Nile Regina El Wardani, MPH, PhD, Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygience and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, England, 1-323-935-1315, nileelwardani@yahoo.com

National policies are a starting point for measuring the degree of women’s reproductive health rights in a given country. These rights vary across countries. Such rights either will empower or disempower women and girls as they make decisions about their sexual and reproduction health. As national policies are amended it is important to analyze the policy process for change as well as the impact of policy changes. There has been a significant rise in Women’s non-governmental-organizations (NGOs) in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey in the last decade. How have these NGOs been able to impact national policies which address issues of women’s reproductive health and well being? Through an analysis of current national policies and proposed amendments combined with in-depth interviews with NGO leaders and policy-makers this research seeks to (the learning objectives) investigate the degree to which women-oriented NGOs can and do influence national policies pertaining to reproductive health. This study will compare NGO influence on national policies in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey. As Islamic countries with colonial pasts they have much in common. However contemporary interpretations and implementation of Islamic Sharia Law combined with secular law in these three countries varies. This study seeks to weed out the differences and the similarities and expose the influence of women’s NGOs on national policies which directly affect women’s reproductive health and well being. It seeks to make recommendations as to how women's NGOs can play a greater role in the policy process.

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