problems. For example if we has arranged awareness' campaigns in certain areas for many years; and then one religious speech delivered by a preacher who does not believe on these concepts could damage these efforts. So we have to address these preachers first to attract them to help us to raise the public awareness in these issues," said Aldeen.





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