Family planning service provision in Solomon Islands: a case study approach

Relmah Harrington explored family planning service provision at three health clinics in Solomon Islands. She found, not everyone accessed the service. Predominantly married women attended family planning, men and young people rarely access the services. Policy makers and service providers are using results to improve family planning service provision in Solomon Islands

Grassroots action for improved menstrual health and educational justice with girls in East Kwaio, Solomon Islands

Menstrual health and hygiene are critical health, gender equality and well-being issues for rural girls in most Pacific island nations. Educational opportunities for girls are negatively impacted by cultural taboos and limited school sanitation or menstrual hygiene options. In East Kwaio, Solomon Islands, religion and spirituality determine daily life. Biological, socio-cultural and spiritual processes of menstruation determine the layout of mountain hamlets. In coastal villages, menstruation is not discussed openly and women and girls typically manage menstruation alone. In both Kwaio settings, menstruation can restrict girls’ access to formal education. Our story tells how one determined Kwaio woman used a chance encounter with a young girl as the impetus for her, and our, work to improve menstrual health for schoolgirls, other women and girls. Women leaders from a local conservation group, two local schools and a local health service initiated culturally-appropriate solutions with girls at the schools. A pad-making initiative and a parallel awareness-raising programme promoted sexual and reproductive health, and gender equality, for girls in this remote Pacific setting. We describe how partnerships, led by those closest to the issue, can effect local transformation to encourage reproductive and educational justice for girls in Solomon Islands, and other Pacific contexts

Women’s understanding and experiences of menopause in low-income and middle-income countries in the Asia Pacific region: a scoping review protocol

Introduction Menopause denotes the end of a woman’s reproductive life. A woman’s experiences of menopause are shaped by her individual circumstances and may vary between social and cultural contexts. Evidence is needed to inform research and programme delivery that supports women’s health and well-being throughout the menopausal transition. This scoping review will map evidence of women’s experiences of menopause in Asia Pacific countries, where limited research exists.Methods and analysis We will follow the five-stage framework of Arksey and O’Malley, further developed by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus databases will be systematically searched between February 2022 and May 2022 using subject headings and keywords. The title–abstract and full text of retrieved studies will be assessed against eligibility criteria. The review will focus on studies with a qualitative research component. Citation searching of selected articles will supplement database searching. Data will be extracted, charted, synthesised and summarised. Findings will be presented in narrative format and implications for research and practice reported.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review of selected studies from peer-reviewed journals. Ethical approval has been granted from relevant ethics committees for community consultation. Findings will be shared in peer-reviewed publications, presented at conferences and disseminated with communities, health workers and researchers