The Woman Friendly Hospital Initiative in Bangladesh: A strategy for addressing violence against women
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Development. Copyright © 2001 The Society for International Development. SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi), 1011-6370 (200109) 44:3; 79–81; 019079.
Local/Global Encounters
The Woman Friendly Hospital Initiative in Bangladesh: A strategy for addressing violence against women Y. A . H A Q U E
ABSTRACT Y.A. Haque discusses the genesis, development, experiences and future of the Woman Friendly Hospital Initiative as an innovative strategy to address violence against women (VAW) in Bangladesh. KEYWORDS breastfeeding; equity; gender; health care; reproductive health
Introduction ‘Can’t we do something about making health care facilities more friendly towards women?’ This passionate query of a participant of the Future Search Conference set off a cascade of events that has led to the development of a Woman Friendly Hospital Initiative (WFHI). The conference held in early 1997 brought together participants representing eight stakeholder groups to examine maternal mortality and violence against women (VAW) in Bangladesh: women and men; health care providers; administrators; NGOs and women’s organizations; lawyers, judges and legal aid workers; community leaders; media professionals; and other government departments (including police and social welfare). The conference discussions centred on examining the trend, causes and possible solutions and interventions related to three major situational issues: • prevailing high rate of maternal mortality; • association of 14 percent maternal deaths due to violence; • violence accounting for a higher proportion of women’s deaths than pregnancy related causes. The discussions further acknowledged and re-affirmed the larger structural issues that resulted in poor availability and utilization of services to support women and, importantly, save lives. The neglect and discrimination a woman
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Development 44(3): Local/Global Encounters faces begins with disappointment at birth of the girl child, poor attention to her growth and development, early marriage, limited social mobility and a general acceptance of violence that often takes a severe form. This is further reflected and aggravated in health care facilities where little or no attention is paid to a woman’s privacy, dignity or needs. This is especially the case when battered women seek help. The WFHI: what it is and how it took form The idea of creating a ‘woman friendly’ environment and services was taken further by a core group representing the stakeholder groups. A series of consultations, hospital visits and discussions led to the agreement of a definition. A woman friendly hospital is defined as one in which: • women are treated with respect, dignity and equity; • women receive adequate and appropriate care that is timely and affordable; • a woman is respected as the person to receive the necessary information to decide about her own treatment and can voice her opinion and be heard; • women as care providers are enabled to make a f
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