Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am sending this monthly update early as we give pause to not just the one-year anniversary of this pandemic and so many lives lost, jobs gone and women’s employment outside the home at an all-time low — but violence just this week in Atlanta against Asian women.

We are deeply saddened by the violence against Asians, how Asians are being discriminated against and blamed for this pandemic. As a global community, in solidarity—and individually and collectively we work to address this discrimination and violence.

At the RTI GGC, we are committed to ending gender-based violence in the US and globally. Yet, violence is on the rise, even as we observe it in our own studies. We must continue to work to end inequalities and disparities in communities globally and in our backyard for true impact.
 
On a lighter note, earlier this week and events last week, we did feel joy and inspiration from the presentations and celebrations surrounding International Women's Day, Women's History Month, and the 65th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

This month we hosted and co-hosted several events honoring International Women's Day highlighting RTI International projects that address a diversity of issues related to gender inequality. We are also so proud of our previous WomenNC scholars who spoke at the 65th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women! Congratulations to our many affiliates on their publications and gender-related projects this month. We are looking to write impact stories about the reach and impact that our affiliates have to share on our newly refreshed gendercenter.rti.org website, so please send us any information about your incredible work! 

Please work in supporting and collaborating as we continue this journey! 

In health,

Dr. Wendee

RTI Gender-related March publications

• Agarwal P, Shankaran S, Laptook AR, Chowdhury D, Lakshminrusimha S, Bonifacio SL, Natarajan G, Chawla S, Keszler M, Heyne RJ, Ambalavanan N, Walsh MC, Das A, Van Meurs KP; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network. Outcomes of infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn: results from three NICHD studies. J Perinatol. 2021 Mar;41(3):502-511. doi: 10.1038/s41372-020-00905-7. PMID: 33402707
• Bell M, Cole CR, Hansen NI, Duncan AF, Hintz SR, Adams-Chapman I; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Neurodevelopmental and Growth Outcomes of Extremely Preterm Infants with Short Bowel Syndrome. J Pediatr. 2021 Mar;230:76-83.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.11.026. PMID: 33246015
• Black MM, Kowalski AJ. Women's Empowerment Promotes Children Thriving Globally. J Nutr. 2021 Mar 11;151(3):455-456. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa370. PMID: 33378526 
• Campbell R, Fehler-Cabral G, Pierce SJ, Sharma DB, Shaw J, Horsford S, Feeney H. Changing the Criminal Justice System Response to Sexual Assault: An Empirical Study of a Participatory Action Research Project. Am J Community Psychol. 2021 Mar;67(1-2):166-178. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12428.  PMID: 32511777
• Cutbush S, Williams J, Miller S, Gibbs D, Clinton-Sherrod M. Longitudinal Patterns of Electronic Teen Dating Violence Among Middle School Students. J Interpers Violence. 2021 Mar;36(5-6):NP2506-NP2526. doi: 10.1177/0886260518758326. PMID: 29606057
• Dvorsky MR, Becker SP, Tamm L, Willoughby MT. Testing the Longitudinal Structure and Change in Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Inattentive Behaviors From Early Through Middle Childhood. Assessment. 2021 Mar;28(2):380-394. doi: 10.1177/1073191119872247. PMID: 31680544
• Gatzke-Kopp LM, Warkentien S, Willoughby M, Fowler C, Folch DC, Blair C. Proximity to sources of airborne lead is associated with reductions in Children's executive function in the first four years of life. Health Place. 2021 Mar;68:102517. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102517. PMID: 33540187
• Giovenco D, Gill K, Fynn L, Duyver M, O'Rourke S, van der Straten A, Morton JF, Celum CL, Bekker LG. Experiences of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use disclosure among South African adolescent girls and young women and its perceived impact on adherence. PLoS One. 2021 Mar 5;16(3):e0248307. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248307. eCollection 2021. PMID: 33667264 Free PMC article.
• Goldenberg RL, McClure EM. Have Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Community Lockdowns Reduced Preterm Birth Rates? Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Mar 1;137(3):399-402. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004302. PMID: 33543906
• Johnson M, Piedrahita R, Pillarisetti A, Shupler M, Menya D, Rossanese M, Delapeña S, Penumetcha N, Chartier R, Puzzolo E, Pope D. Modeling approaches and performance for estimating personal exposure to household air pollution: A case study in Kenya. Indoor Air. 2021 Mar 2. doi: 10.1111/ina.12790. PMID: 33655590
• Krogstad EA, Atujuna M, Montgomery ET, Minnis AM, Morroni C, Bekker LG. Perceptions matter: Narratives of contraceptive implant robbery in Cape Town, South Africa. Cult Health Sex. 2021 Mar;23(3):383-396. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2020.1714739. PMID: 32216584
• Laptook AR, Shankaran S, Barnes P, Rollins N, Do BT, Parikh NA, Hamrick S, Hintz SR, Tyson JE, Bell EF, Ambalavanan N, Goldberg RN, Pappas A, Huitema C, Pedroza C, Chaudhary AS, Hensman AM, Das A, Wyckoff M, Khan A, Walsh MC, Watterberg KL, Faix R, Truog W, Guillet R, Sokol GM, Poindexter BB, Higgins RD; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Limitations of Conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Predictor of Death or Disability Following Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in the Late Hypothermia Trial.  J Pediatr. 2021 Mar;230:106-111.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.11.015. PMID: 33189747
• Lutter CK, Grummer-Strawn L, Rogers L. Complementary feeding of infants and young children 6 to 23 months of age. Nutr Rev. 2021 Mar 4:143. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa143. PMID: 33684940
• Mayo AJ, Browne EN, Montgomery ET, Torjesen K, Palanee-Phillips T, Jeenarain N, Seyama L, Woeber K, Harkoo I, Reddy K, Tembo T, Mutero P, Tauya T, Chitukuta M, Gati Mirembe B, Soto-Torres L, Brown ER, Baeten JM, van der Straten A; MTN-020/ASPIRE study team. Acceptability of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring for HIV-1 Prevention and Association with Adherence in a Phase III Trial. AIDS Behav. 2021 Mar 13. doi: 10.1007/s10461-021-03205-z. OPMID: 33713213
• Merhar SL, Ounpraseuth S, Devlin LA, Poindexter BB, Young LW, Berkey SD, Crowley M, Czynski AJ, Kiefer AS, Whalen BL, Das A, Fuller JF, Higgins RD, Thombre V, Lester BM, Smith PB, Newman S, Sánchez PJ, Smith MC, Simon A; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network and the NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (Echo) Program Institutional Development Awards States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. Phenobarbital and Clonidine as Secondary Medications for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. Pediatrics. 2021 Mar;147(3):e2020017830. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-017830. PMID: 33632932
• Nager CW, Visco AG, Richter HE, Rardin CR, Komesu Y, Harvie HS, Zyczynski HM, Paraiso MFR, Mazloomdoost D, Sridhar A, Thomas S; NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network. Effect of sacrospinous hysteropexy with graft vs vaginal hysterectomy with uterosacral ligament suspension on treatment failure in women with uterovaginal prolapse: 5 year results of a randomized clinical trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Mar 11:S0002-9378(21)00163-0. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.03.012. PMID: 33716071
• Ogimi C, Qu P, Boeckh M, Bender Ignacio RA, Zangeneh SZ. Association between live childhood vaccines and COVID-19 outcomes: a national-level analysis. Epidemiol Infect. 2021 Mar 16:1-15. doi: 10.1017/S0950268821000571. PMID: 33722335
• Wilson EK, Koo HP, Minnis AM. Factors influencing women's decisions about pregnancy spacing: Findings from a focus group discussion study. Contraception. 2021 Mar;103(3):190-194. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2020.11.013. PMID: 33285098
• Zhao XL, Liu ZH, Zhao S, Hu SY, Muwonge R, Duan XZ, Du LJ, Su CF, Xiang XE, Zhang X, Pan QJ, Qiao YL, Sankaranarayanan R, Zhao FH, Basu P. Efficacy of point-of-care thermal ablation among high-risk human papillomavirus positive women in China. Int J Cancer. 2021 Mar 15;148(6):1419-1427. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33290. PMID: 32895912

RTI Gender-related March project wins

Congratulations to:

Yukiko Washio and team on their win, Mobile behavioral intervention to reduce maternal drinking in South Africa, from NIH NIAAA

Katie Cretin and team on their win, Global Network - Add-on - MNH COVID-19, from NICHD

Valerie Flax and team on their win, Examining SDoH in Stockton CA - Abbott Fund, from the Abbott Fund

Anirban Chatterjee and team on their win, Water for Women Direct Contract, from the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT)

We update our website regularly with all RTI Gender-related publications under resources. Please let us know if we missed any of yours. 

 

Skills-building Among Women & Girls in Kenya | RTI Global Gender Center
For a recap and recording please visit the link above.

 

Women Transforming Education, Their Communities, and the Environment in Latin America | RTI Global Gender Center
For a recap and recording please visit the link above.

 

Women, Water & the Environment in Asia | RTI Global Gender Center

 For a recap and recording please visit the link above.

 

Choose to Challenge Fireside Chat (Internal RTI Staff only)
RTI staff and affiliates engaged in conversation about mentor relationships to overcome barriers and advance gender equity.
 

On the anniversary of the pandemic declaration, and in recognition of IWD, RTI brought together women leaders to reflect on the pandemic, the challenges and successes of women, and actions to take toward a more equitable future.

 

Former WomenNC scholars, "femtored" by RTI GGC affiliates, spoke on a special WomenNC-led panel at the 65th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. 
You can rewatch this event on WomenNC's Facebook!

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

 

 

 

Gender Science News 

A new way to measure human wellbeing towards sustainability
Exercise during pregnancy may save kids from health problems as adults
COVID-19 risks to pregnant women and their babies as outlined in global research review
Study reveals process to explain how maternal stress triggers idiopathic preterm birth
Nature: New compound for male contraceptive pill
 

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