Reproductive Health and Rights

To fill the gap in knowledge about the reproductive system left by the schools, and promote reproductive health as a human right, BCMF has run reproductive health and rights (RHR) workshops in remote communities in Thailand and Burma since 2018.

RHR workshops are held for both male and female participants, targeting adolescents and young adults. However, workshops are open to anyone in the community interested in learning about their body. During workshops, participants learn about puberty, the male and female reproductive systems, pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Workshops for female participants also covers the topics of menstrual hygiene as well as the use and maintenance of reusable sanitary pad kits donated by Days for Girls Australia in remote areas. At the end of a workshop, each female participant who has not yet entered menopause, receives one of these kits to take home. In areas of Thailand where disposable pads are easily accessible or when provided as emergency sanitary kits to internally displaced persons camps, BCMF provides female participants with disposable pad kits. Three months after a workshop, a follow-up session is held with female participants to collect feedback on the reusable sanitary pad kits.

To support the progress made in these workshops, BCMF is also distributing implants to local clinics, in an effort to make contraception for family planning easily accessible.