Preparing for the following flood: Protecting women’s health in Bangladesh

Sunamganj is an area in the ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern Bangladesh, which is particularly exposed to climate change. The floods reach quickly and suddenly and can last for weeks. It disrupts life, feel the displacement of families and cut off the services.

For more than 670,000 women of childbearing age that live in the region, the rough weather events are increasingly threatening to reach reproductive health care.

Preparation and planning

To help prepare for these crises, Unfpa Women of childbearing age are trained to protect themselves and their children during the next flood.

Shakela Akhtar, the mother of two children, was 24 years old, carrying eight years old during the last flood.

“Thanks to the training I received, I knew what to bear, how to prepare and how to protect my family,” she recalls. Now you use family planning tools that you did not know: “I want to choose when I am ready for another child.”

It also emphasized the relationship between climate change and these severe floods: “We understand that the climate has changed over the past twenty years. In Bangladesh, the flood season has become longer, and sudden floods are more frequent, and the heat waves have intensified, and winter is now shorter.

“Therefore, we must be ready to manage it to survive.”

Local volunteers

This training is possible by trained volunteers to help others prepare for climate shocks.

Shakila Begum, 26, started volunteering with just two days of training. It works with the healthy climate resistance system and the community initiative – with the support of American diseases and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency – which educate women on topics from menstruation to birth during floods.

Mrs. Pegum is now the point of communication for 75 families, which helps them in issues such as family planning and mother’s health care.

“One of the women was seriously suffering from high blood pressure,” she recalled. “She advised her family to go to the local hospital, where she delivered her safely – completely free of cost.”

The United Nations Anti -Disease Representative Actress Catherine Brain Kaclyge (Shakailla Begum Center) (right, green), is a 26 -year -old volunteer with a healthy climate resistance system and the community project in Songhang.

Empowerment through safe spaces

The initiative also provides safe societal spaces where women can identify sexual and reproductive health.

In Kurban Nagarn, an area in Sunamganj, volunteers began hosting “street drama”. Volunteers are acting scenes related to issues such as mother’s health, alertness of disasters and the prevention of child marriage, with more than 500 people attending every performance.

Taskira Hauque Tazin, a local student, is one of the main members of the mobile theater. She attended many conferences in Bangladesh and abroad, where she shares her experiences and is recognized for her work.

She said: “I am proud to work to empower women and support disadvantaged societies. Through these plays, we raise awareness so that women do not fall backward. We want to stop early marriage, encourage girls’ education, and ensure access to health care of mothers.” “Whether it is in the sun, rain or storm – we will continue to do this work for people.”

Villagers gather in the afternoon street drama in Bodipur, Kurban Nagar Union, Sunamganj, as part of the climate health system and community project.

Anima Akhtar, the 24-year-old mother in Korban Najjar, explained that street drama provides a safe space for difficult conversations: “We want to share our problems, especially about our bodies-but we cannot speak often.”

With the support of local volunteers, Anima provided the smallest child in the hospital.

Secretary, Nourul, who is now accompanying her to society sessions and has become a role model in society, where he receives training from volunteers to teach his neighbors about the health of women and girls.

He said: “Since my wife underwent training, I took it seriously and I was inspired to help our neighbors, especially with regard to the health of women and girls.” “I regularly talk about these important messages with other men in the tea booth, and encourage them to prepare for disasters and take the same precautions.

“I urge them to seek help from service providers if they face any problems, especially with regard to the connections of pregnant women and family planning methods.”

Anima Khater, 24, with her husband, Rohol Amin, 30, a steel worker, and their two children outside their home in the village of Bodbur in Corbian Nagar Union.

Continuous challenges

But the challenges remain despite the best efforts made by UNFPA and other United Nations partners.

In the villages exposed to the floods in Senjang, more than half of the delivery processes are still taking place at home.

Many women and girls still feel shame to discuss topics such as menstruation, and cultural standards often restrict women who are trying to generate their income.

These weaknesses faced by women and girls are exacerbated by climate related disasters, which are often collided with more difficult.

Continuous obligations

From 28 to 31 July, global experts met at the world symposium on climate justice and affected population in Brazilia, who participated in its hosting by UNFPA and the Brazil government.

There, the leaders work to address the inconsistent effects of climate change on women and girls. The event called for comprehensive gender climate negotiations and a renewed commitment to understanding the effect of climate change on sexual and reproductive health.

Dain Kita, Acting CEO of UNFPA, highlighted the gender effect of climate change in this event: “Evidence tells us that climate change increases the risk of maternal mortality, which leads to disruption of access to contraceptives and an increase in the risk of gender -based violence.”

“Our collective efforts need to enhance the elasticity of women, girls and health systems to withstand and adapt climate shocks.” “Preparing, quickly responding, and building must be better forward to be central pillars for our work.”