CAPACITY BUILDING, EMPOWERMENT & ADVOCACY

This project builds the capacity of communities to organise and mobilise to take individual, group and community action to address the structural and intermediary determinants of health. Capacity building, empowerment and advocacy are all central to the project, addressing the elements of choice, challenge and change. WCF will provide ongoing advocacy support and build PCP’s capacity to work in a gender sensitive way gender capacity (see section 5.10). Output one directly focuses on empowering women (in groups) to recognise and address MNH challenges and access appropriate care. The women are provided with relevant information so that they can make individual informed decisions regarding the importance of attending ANC visits and PNC; birth preparedness including good nutrition; how, why and where to deliver at a health facility; and how to engage wider male and family support. MNH will improve through behaviour change including improved hygienic home delivery practices, newborn thermal care and breastfeeding practices (Fottrell et al, 2013). Output two will strengthen community capacity (linking women’s groups with community health committees and clinics) to support mothers and their families within the community to challenge and claim their rights and entitlements. Women’s group facilitators and members will be encouraged to participate in health committee meetings at the union, upazila and district levels to ensure optimum utilisation of existing health facilities and to ensure that health committee members are aware of and address the MNH issues facing women in the community. Output three will build community capacity to advocate for improved quality services and for increased rural women’s participation in health committees. We will share local MNH information and case studies with government staff, NGOs, CBOs and local leaders ensuring that evidence, best practice, community voices and datareach decision makers.