On Saturday 24th March a week-long study visit by 6 European and 1 Canadian parliamentarians to Bangladesh came to a close.

During the week the seven MPs gained first hand-experience of some of the greatest challenges facing Bangladesh in its development, and the ways it is managing to overcome them. The focus of their interest was the difficulties faced by Bangladesh’s women in having full access to reproductive health information, services and supplies (including family planning) and the country’s vulnerability to a range of environmental hazards. Particular attention was paid to these issues in rural and remote areas and urban slums, where much of the population lives.

As a member of a heavily male- and Republican-dominated state Senate since 2008, Ohio legislator Nina Turner says she has cringed watching her colleagues pass bill after bill to regulate women's reproductive health. Now, the Democrat has become the latest in a series of female state legislators to give her male colleagues a taste of their own medicine by introducing a bill that limits men's ability to get a Viagra prescription without meeting certain government conditions.

Over the past month EPF has been worried to note that the 2012 development assistance budgets are being cut by three major international donors: Canada, The Netherlands and Spain. In early April the overall figures for 2011 spending are set to be released, and they are expected to confirm this negative tendency for the past year across most International Donors. More news of this in next month’s EPF Newsletter…

On 5th March nine MEPs joined V-Day founder and Tony award winning playwright Eve Ensler in a very special and unique performance of “The Vagina Monologues” in the European Parliament. Its aim was to raise public and EU decision makers' awareness on the importance of putting an end to violence against women and girls in Europe and around the world.

In mid-March former President of Finland Tarja Halonen was appointed to help lead a United Nations Working Group on Population and Development. Former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano will be her co-chair. The high-level working group will focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights at a political level worldwide. The position was offered to Halonen at the end of February 2012, as she came to the end of her second term as Finland’s president.

On International Women’s Day 2012 UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin renewed his organisation’s commitment to gender equality and human rights and dignity.