Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Program (RHSTEP)
Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Program (RHSTEP) is a non-government organization dedicated to the causes of Reproductive Health, Emancipation from Population explosion, Planned Parenthood and Poverty Alleviation as well as attaining Gender Equality, Equal Rights and Empowerment of Women for the last 27 year
s in Bangladesh. RHSTEP’s Emergence
RHSTEP is the pioneer of Sexual and Reproductive Health service providing NGO that has evolved through a gradual process of providing MR services in Bangladesh. In 1979 the government of Bangladesh started MR training program in 10 clinic based centers at different Medical Colleges, Sadar Hospitals and at MFSTC-Dhaka to create skilled MR Service providers in the country. Afterwards in 1983, the Government of Bangladesh formally established the Menstrual Regulation Training and Services Program (MRTSP) as a special project under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). In 1989 MRTSP was transformed into an NGO with its limited activities of MR training, MR Services and Family Planning Services. Considering the increasing need of other reproductive health care, MRTSP stepped forward in 2000 with multifaceted services and a new name: ‘Reproductive Health Services, Training and Education Program – RHSTEP. Women constitute the majority of workforce at central as well as at clinic level, which amply reflects its policy towards women empowerment and poverty alleviation. RHSTEP’s Vision
Healthy, wealthy, self-reliant Bangladesh, free from the menace of birthquakes through achieving targets of stabilized population; ensuring gender equity, equality and empowerment of women; free access to education, sexual and reproductive health care services; exercise of reproductive rights and employment opportunities; endeavor towards poverty alleviation. RHSTEP’s Goal
To contribute towards improving sexual and reproductive health status of womenfolk as well as adolescents and help to build up trained personnel by adopting specific module of training program for catering better services and thereby play a complementary role to support and supplement in consonance with the GOB's National Health Program targets of reducing Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Morbidity and other sexual and RH health hazards
in Bangladesh
