UNFPA IN THE NEWS – OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 5, 2004

RAPE USED AS "WAR WEAPON AROUND WORLD"

Reuters and other news outlets reported October 29 that from Afghanistan to Liberia and from Colombia to the Congo, women and girls are being subjected to rape, torture and slavery that defy the imagination, according to a U.N. official. Despite efforts to put "gender considerations" in U.N. humanitarian and peacekeeping missions, change has been slow on the ground, Thoraya Obaid, director of UNFPA, told the U.N. Security Council. "It is truly sad, and terribly angering, to see the tremendous needs. But it is even more shocking to witness the response so far, which remains completely inadequate," she said, according to a story by the Associated Press. Read: Reuters, Associated Press, Inter Press Service, Press Association (U.K.), UN News Centre.

A November 3 editorial by Daily Herald-Tribune (Canada) noted, “It's been four years since the council adopted a landmark resolution committing governments to protect women from the abuses of war, but Obaid, head of UNPFA, says most women in conflict and post-conflict situations continue to experience little peace and little security.” The editorial concluded, “It is shocking that the response so far remains completely inadequate.” Read: Daily Herald-Tribune

ACP GROUP AND UNFPA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

UN News Centre reported October 25 that 79 member governments of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) signed an agreement in Belgium with UNFPA to work together on problems of reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS. "UNFPA and the ACP Group share the objective of poverty elimination and recognize that population and reproductive health programs are crucial to attaining the Millennium Development Goals," said UNFPA’s Thoraya Obaid at the signing ceremony in Brussels. Read: UN News Centre, The Monitor (Ethiopia)

AFRICA: Saving Africa’s Mothers

An October 25 story by The Ottawa Citizen (Canada) reported on a speech by UNFPA’s Director Obaid on the tragedy of maternal mortality. "Maternal mortality is a crisis that does not get the attention it deserves. No other health indicator shows such a glaring gap between rich and poor nations," she said. The developed world "knows how to reduce deaths" by expanding access to skilled attendance at delivery, emergency obstetric care, and providing referral and transport services so that women can receive medical care quickly, she said.

BANGLADESH: Center Provides Adolescent Sexual Health Information

An October 28 story by The Daily Star (Bangladesh) mentioned that talking about reproductive health issues at the family level is a taboo in much of Bangladesh's conservative society, but the situation is different in some places in the northwestern region. Parents in some parts of Nilphamari, Panchaghar and Kurigram districts discuss safe sex, STDs and other issues with their adolescent children through the European Commission/UNFPA project called Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA). Read: Daily Star

BOTSWANA: Agreement for New Country Program Signed

An October 26 story that ran in Mmegi (Botswana) mentioned that UNFPA and Botswana have signed an agreement for 2003-2008. The program seeks to improve the country’s standard of living. Botswana was also assisted by UNICEF in the 1993 - 2003 National Action for Children program, which aimed at improving the lives of children. Read: Daily News (Botswana)

CAMEROON: HIV Prevalence Rate Dropped

The Post (Cameroon) reported November 1 that while presenting a Demographic and Health Survey, DHS-III, for Cameroon, the Minister of Public Health and Chairman of the National AIDS Control Committee (NACC), Urbain Olanguena Awono, said Cameroon’s HIV prevalence rate dropped from a little over 11 to 5.5 percent. The Demographic and Health Survey was supported by the Ministry of Public Health, the NACC, the National Institute of Statistics, Centre Pasteur Cameroon, UNICEF, UNFPA and ORC/ MACRO International based in the USA. Read: The Post

CHINA: Population Growth Poses “Serious Challenge”

The Guardian (U.K.) reported October 26 that Zhang Weiqing, director of the state population and family planning commission, said the number of people in China will continue to rise by 10 million a year. "This will pose a serious challenge to our social security system," he said. UNFPA predicts that if current trends continue, China’s population will rise and then fall to 1.39 billion by 2050, when India will have overtaken it as the world's most populous nation, with a projected 1.6 billion people by mid-century.

EUROPEAN UNION: Ultraconservatives Can No Longer Be Ignored

The November 8 issue of Newsweek (U.S.) noted that within the European Union, major fights are shaping up concerning reproductive rights. EU positions on family planning have been traditionally progressive: in 2002, when George W. Bush cut aid for the United Nations Population Fund on the ground that it supported coercive abortions in China, the EU stepped in with 32 million euros. But conservative M.E.P.s have since stepped up campaigns to limit spending on sexual and reproductive health overseas, noted Newsweek. Two years ago, when the European Parliament was planning its new strategy, a conservative voting bloc managed to slash a proposed 20 million euros budget for overseas family planning aid by nearly a third. Just last week, during debates for the 2005 budget, conservative members tried to block funding for groups overseas that perform abortions. "It used to be that we could ignore the ultraconservatives," says Belgian Socialist M.E.P. Anne Van Lancker. "They're not strong in numbers, but if they make alliances [with the more traditional lawmakers] they can become very powerful." Read: Newsweek

GHANA: Minister Encourages More Breastfeeding

Ghana News Agency reported November 2 that Isaac Edumadze, Central Regional Minister, said that if mothers are encouraged to practice exclusive breastfeeding, their children would be healthier and hospital attendance for children younger than two years-old will drop. He said that the government, through the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, is collaborating with UNICEF, UNFPA and other development partners to promote exclusive breastfeeding through "the Baby-Friendly" initiative. Read: Ghana News Agency

INDIA: Debate to Sensitize Youth to Gender Bias

Hindustan Times (India) reported November 2 that the PACE Forum 2004, the annual national inter-school debate got off to a flying start with over a hundred teams enthusiastically debating: “Girls Lives: Are boys and men partners or obstacles?” Held in association with UNFPA, this year PACE Forum focuses on the girl child in keeping with the PACE objective of sensitizing students to global issues such as gender bias.

INDIA: Average Number of Children per Family Decreased

India Today reported October 25 that according to UNFPA, the average number of children per couple has declined from five in 1974 to three now. Although the numbers are high in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, family size has shrunk slightly. Nevertheless, the nation's numbers swell by 17 million every year. "There are so many young people that even if all of them have only two children when they reach reproductive age, it would still mean a huge addition to the population," says Ena Singh, UNFPA assistant representative.

LEBANON: Women Still Under-Represented

The Daily Star (Lebanon) reported October 30 that Lebanese women are still under-represented in political life and Lebanese laws discriminate against them, said participants in a news conference on the status of Lebanese women. Representatives from UNFPA, the Research and Training Institute for Development Issues (RTIDI), and the Civil Association to Follow-up Women's Issues, attended the conference held at the Lebanese Press Syndicate. Read: Daily Star

MALAWI: Female Condom Distribution Considered a Breakthrough in Conservative Malawi

IRIN reported November 2 that in a move considered to be a breakthrough for the conservative culture of Malawi, Hunger Project Malawi has been distributing female condoms to schoolgirls in the southern districts—the region worst affected by HIV/AIDS. Since then about 9,000 condoms had been distributed by specially trained people in four areas. UNFPA had donated $4,800 to "kick-start the project," country director Rowlands Kaotcha noted. Read: IRIN

MONGOLIA: Use of Modern Contraceptives Up

The Mongol Messenger reported 3 November that new statistics show the use of modern contraceptives has increased from 33 per cent in 1998 to 45 per cent in 2003 according to the country's second reproductive health survey, supported by UNFPA. The survey also revealed that women's knowledge about HIV prevention had improved since the last survey five years ago. "This national survey on reproductive health is a neccessary and critical component of our overall efforts to understand and promote reproductive health in Mongolia", said UNFPA Acting Representative Delia Barcelona.

MOZAMBIQUE: Youth-Friendly Clinics Help HIV-Infected

IRIN reported October 28 that as HIV infection continues to climb among Mozambican youth, initiatives are underway to address their specific health concerns. Youth-friendly clinics, supported by UNICEF and UNFPA, have specially trained staff to address the needs of young people. Read: IRIN

NEPAL: Adolescent Girls Vulnerable to Gynecological Cancer

Nepal News reported in its November 5 issue that according to a report by the European Commission and UNFPA: “RHIYA Strategic Frame Work for Nepal,” one in five women visiting hospital for abortion related complication is an adolescent who is vulnerable to gynecological cancer. “Because of tradition of child marriage and high fertility, gynecological cancer is common in Nepal,” said senior gynecologist Dr. Saraswati Padhya. “We need to launch a massive campaign to address gynecological related problems.” Read: Nepal News

RUSSIA: National Forum on Population

Several media reported on 4 November from the national forum “Russian Population: Charting the Way Forward”, co-organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation and UNFPA, held in Moscow 3-4 November. The forum commemorated the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, with a review of progress achieved in Russia and the challenges of the next ten years. The key note address was given by Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director of the Information and External Relations Division of UNFPA. Representatives from the executive and legislative branches of the government of the Russian Federation, academic and research institutes, NGOs, embassies, United Nations agencies and other international organizations, as well as the mass media participated. See: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Gazeta, Vremya Novostey, Itogi, Russian Newsweek

SUDAN: Return of Refugees Predicted to Increase Spread of HIV/AIDS

IRIN reported October 28 that progress in negotiations between the government of Sudan and the rebel group SPLM/A, brings hope for a return to peace in the embattled southern Sudan but also fears of further spread of HIV/AIDS. The pandemic already affects 2.6 percent of the adult population in the region, warned UNFPA in a recent report. Health workers are often unmotivated, lack the necessary knowledge and are ill supplied with blood-testing equipment to protect them from cross infection, UNFPA added. Read: IRIN

SWAZILAND: Project to Empower Women in Food Relief Communities

The Swaziland Times reports that UNFPA and the World Food Programme have a high success rate in a project to empower women in food relief committees. Already 129 women from 10 constituencies and 58 communities have been trained on preventing HIV/AIDS and sexual exploitation and abuse. The project began in January 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by December, training a total of 179 women.

SYRIA: UN Day Observed

Arabic News reported October 25 on UN Day celebrations in Damascus. The story mentioned that UNICEF, WFP, UNFPA, FAO, UNIFEM, UNHCR, UNDP and a host of other UN agencies work together in Syria. Read: Arabic News

UNITED KINGDOM: Ad Agency Joins UN Population Fund to Fight Fistula

UN News Centre reported November 4 that the London office of the advertising agency Young & Rubicam is lending its creative services to UNFPA’s campaign to end fistula. "Fistula is a double sorrow because these women lose their babies and they lose their lives," said UNFPA’s Executive Director Obaid. "Fistula is more than just a medical condition. It is also a social problem because it is linked with shame and rejection." Read: UN News Centre

UNITED STATES: U.S. Funding for UNFPA

The San Diego Union-Tribune (U.S.) ran an October 25 column by James O. Goldsborough noting that President Bush uses the abortion rationale to deny U.S. support for family planning in poor nations, even though evidence shows family planning helps prevent abortions. Criticizing the U.S. defunding of UNFPA, Goldsborough wrote, “It is in America's interest to help China, population 1.3 billion, control its population with family planning.” Read: San Diego Union-Tribune

Julie DelCour of Tulsa World (U.S.) wrote an October 24 column on the Bush administration’s international reproductive health policies, criticizing the White House decision to defund UNFPA. She also condemned the U.S. refusal to reaffirm the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994.

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