In response to the expanding number of forced migrants as a result of the Syrian Civil War, Columbia University School of Social Work (CSSW) and the University of Jordan School of Medicine (UJ) created the Advancing Solutions in Policy, Implementation, Research and Engagement (ASPIRE) initiative to address the health needs of Syrian refugees. Dr. Anindita Dasgupta (CSSW) and Dr. Maysa’ Khadra (UJ) led the Women ASPIRE study, which collected quantitative data from over 500 Syrian refugee women living outside of camps throughout Jordan. In partnership with the Institute for Family Health, and the International Rescue Committee, the Women ASPIRE study generated rigorous epidemiologic data on the gendered health and mental health concerns of Syrian refugee women. In this presentation, Dr. Dasgupta, Dr. Khadra and members of the Women ASPIRE team will present findings from the Women ASPIRE study, and propose recommendations for programming, policy, and future research designed to improve the health of Syrian refugee women in Jordan. The presentation will be followed by an open discussion among attendees on future efforts to address the health needs of Syrian refugee women in Jordan and the MENA region.
Dr. Anindita Dasgupta is a post-doctoral research scientist at Columbia University School of Social Work. She leads the ASPIRE initiative – a multidisciplinary program of activities based at CSSW dedicated to developing innovative approaches and responses to the Syrian refugee conflict. Dr. Dasgupta’s research examines how gendered inequities of health (ex. gender-based violence) intersect with sexual and reproductive health among vulnerable populations of girls and women, globally.
Dr. Maysa’ Khadra is an associate professor in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and formerly the head of the Reproductive Health Unit at the University of Jordan School of Medicine. She is the Women ASPIRE in-country principal investigator. Dr. Khadra is a member of the Jordanian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Her main research interests are in women’s reproductive health, infertility, and gender-based violence.
