Communication Norms in NGOs Advocating Reproductive Health: A Comparative Study of Malaysian and Nigerian NGOs

Authors

  • Mumtaz Ali Department of Sociology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
  • Maya Khemlani David University of Malaya, Malaysia
  • Angela Rumina Leo School of Education & Social Sciences, Management & Science University, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51611/iars.irj.v10i1.2020.114

Keywords:

NGO, Communication Norms, Reproductive Health, Malaysia, Nigeria

Abstract

Reproductive health is an emerging issue in developing countries. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that every minute, a woman in the developing world dies from treatable complications of either pregnancy or childbirth. Nigeria is a country where the state of reproductive health of its population is dismal. In 2012, UNFPA pointed out that Nigeria has one of the worst maternal mortality statistics in the world with a maternal mortality ratio of 545 per 100,000 live births. Several NGOs around the world deliver services at various levels to advocate the right of mothers to have safe births as well as address the shortage of skilled midwives. In this context, Malaysia has done much to control its infant and maternal mortality rates, through its community reproductive health initiatives. This study then aims to determine the communication norms in two NGOs, one in Malaysian and the other in Nigeria. The analysis was of projects undertaken by two NGOs, the Federation of Reproductive Health Association of Malaysia (FRHAM) and the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) of Nigeria. The communication norms and ways of getting the community involved in their projects were examined through progress reports, document review and web searches. Besides being interviewed, questionnaires were filled by the employees of the NGOs. The findings indicate that the Nigerian and Malaysian NGOs have different communication models and they can learn from each other’s best practices.

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Published

2020-02-08

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How to Cite

“Communication Norms in NGOs Advocating Reproductive Health: A Comparative Study of Malaysian and Nigerian NGOs” (2020) IARS’ International Research Journal, 10(1). doi:10.51611/iars.irj.v10i1.2020.114.

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