Men, Reproductive Health

NPP, RCH2 NRHM

History of Male Participation in Reproductive Health India

• Old - Much before Cairo • Men participated in Post Independence Nation

building by participating in FP program as vasectomy acceptors

• NGO programs address men for practical reasons

Emergency excesses

Renewed Interest in Working with Men

• HIV Pandemic

• Emphasis on Gender equity and equality in

policies and programs – Post CEDAW & Beijing

• Post ICPD changes• Male Involvement in Family Planning Programs

• Adolescent Reproductive Health

Gender and Men in NPP

Gender –3; Men – 9 ; Boys – 2; Man/ Boy – 0; Equality - 0

• Increased participation of Men in Planned Parenthood – gender imbalance in sterilisation

• Boys – Education of girls in the context of boys

• Adolescents – Boys and girls – access to RH services

Gender in National Health Policy

Gender – 0; Men – 0; Boys – 0; Equality-0• Women and children – disadvantaged group• Women and children – micronutrient deficiency• Only a section on Women’s Health - Social,

cultural and economic factors - acknowledged; catalytic role of empowered women in improving the overall health standards; specific programmes targeted at women’s health – passing mention

Gender in NRHM• The word ‘gender’ is present in three: the Mission

document, the NRHM Framework of Implementation and (draft) Framework for Preparing District Health Action Plans.

• There is no mention of the word gender in the documents relating to JSY, ASHA, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ); Indian Public Health Standard Guidelines and so on.

• However concepts allied to gender like male participation or privacy and confidentiality for women users are addressed in these documents.

• Gender in the context of demographic imbalance; 10% allocation on gender sensitive schemes

Gender, Men and RCH 2

• One Supportive Document on Gender

• Gender seen as a cross cutting issue

• Male participation – in child health, in overall family’s health and in contraception ( 7/ 12)

• Training of service providers in gender

Some Results

• Emphasis on Non-scalpel Vasectomy• Marathon Male Sterilisation Camps – 1400+ in

Sitapur, 3000+ in Satna• Coercion of Men – Lakhimpur Kheri case; Satna –

rickshaw-pullers coerced; gun-licences for sterilisation – UP

• Working with community and religious leaders on issue of sex pre-selection using protection of the girl child and female foeticide language