The First Co-design Workshop of ‘HopeBox’ study was held
On 21 May 2023 AdSEARCH by icddr,b conducted the first Co-design workshop of the study “HopeBox: A Contribution for the Orphan Adolescent Girls to Claim their Choices to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Knowledge and Practices" at the icddr,b premises. The workshop discussed and explored various dimensions of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) knowledge with a particular focus on orphan adolescent girls living in different orphanages. The event facilitated expert views and emphasised the social reality of claiming rights through the dissemination of SRHR knowledge and practices.
Attendees included representatives from the Directorate General of Health Services, Directorate General of Family Planning, Department of Social Service, Unicef Bangladesh, Data for Impact, Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), Right Here Right Now Bangladesh Platform, LEEDO Peace Home, Bandhu Social Welfare Society, and The Prothom Alo.
Fariya Rahman, the principal investigator of the study, presented the primary research findings and displayed a booklet of HopeBox regarding menstruation. Mohammad Kamrul Islam Chowdhury, Director of the Department of Social Service, chaired the workshop and collected the responses from the specialists, and expressed interest from the government to include research findings at the policy level. Hossain Zillur Rahman, Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and former Advisor of the Caretaker Government, discussed the policy implementation procedures and identified the barriers regarding SRHR knowledge and practice implementation among the study participants. Quamrun Nahar, Head of Research, Maternal and Child Health Division of icddr,b and Deputy Project Director AdSEARCH by icddr,b focused on the special needs of orphans and discussed gender issues, and capacity building for the relevant beneficiary population.
