Reproductive health needs of Palestinian refugee camp adolescent girls: From evidence to policy

This project aims to generate knowledge on adolescents’ perceptions of and requirements for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among Palestinian refugee camp dwellers in Palestine and Jordan. SRH services are currently offered only to married girls and women by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)’s health department. The project will address this critical gap by designing an intervention to expand SRH services to unmarried young and adolescent girls using a rights-based perspective.

The study will use mixed methods to design, implement, and evaluate the intervention and it will also train the research team at UNRWA. This will expand the scope of SRH services within existing UNRWA service structures and enhance the capacity of UNRWA staff to conduct research. The expected knowledge products include reports and publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as relevant policy briefs.

The project will be carried out by Birzeit University, located in the West Bank, in collaboration with UNRWA.

The project is closely aligned with the Government of Canada’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy, the strategic priorities detailed in the 2016-2030 WHO led Global Strategy for Women, Children and Adolescents, and the overarching 2030 global agenda for sustainable development.