23. 'Abu-Hwaij, A. R. Policy Implications for Reproductive Health Care Delivery in the Rural West Bank. Jerusalem: UPMRC, 1996: 94 pp.
In Arabic and English.

A study is documented which assessed the availability and characteristics of reproductive health services in the rural areas of the West Bank. The study results indicate that policy makers in this field were influenced by the gender-biased ideology dominating Palestinian society. This ideology considers reproductive health as a concern for women only. Consequently, reproductive health policies have been limited to women of childbearing age, thereby excluding women of other ages and men in general. Recommendations include focusing on attitude change regarding reproductive health, creating health education campaigns that would target boys and girls in schools and men in workplaces. In addition, a focus should be placed on family planning programs, the surveillance of sexually-transmitted diseases, and the empowerment of women. The author argues that service provision, although important, is not enough for solving the problem of gender-based discrimination. Changes on the social, economic and political levels are also required in order to improve the status of reproductive health.