Men as partners for maternal health, the theme of this year's World Population Day, focused attention on the fundamental role of men in supporting women's rights, including their right to sexual and reproductive health. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended, in his statement for the 2007 celebration: "Let us all encourage men to become partners and agents for change, supporting human rights and safe motherhood in every way possible, thus contributing to creating a world of greater health and opportunity for all".

World Population Day 2007, organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), focused on men's contribution because of a growing understanding that their involvement and participation can make all the difference in women's lives. UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said: "World Population Day is a time to focus on commitment and action to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect".

A Vietnamese mother with her child in a refugee camp on Koh Paed Island, Laeom Sing, Thailand UN photo/Saw Lwin

Men are seen as a fundamental partner in ensuring reproductive health for women. According to Paragraph 4.24 of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), "men play a key role in bringing about gender equality since, in most societies, men exercise preponderant power in nearly every sphere of life, ranging from personal decisions regarding the size of families to the policy and programme decisions taken at all levels of Government".


Experience has shown that through men's involvement, by discouraging early marriage, promoting girls' education, fostering equitable relationships and supporting women's reproductive health and rights, progress is made. Ms. Obaid emphasized: "We see men and women as partners in a relationship built on mutual respect, trust and commitment. Partnering with men promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity." Men can make tremendous contributions by using their power for positive change.

Today more than half a million women die annually due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth; every minute a woman loses her life-99 per cent of deaths occur in developing countries. The loss of a mother often shatters families and threatens the well-being of surviving children. For every woman who dies, 20 or more experience serious complications, such as obstetric fistula. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that "almost all of this death and suffering is preventable".

UNFPA supports safe motherhood initiatives around the world by providing women access to three reproductive health services that save women's lives. "These are voluntary family planning, skilled attendance at birth, and emergency obstetric care if complications arise during delivery," said Ms. Obaid. In countries where these services are widely available, more mothers and babies are surviving. In addition, the support of informed husbands improves pregnancy and childbirth outcomes and plays an important role in the care and nurturance of children.

Several countries have succeeded in significantly reducing maternal death rates since women gained access to family planning, midwives and emergency care. However, much work remains to be done to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 of improving maternal health around the world by 2015. Gender equality, another MDG, is "most likely to be achieved when men recognize that the lives of men and women are interdependent and that the empowerment of women benefits everyone", said Mr. Ban. Partnering with men, in the quest for the health rights of women, is an important first step toward achieving these goals.

UNFPA World Population Day Poster 2007

For more information, see the fact sheet from UNFPA about Safe Motherhood: http://www.unfpa.org/mothers/facts.htm