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PRESS
RELEASE
United Nations Population
Fund
Contact in New York:
Hugh O'Haire
Alex Marshall
Fax: (212)
557-6416
Poverty No Excuse for
Denying Women's Rights, UNFPA Executive Director
Declares
KAMPALA, Uganda, 23 June--Poverty is no excuse
for depriving girls and women of their human rights, Dr. Nafis
Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), said today. She spoke at a press conference at Kampala's
International Conference Centre, called to explain the purposes of
the round table on reproductive rights and the implementation of
reproductive health programmes, which entered its second day on
Tuesday.
No matter the extent of poverty in any society, she stressed,
girls and women should have the same rights as boys and men to go to
school, to work and to be independent. These rights must be promoted
and protected on an equal basis.
"If poverty were the cause of all women's ills, men and women
would suffer the same," Dr. Sadik said, disputing a Ugandan
journalist's suggestion that poverty was the main reason women are
denied their rights in many parts of the world. "Why are women
stopped from owning land, opening bank accounts and seeking higher
education? It is not because women are stupider than men." The
denial of their rights is based on traditions about women's
childbearing role. "Biology is being used to exploit them," she
added.
"One sure way to eradicate poverty is to invest in all the
people, men and women," the Executive Director stressed. She noted
that microcredit organizations in various countries are now giving
small-scale loans to women. "Women should be able to get into
positions whereby they, too, can support their families."
Asked about UNFPA's efforts to protect women in refugee camps
from rape and other rights abuses, she said the Fund supports
reproductive health services for women in emergency situations,
conflicts and disasters, and encourages them to use contraceptives
to avoid unwanted pregnancies. She noted that rape for political
purposes is now considered a crime against humanity, and is "being
addressed seriously and condemned at the highest levels of
government all over Africa. Violence against women is no longer
acceptable behaviour for men, even in cultures that once might have
tolerated it."
Advocacy must be stepped up to change attitudes and cultural and
social values that place less premium on women's worth than men's,
Dr. Sadik said. "Women should be educated to make them more
independent and to have more confidence in themselves. In this
country, certainly, change is going on and some women are helping
that change along. What we need is for more men to do more to
encourage positive changes."
On UNFPA's work to help to put reproductive health concepts into
operation in Uganda, the Executive Director said the Fund is helping
the Government identity priorities, develop guidelines, and design
indicators to illustrate baseline social conditions and determine
criteria that can evaluate progress.
Since its arrival in the country, UNFPA has helped Uganda set up
its own population institutions, and has spread the message of free
choice in deciding the numbers and spacing of children and on the
family planning methods to be used.
Greater efforts are required to allay unfounded fears that the
provision of reproductive health and family planning services and
information promotes irresponsible sexual behaviour, she said. The
distribution of condoms in Uganda to prevent AIDS does not mean that
sexual activities are being encouraged. "You have to protect your
youth from diseases such as AIDS, even if you believe that they
should not engage in sexual activities," she explained. "Because you
oppose drunkenness does not mean that you allow a drunk who has an
accident to die on the road. You have to treat his injuries."
The Executive Director listed some of the events that will be
held as part of the ICPD+5 review process, noting that the Kampala
round table is the second in a series of four. The third, on
participation with civil society in the implementation of the ICPD
Programme of Action, will be held from 27-30 July in Bangladesh. The
fourth, on population and macro-economic linkages, is tentatively
set for 4-7 November in Italy. |