30 INTEGRATING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS INTO THE WORK OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS OF THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION Several institutions consulted for this study pointed out that reproductive rights affect the staff of NHRIs as well as their constituencies. Integration of reproductive rights into the work of a NHRI should therefore extend to the institution’s own personnel policies and practices. Freedom from discrimination related to pregnancy and marriage; the availability of childcare; and provision for flexible working hours can all contribute to ensuring an environment that is conducive to reproductive rights of NHRI staff. Afghanistan: Innovations in monitoring violations of reproductive rights Issues related to personal freedom and familial, social and political pressures mean that many violations of reproductive rights are never reported to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. The Commission has sought to address this problem by expanding its monitoring scope to include hospitals, where many women will go after being burned or beaten. Close monitoring of hospitals has improved the Commission’s understanding of the nature of reproductive rights violations as well as the challenges to an effective response. The Philippines: Community consultation for a reproductive rights strategy The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has recently decided to develop a reproductive health rights program. In developing this program the Commission will begin by holding discussions at village level, using its 15 provincial offices to coordinate these events. The discussions will feed into the Commission’s human rights education program by providing initial awareness raising about reproductive health rights. They will also enable the Commission to gain an insight into the situation of reproductive rights. In addition to their monitoring value, such insights will help to clarify needs and priorities as well as to identify obstacles to the effective realization of reproductive rights. Qatar: Community survey and consultation on reproductive rights In February 2011, the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar will conduct a community survey on reproductive rights. The survey will involve the production and distribution of a questionnaire to 1,000 women. Five hundred of these will be women living in remote communities, identified by the Committee as a particularly vulnerable group with respect to reproductive rights matters. The Government will help to distribute the survey to women in remote communities but will otherwise not be involved in this exercise. The purpose of the survey is to assess the situation (nature, size and scope of the problem); to identify the priorities of women in relation to reproductive rights; and to gauge community reaction to a proposed engagement by the Committee in this area. The results of the survey will be published in the Committee’s 2011 annual report. On the basis of those results the Committee expects to develop training courses, seminars/roundtables and other events aimed at raising awareness about reproductive rights and addressing issues of concern that have been identified.