UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
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| UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) |
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Women and Population Subject of Lively Debate in Botswana Meeting in Gaborone from 22 to 26 June, 60 experts, representatives of United Nations agencies and non governmental organizations addressed the complex interrelationships between women's roles and status and population and development trends. In opening the Expert Group Meeting on Population and Women, the Honourable Festus Mogae, Botswana's Vice-President and Minister of Finance and Planning, underscored the importance accorded to population issues and women's education in Botswana. Dr. Nafis Sadik, Secretary-General of the 1994 Conference and Executive Director of UNFPA, called on the group to identify the ways in which the linkages between women and population could be used to reconcile macro-level development goals with individual human and reproductive rights. Mr. Shunichi Inoue, Deputy Secretary-General of the Conference and Director of the UN Population Division, also addressed the opening session. An overriding theme was the need for greater representation of women in planning, managing and executing population, development and environment programmes -- both for reasons of equity and as a precondition for success. All too often, participants noted, it was wrongly assumed that information or resources delivered to men would "trickle down" to women. The Group voiced its support for reproductive choice as a basic right for women. Although considerable progress had been made in extending family planning services to developing countries, unwanted fertility still accounted for one-quarter of childbearing in Africa and one-third in Asia and Latin America. More attention, participants emphasized, must be devoted to the role of men in reproduction and in the family. Public policy and discourse should take a more realistic view of family life, where resources, power and benefits were often divided unequally along lines of age and gender, and where family composition was often fluid. Focusing on women's economic roles, the group felt that Governments and employers had important roles in facilitating women's access to productive employment, improving conditions at the workplace, improving the ability of families to reconcile the demands of work with those of child care, and increasing the involvement of men in family responsibilities. Participants identified a number of practical steps for Governments, donors, the private sector, and inter- and non-governmental organizations to promote women's status and development, and which would have beneficial effects on women's health, demographic behaviour and the family. These included removing remaining legal barriers to women's full equality; policies to improve the education of girls and women; the provision of quality family planning and health care services; and programmes to provide reliable information about reproductive rights and reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS. The Meeting elected Ms. Amy Grace Luhanga (Tanzania) as Chairman, and Ms. Els Postel (Netherlands) and the Hon. Billie Miller (Barbados) as Vice-Chairmen. Ms. Cynthia Lloyd (USA) was elected Rapporteur. The Recommendations Committee included Ms. Miller as Chairman, Ms. Colette Dehlot (Congo), Mr. John Hobcraft (UK), Ms. Shireen Jejeebhoy (India), Mr. Shigemi Kono (Japan), Ms. Lloyd and Ms. Marcela Villarreal (Colombia). Ms. Mary Beth Weinberger of the UN Population Division served as Technical Secretary and Ms. Catherine Pierce served as UNFPA focal point. This was the third in a series of six expert meetings convened as part of the 1994 Conference preparatory process. In addition to the experts, members of local and South African women's organizations participated as observers. At the final session, the group adopted 32 recommendations based on the papers and discussions. The Hon. Patrick Balopi, Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, closed the meeting.