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