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In mid-2021, each Member Association in the South Asia Region was requested to organize focus group discussions with select members of the community. India, Nepal and Sri Lanka shared their initiatives which were being supported by the Movement Accelerator Platform, Global Affairs Canada, and others. These initiatives are now paving the way for a more equitable and balanced environment where equal opportunities exist and can be accessed.

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In 2021, IPPF Member Associations (MAs) continued to demonstrate their resilience and adaptability to carry on serving people in spite of the severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  A total of 231.4 million services were delivered, a six per cent increase on 2020. Despite comprising fewer MAs, IPPF recovered more than half the decrease caused the previous year by clinic closures and other restrictions. Couple years of protection (CYP) increased by eight percent to reach 29 million – higher than in any year prior to the pandemic. 

The International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Member Association, the Afghan Family Guidance Association (AFGA) implemented a new project, “Saving lives of women and girls in rural conflict prone provinces of Afghanistan through timely provision of quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services- a community led intervention." The project was launched on 1 March 2021 with the goal of providing comprehensive maternal and child services through 150-midwives in 10 conflict prone provinces of the country. The project was a first-ofits-kind ‘midwifery-led technologyenabled intervention’ that aimed to reach the doorsteps of more than 45,000 households across the country. The project was implemented by AFGA in collaboration with the IPPF. It covered provinces with poor national and provincial health indicators, namely Kabul, Nangarhar, Herat, Balkh, Parwan, Kapisa, Laghman, Bamyan, Badakhshan and Samangan provinces.

Worldwide, 1 in 3 women (approximately 38%) has experienced Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in their lifetime. Based on the data, the prevalence of GBV fluctuates, and systematic review studies in Iran showed that the total rate of violence against women is about 22.9%, with the highest rate in Tehran and Zahedan. Pregnancy, low education, age, psychological disorders, and addiction are the most effective factors in sexual, physical, and emotional violence within Iran. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is a human rights challenge worldwide. Various studies show that Iranians do not have enough information about SGBV. According to the United Nations, the term Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) refers to any harmful act committed against someone's will and based on gender differences between men and women. These acts include physical, mental, or sexual harm or threats of such acts, coercion, and deprivation of liberty, whether in public or private life. However, the definition of SGBV in Iran focuses more on domestic violence against women. SGBV has many effects on individuals, families, and communities. It also has significant costs for countries and economic development. The results of several studies conducted in medical and forensic centers show domestic violence against pregnant women who have been referred to hospitals. According to these studies, physicians and health care providers are in a good position to reduce the effect of SGBV on victims. However, doctors aren't fully prepared for this situation, while they have the highest impact on reducing women's health violations. Physicians who have previously been trained in GBV management have the best chance of screening and diagnosing patients with GBV. In addition, trained students can influence other health workers to screen for abuse and violation. Therefore, these groups should learn the skills needed to diagnose GBV. They must also have sufficient knowledge and skills to care for, support, and refer victims of rape. There is a basic need for physicians to be trained in screening, identifying, treating, and preventing partner violence. A study by Humber and Flann found that victims of violence exist in all medical specialties. They also concluded that significant patients associated with domestic violence across health care centers, especially clinics. The main reason that doctors rarely ask patients about spousal violence is that they often do not feel ready to help the patient who has experienced the violence. Although all health workers need to have sufficient skills to deal with SGBV, a review of the Iranian Medical Education and Other Health Services curriculum shows that they are not formally trained in SGBV while studying at their universities. Building the capacity of health workers for SGBV can lead to effective response and action if these occur. The goal of this project was to engage and empower medical students, physicians, and other health care professionals about SGBV through an interactive learning model.