My Body, My Authority

1. My Body, My Authority Zarqa Arshad Farzana Aslam

2. Suhaili Hot Line

3. Suhaili Hot Line Contact Number: +923159473399 (PF) +923074940707. (WIC) Service on phone: 24 hours. Service providers: Two trained lady counselors and a coordinator Area covered: Sindh and Punjab provinces Languages used by counselors: Sindhi,Urdu,Marwari, Punjabi and Siraki Focused theme of hot line: Provide accurate information on abortion and PPH Sponsors: Mama Cash Technical Support: Women on Waves Women on Web & ASAP Fund granted : 4775 $ per IP

4. 18% death due to unsafe abortion every year • Women always looked for medicines to terminate an unwanted pregnancy • Untrained midwives in rural areas • Worse behaviour of service providers with abortion seekers • Heavy charges for surgical abortion • Lack of correct information on MA • Lack of awareness • Illiteracy • Confidentiality • Negative perception Why a hotline in Pakistan?

5. Receiving phone calls or Text massages. • Networking ( Elected person, Service providers, Community groups & NGOs) • Community meetings. • Disburse information regarding sexual and reproductive rights. • Disseminate information and contact numbers MainActivities

7. Spreading the word (abortion) to women in the community • Conducted press conferences • News and Cell Numbers published on the website of Mama Cash, WoW and ASAP • Sending Short text messages on cell phone – publicized Hotline number • Press advertisement of cell number: • Mobilization meetings Hotline strategies used

9. Male dominancy • Use of contraceptives • Illiterate/ rural women • Lack of women in decision making institutions • Religious Values • Cultural barriers • Misconception • Late night calls • Trust on information • Perception regarding marriage • Fake Medicine Challenges / Lesson learnt

10. Success • 12,000 calls received till Feb ,2012 ( Respond calls unlimited) in Sindh • 5,000 calls received till now. • No of calls increasing day by day. • Clients refer our number to their relatives and friends. • Initially caller majority callers were males but now we get more calls from females • People have started trusting us. • Misoprostol became available with rural pharmacist • After our training/s Midwives, Nurses and LHVs started using and advising Misoprostol in a rural areas (for MA and PPH)

11. AGE OF CALLERS The maximum calls were received from persons aged between 25 to 30 years (35%) followed by an almost equal distribution in the immediate younger and older age group i.e. 20 to 24 years(29%) and 30 to 34 years (28%). 6% of callers were between 16 to 19 years old.

12. Information on Safe Abortion 80.5 % Information on Post Partum Haemorrhage 6.3% Information on Contraception 2% Information on Sexual Violence 0.4% Information on Domestic Violence 0.2% Any Other 8.5% More than 2 of the above reason .8% Reason for calls Frequency Percent

13. There is a demand to courier MA Pills . • PF is planned to buy Misoprostol from whole sale market and then send to women through VP post courier. • PF is planned to open two outlet centers(franchise) • to guide women regarding SRH along with appropriate referral • PF planned to run a legislative advocacy campaign. • Our current legal system is at times religious and at times social. Police stations and law enforcing agencies are entitled to use any version of legal system. In male dominated society laws reflect only demands of men. PF planned to run a website in Urdu language ( it will be fruit full all over country) Future plan

14. Thank you