JOICFP NEWS NO. 239 MAY 1994
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- JOICFP NEWS NO. 239 MAY 1994
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NO. 239 May 1994
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ISSN 0911-0755
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JO1CFP NEWS
Women in an Aging Society
Asian workshop examines
greater implications of aging for
women
“The effect of population aging on the well
being of women is one of the least researched
areas,” said Dr. Aline Wong, minister of state
for health and education, Singapore. Speaking
at the Workshop on Population Aging, Wong
said, “Women are subjected to several
vulnerabilities because of the social and
economic positions they occupy.” These
include financial security, the prospect of
widowhood and loneliness, and frailty and
disability in old age, she said. “There is a lack
of studies and data on the present situation and
specific needs of elderly women,” she said.
Taking the theme of “Women in an Aging
Society,” the workshop was held in Singapore
from March 14-17. Part of the UNFPAsupported regional Promotion of Awareness and
Policy Formulation on Aging (RAS/92/P13)
project implemented by JOICFP, the workshop
was jointly organized by the Department of
Social Work and Psychology, National
University of
Singapore, and
JOICFP. A total
of 40 experts
and senior
officers
responsible for
policy, research,
planning and
implementation
Aline Wong
of issues of
aging from 12
countries took part in the workshop. A
representative of ESCAP also joined the event.
The main aims of the workshop were to
review problems and policy issues surrounding
women in population aging in Asia and to
exchange information, experiences and
strategies among participating countries. The
workshop also provided participants with a
forum to discuss and make recommendations
on the issue of women in an aging society for
use as background materials for
the International Conference on
Population and Development
(ICPD), to be held in Cairo, Egypt,
in September, and to guide to the
formulation of policies and
programs in Asia.
The event was opened with an
address by Dr. S. Vasoo, head,
Department of Social Work and
Psychology, National University of
Singapore. Dr. Toshio Kuroda,
director emeritus, Nihon
University Population Research
Institute, who served as a resource
person at the workshop, also
provided a welcome address.
In a message to participants,
Dr. Nafis Sadik, executive director,
UNFPA, noted the increase in the
proportion of elderly in both
industrialized and developing
countries. “In 1980, there were
An elderly woman plants rice in Indonesia.
381 million persons aged 60 and
over, accounting for approximately
9% of the world’s population,” she said.
school curricula and the media; on-going
“By the year 2020, the aged population will
national forums should be held to coordinate
comprise 13% of the world’s total population,
efforts on aging policies; and laws protecting
and 69% of these older people will live in
the rights of the elderly need to be legislated.
developing countries.”
At the regional level, participants
The workshop provided a positive forum
emphasized greater cooperation and exchange
for participants to discuss a range of issues
of experiences for the development of new
concerned with the following themes:
strategies in policy formulation and program
consequences and implications of population
aging; family support for the elderly; economic planning, particularly those pertaining to
women. They also urged the promotion of
security of women in old age; health and social
collaborative research efforts and exchanges to
service policies and provisions; and data
promote better understanding of the socio
requirements and research issues. Country
economic characteristics and needs of elderly
papers were also presented at the workshop.
women to assist policy formulation.
In recommendations, participants
The participants also recommended that
highlighted a number of issues important for
international agencies should facilitate the
public policies at the country level. In
implementation of programs and activities
particular, they stressed that issues affecting
older women need to be highlighted and voiced proposed at country and regional levels through
so that their concerns are given priority;
funding support for research, training,
awareness creation, information exchange and
awareness and understanding of aging issues
data collection.
need to be promoted through public education,
1
Opinions
Fonda Speaks Out
Jane Fonda, goodwill ambassador, UNFPA,
visited JOICFP as part of a mission from the
Turner Foundation on March 30 to exchange
information. She was accompanied by the
foundation’s director, Peter Bahouth. Below is
an outline of comments she made on issues
related to population, food, women and the role
of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
It seems that it is essential to approach the
Jane Fonda
issue of population from two angles: from a
woman’s angle and from the “hard science”
angle — which has to do with the carrying
capacity of the earth and, most dramatically, the
issue of food.
Perhaps nowhere can we see the limits of
further technological advance on the increase of
food as in Japan. Rice farmers here could
become so rich if agricultural science could
find a way of increasing the rice crop on the
same amount of acreage. But for quite a
number of years now this has not happened.
This is important for people to realize because
many people in the world are saying, “What’s
the problem. Science has always helped us in
the past. There will be technological solutions
in the future.” Hopefully that will be true, but it
is dangerous to base our development and
population strategies on suppositions that may
never happen. So the question of food is very
important.
We just came from China. There is so
much talk about the marvel of the socialist
market economy and the expansion of
industrialization in China. But the world’s
scientists say that there is a high probability
that by the year 2000 — even given the onechild family — China will not have enough
grain to feed its people. The amount of grain
that would be necessary for China to import
could exceed what the rest of the world is
capable of exporting. This is the kind of thing
that causes war.
Added to that, the supply of water is
diminishing, especially in the northern
provinces of China. So, while some may abhor
the coercive nature of China’s “one-child”
policy, (the fact remains that) they
are facing a catastrophe that is very
difficult for us especially in the U.S.
to understand.
The problem is one of balancing
the absolute limits of the carrying
capacity of the earth alongside the
need to protect human rights,
particularly of women who bear the
responsibility of birthing.
I will say, although we were
there (in China) a very short time, I
was very touched by the efforts of
NGOs and feminist groups that we
met dealing with this problem.
Beginning particularly at the Earth
Summit in Rio, the role of the
women’s movement and
international women’s NGOs became very
strong and played a very important role in
changing governmental attitudes from the UN
down to all the governments about how to deal
with this problem.
Whether in India, China, the U.S. or Africa,
what we are seeing is that coercion can only go
so far. To really address the population issue,
we need to raise the status of women; to
educate women; to allow women to have
economic independence so that they are in a
position where they can negotiate with their
husbands, and where they are in a position to
see that their status does not just depend on the
number of children they have.
The notion that women have a right to
sexual pleasure, that women have a right to say
no to a male advance, that there is such a thing
as marital rape — these sorts of issues dealing
with the psychology of a woman’s sexual life
are very, very important, and very empowering.
So, we think that all of us need to understand
more about the power, role and influence of
these independent, feminist, very grassroots
organizations; that these are the ones that can
really make a difference together with the
governmental support of family planning (FP).
It needs to go hand in hand.
2
Improving
MCH Care
Dr. Helen Wallace, professor, Maternal and
Child Health (MCH), San Diego State
University, visited JOICFP on March 25 while
in Japan as a consultant to the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) to gather
information on infant and maternal mortality.
Below is an outline of comments she made
during an interview with JOICFP NEWS.
I have had the opportunity to investigate the
reasons for low infant mortality rates in Sweden
and Finland, which are numbers two and three
in the world in (terms of low) infant mortality
after Japan.
Clearly, I think that Sweden and Finland
have given high priority to the health and social
care of women and children. They have made it
possible for prenatal care and maternity care of
very good quality to be available to practically
all pregnant women, and to be available free of
charge and at geographically convenient
locations.
They have also placed an emphasis on an
improved diet during pregnancy and provided
opportunities for safe delivery for all pregnant
women in their countries.
Both Sweden and Finland have emphasized
the role and status of women in their societies.
They have made it possible for a woman to take
time off work for her pregnancy and be able to
resume her job after delivery or even after the
baby’s first year. This a major social step
forward in the history of women in the world.
The U.S. has an unenviable record of
having the highest incidence of teenage
pregnancy of any industrial country of the
world. This is related to the fact that we do not
have universal family life education or sex
education. Sweden and Finland do.
'
■ v
-A
Helen Wallace
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
Latin America
Innovative Community
Approaches in Mexico
A visit to areas in Veracruz State and
Mexico City in Mexico where the Integrated
Project (IP) is being implemented provided a
JOICFP mission with an opportunity to monitor
project activities and provide practical advice to
staff on ways to improve implementation. The
mission, which was in Mexico from February
17-26, included a public health expert, Dr.
Kyoko Ishige, director, Nihonmatsu Public
Health Center, Fukushima Prefecture.
The field observation in the rural areas
offered insights into the effectiveness of the
system of rural health promoters launched by
the Mexican Foundation for Family Planning
(MEXFAM), the implementing agency of the
project. In particular, the JOICFP mission was
impressed with the success that the system has
achieved in less than two years since it was
established. Meanwhile, in the urban slum
areas of Mexico City the team observed another
aspect of MEXFAM’s activities, the community
doctor system. Aimed at bringing doctors to
Tbas-Agents
of Change in
Guatemala
villages without healthcare
facilities, the community doctor
system assists doctors to set up
practices in these communities and
encourages them to become selfreliant by charging fees.
MEXFAM’s efforts to improve
the quality of life at the grassroots
have been boosted by the
Parents listen to an adolescent health lecture in Mexico City.
provision of primary health care
kits for health promoters with
funds donated through the Voluntary
activities observed by the mission was the sex
Deposit for International Aid (VDIA) scheme,
which is administered by the Japanese Ministry education and contraceptive education services
the foundation provides adolescents, teachers
of Posts and Telecommunications.
and parents. First, a different approach is used
Reconditioned bicycles from Japan donated
through the Municipal Coordinating Committee for each group, and then the groups are
integrated to bridge communication gaps. In
for Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA)
comments made at the end of the visit, Ishige
have also helped mobilize health promoters.
said that Japan had much to learn from
Another aspect of MEXFAM’s work
viewed by the team was its innovative approach MEXFAM’s practical approach to the issue of
adolescent health education.
to adolescent health education. One of the
were produced with funds donated through the
Voluntary Deposit for International Aid (VDIA)
scheme administered by the Japanese Ministry
of Posts and Telecommunications.
Under the project, two versions of the MCH
handbook have been produced: an educational
picture book for TBAs to use as a source of
correct information for illiterate women on
various issues such as FP, MCH and PHC, and a
booklet for mothers to carry to record health
data about themselves and their child. To
ensure the effective use of these
materials, APROFAM has been
providing training to TBAs as well
as public health center personnel
who already understand the
importance of the handbook and
collaborate to record data on
The use of traditional birth attendants
(TBAs) to promote family planning (FP),
maternal and child health (MCH) and
preventive health care services has proved an
effective approach to winning the acceptance of
the Mayan people living in areas of Guatemala
surrounding Lake Atitldn in Solold State where
the Integrated Project (IP) is being promoted.
The project, implemented by the Family
Planning Association of Guatemala
women and children transferred to
(APROFAM), has made inroads into the closed
health centers by TBAs.
Mayan communities where previous programs
Serving a population of about
have been unable by recruiting and training the
120,000 people around Lake
respected TBAs to serve as a link between the
Atitlan, more than 50 TBAs are
people and the official healthcare system.
supervised by three TBA monitors.
A JOICFP monitoring mission to the IP
Literate and able to communicate
areas from February 7-15 found that the role
of the TBAs in the project has been reinforced < inmonitors convey
1 ihiormationljetwe^kAPROFAM
by the distribution of MCH handbooks, wjii6h
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
3
and the TBAs, organize meetings and pay
monthly visits on TBAs. The monitors are in
charge of MCH handbook distribution.
The handbooks are also serving as a source
of statistics which can be used to improve
services and prevent health problems.
Previously, there was no reliable means to
collect such information as infant and maternal
mortality. A unique MCH data collection
system utilizing illustrated cards is also
currently being developed.
TBAs contribute to the creation of data collection materials.
Update
New Life for Women in Bangladesh
suffer the most in terms of
low status and poor
education and healthcare.
According to studies, most
women are aware of the
negative impact that
bearing many children has
on the health and welfare
of themselves and their
offspring and do not want
to have many children.
Unfortunately, the choice
of childbirth is rarely left
up to them.
However, the launch
Women assembled at a family development center exchange
of the project is beginning
experiences openly.
to change the attitudes
towards women in the
Something very unique is happening among pilot villages as women find strength in
the women in Dholia Union, Feni District, and
numbers and learn that they are able to make
Ghorashal Union, Narsingdi District, of
changes in their lives. The key to the new
Bangladesh. For the first time in their lives,
strength of the women is the tiered
they are able to leave their homes and meet
administrative structure of the project which
includes men in an advisory committee — and
together to discuss ways to improve the way of
thus gains their support and endorsement of
life in the community. Behind this
transformation taking place in these rural
activities — but leaves all decision-making up
communities is the Integrated Family
to women who make up the steering committee,
the driving force of the project.
At the bottom of the project structure in
each area are the 24 family development
volunteers (FDVs) who organize a group of
community women in their own working area.
Each of these groups has a family development
fl*
center, which is used to bring women together
for the provision of education on FP/MCH,
nutrition, primary health care and
environmental sanitation. The centers are also
being utilized in some areas for income
generating activities and literacy classes for
women. In the near future, FPAB is also
Family development volunteers show MCH
planning to introduce a credit program for
information to rural women in Feni District.
women and provide skill-development training
to establish income-generation projects.
Development Project. I implemented by the
Prior to the project’s inception, the concept
Family Planning Association of Bangladesh
of joining hands to change their lives was
(FPAB) in cooperation with JOICFP, the project unthinkable for most of the women. In
is part of the four-year, UNFPA-supported
comments made to the mission, an elderly
regional Sustainable Community-based Family
woman of a village in Dholia Union said,
Planning/Maternal and Child Health (FP/MCH) “When I was young, we could never have
Project with Special Focus on Women.
dreamed that women could form teams and
work together like this.” But as the project
During a monitoring visit to pilot project
gathers steam, more women are realizing the
areas in Dholia Union April 3, a JOICFP
possibilities for improving their situation and
mission was struck by the remarkable changes
are turning to their neighbors for support and
taking place in communities where women are
strength to make a better way of life a reality.
traditionally considered of little value and
the Road to
Self-reliance
The Taicang IP Center began providing
mass primary healthcare services on a feecharged basis this April following an intensive
training seminar, held March 21 - April 3.
Utilizing mass parasite control (PC) activities
to generate funds to develop better healthcare
services, the center’s staff are planning to
examine 50,000 school students from Taicang
City this year in cooperation with city’s
education and health departments.
The concept of promoting organizational
self-reliance through mass PC activities was
learned from Japan. The center is planning to
expand its fee-charging system and improve the
quality of such services as family planning (FP)
and maternal and child health (MCH) activities,
as well as services for the aged.
Taicang City was an original site of the
Integrated Project (IP), which has helped raise
the level of health. The Ascaris infection rate,
for example, has dropped from 62% in 1984 to
16% in 1992, according to sampling surveys.
During the seminar, participants conducted
723 stool examinations on students of four
schools and found infection rates varied
between 19% and 52%. The examinations were
provided to students for a fee of 2 yuan (23
cents at an exchange rate of 8.7 yuan to US$1)
and only those found positive were treated.
A four-member team of Japanese experts
led by Noriji Suzuki, professor emeritus, Kochi
Medical College, took part in the seminar and
played an active role by providing guidance on
how to gather and examine stools, collect and
analyze data and feed back results to each
school. At one of the schools, the experts
assisted staff to explain results and provide
information on healthcare and environmental
sanitation to the students and families.
Microscopes are used to assist with health
education in a Taicang school.
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
4
- -
Laos
Answering Unmet FP Needs
in Laos
Three district workshops held in Laos in
mid-March helped smooth the way at the local
level for the implementation of the UNFPAsupported regional Sustainable Community
based Family Planning/Maternal and Child
Health (FP/MCH) Project with Special Focus
gjgr
An IMCH staff member teaches about female
anatomy in Paksane.
on Women. Held in Naxaithong District in
Vientiane Municipality, and Paksane and
Taphabat districts of Bolikhamsay Province, the
workshops were aimed at disseminating the IP
concept at the local level and developing oneyear work plans tailored to reflect local needs.
While local in their orientation, the
workshops were attended by project personnel
from all levels. Village representatives included
village chiefs, members of the Lao Women’s
Union (LWU) and health volunteers, who were
joined by representatives of the district steering
committee, health and MCH officials and
project officers of the National Institute for
1 SB
i
1
Participants discuss their workplan in Naxaithong.
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
Mother and Child Health (IMCH). These
workshops followed the national-level
orientation workshop, which was held in
Vientiane in December for central- and
provincial-level steering committee members.
The project, aimed at improving health and
raising the status of women through the
promotion of birth spacing and provision of
MCH services, is being implemented by the
IMCH. A relatively new concept in Laos, birth
spacing was officially recognized as recently as
1988. While awareness of birth spacing
remains low, research indicates that women
generally would like to stop at four children. In
reality, however, the total fertility rate is 6.7.
Among the many hilltribes of Laos, the average
number of children per woman can be as high
as eight. Meanwhile, among those with
knowledge of FP, the demand for contraceptives
is high. Most of these needs remain unmet
especially in the rural areas, however, due to the
complete lack of supplies in health facilities.
The high maternal and infant mortality rates of
Laos reflect the serious need for quality
services.
The lack of correct information about the
mechanisms of human reproduction and
contraception was made apparent during the
workshops, which provided some participants
with their first chance to see and handle
contraceptives. The contraceptives were
introduced to the village-level staff and
volunteers on the first day of the workshops by
personnel who received training in Thailand
through the Ministry of Public Health.
The participants were also given an
overview of the demographic
situation of each district by
the chief of health of the
district and were provided
with insights into the results
of the baseline survey by
IMCH staff. The JOICFP
mission present at the
workshop explained the
outreach healthcare system
that is planned to be
established under the project.
The role of the traditional
birth attendants and health
volunteers in MCH activities
was explained by IMCH
staff, while an outline of the
5
F
An MCH officer explains contraceptive
methods in Naxaithong.
role of the LWU was provided by the
representative of each district.
On the second day, participants were
divided into groups for discussions on the work
plans for each district. Priority areas outlined
in the plans included IEC campaigns on birth
spacing and MCH, the recruiting and training
of health volunteers and the establishment of an
outreach service system utilizing mobile teams.
The issue of charging nominal fees for
contraceptives and essential drugs was noted as
important to promoting the sustainability of the
project. Participants also expressed their wish
to set up income-generation projects for
women, but agreed on the need to ensure
quality control and secure a market for products
before embarking on such activities. The low
rates of immunization, lack of hygienic latrines
and safe drinking water and the urgent need for
childcare services to support working women
were also noted as problem areas.
Eight villages in two districts and four
villages in one district have now been selected
as project areas. Medical equipment, drugs and
contraceptives for the project were expected to
reach the areas in early May. In concluding, the
JOICFP mission urged the health staff and
volunteers to reach out to the community, so
that mothers who want four children would
only need to have four deliveries.
I
A village head summarizes the problems
affecting his village in Taphabat.
japan
Women Call for
Policy Change
Keiko Higuchi, professor, Tokyo Kasei
University, and a prominent figure in fields
such as women’s issues, population aging and
education, spoke at a Council on PopulationEducation study meeting, held at JOICFP on
Aprils. About40population experts,
journalists and academics attended the meeting
to listen to Higuchi, who spoke as
representative of the “Japan’s Network for
Women and Health, Cairo ’94.”
Higuchi began her talk with an overview of
the feminist movement in Japan surrounding
the Eugenic Protection Law, describing the
struggles with pro-life groups and the
reproductive health and rights movement
launched to counteract the government’s recent
pronatalist stance. “Women’s sexuality has
always been embedded in the population issue
in Japan,” she contended. She also argued that
there is a large information gap between the
government and the people especially women,
and sometimes the complete lack of women’s
voices in policy
issues goes
unnoticed.
Speaking on
the aging society,
Higuchi stated that
the government
policies regarding
aging have mostly
Keiko Higuchi
been policies with
which to
counteract the
rapid decrease in birthrate. The poor quality of
life of the people, particularly the long work
hours and commuting times which prevent
couples from spending time together, may in
fact be the reason for fewer births, she said.
She noted that the burden on the family to take
care of the elderly may also be a reason.
Recently in Japan, she said, some women in
their 60s die before their parents — due to
overwork in caring for their aged parents,
husbands, and often grandchildren.
“In the future, through collaboration with
non-governmental organizations such as the
Japan’s Network for Women and Health, there
should be more government policies made with
women and not just those made for women,”
she said. She added that men’s knowledge of
women’s health should be heightened since
women are the ones who bear children.
Micro View of
Population
Importance of considering needs
of individual in population policy
stressed at study meeting
Yoichi Okazaki, professor, Department of
Law, Nihon University, emphasized the
importance of reflecting the desires of people in
population policy during a lecture at a Council
on Population Education study meeting, held at
JOICFP on March 14. His lecture, titled
“Population Problems of Japan from Macro and
Micro Viewpoints,” was heard by some 40
experts drawn from such fields as economics,
health, sociology and demography, as well as
representatives of the mass media.
To illustrate the importance of considering
the needs of the individual in population policy,
Okazaki began his presentation by providing
historical background to Japan’s population and
social and economic policies. In 1872, Japan
had 35 million people and was geared toward
industrialization under the government of the
Meiji period, he said. By 1912, the population
had expanded to 50 million and was helping to
drive the country’s development, he said.
However, Okazaki said, the government
began to worry about population growth during
the 1920s. By the time the Great Depression
began in 1929, the population had hit 63
million and an imbalance between population
and resources in Japan was identified as
“dangerous” by a leading U.S. demographer, he
said. Concerns about this imbalance were
behind Japan’s aggression during the war, he
n
n
Yoichi Okazaki
said. During this time, Okazaki said, the
pronatalist government set a target population
of 100 million by 1960.
It was not until after the war in 1945, when
Japan’s population had reached 72 million, that
the government began to recognize the
importance of the “micro” viewpoint in policy
formulation, he said. In the new democratic
atmosphere of the postwar period, values began
to change and the need to look at people’s
welfare and health became a priority for the
government, he said. Faced with as baby boom
and grim economic conditions, the government
gave its support to the family planning
movement, he said.
Okazaki said that the drop in the birthrate
during the 1950s was not decided by the
government, but by individual couples. In the
1960s and 1970s, population growth slowed,
Japan’s economy flourished and the standard of
living improved for the people, he said.
Today, as Japan faces an aging society, the
government is studying ways to increase the
total fertility rate of 1.5, he said. However, for
population policy to be successful, the
government must first establish trust with the
people, he argued. To achieve this, the micro
viewpoint of the individual must be considered,
he concluded.
Japan’s Population Growth Hits Record Low
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Japan’s annual population growth slowed in 1993 from the previous year to the lowest •
rate since WWII to hit 0.25%, according to a report by the governmental Management and •
Coordination Agency. The previous lowest rate was 0.33% in 1992, the report said.
•
Meanwhile, the total population expanded to reach an estimated 124.76 million as of
•
October 1, 1993, for an increase of 310,000 over 1992, the agency reported.
•
Within the population, the number of people aged 65 years and over increased by
•
660,000 to hit a record 16.91 million (13.5%), while the number of children under 15 years e
decreased by 520,000 to hit 20.84 million, it stated. The 16.7% proportion of children in •
the population was down from the 1992 figure of 17.2% and is the lowest on record,
•
according to the agency.
•
6
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
In the News
Oiling the Wheels of Development
Reconditioned bicycles donated by the
Municipal Coordinating Committee for
Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA)
helped gear up family planning (FP), maternal
and child health (MCH), preventive health care
and community development activities in a
growing number of developing countries in
1993. A total of 14 countries received 2,475
the bicycles in fiscal 1993 (April 1,1993 -
Gov’t & NGOs
Cooperate on
Population/AIDS
of US$1 to ¥106) to assist with shipping costs
of the bicycles.
Another issue discussed at the meeting was
the enactment of the new National and Local
Property Transfer Law in 1993, which obliges
governments to donate public property to assist
The unique role that non-governmental
developing countries through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play in the international
organizations in Japan. Noting the potential of
assistance field was emphasized at a Tokyo
this law, the MCCOBA members agreed to
meeting organized by the Ministry of Foreign
submit to JOICFP items such
Affairs (MOFA) on March 24. The meeting,
as medical and office
called to introduce NGOs to “Japan’s Global
equipment for shipment to
Issues Initiative on Population and AIDS,” was
developing countries together
attended by 30 representatives of 10 leading
with bicycles in containers.
Japanese NGOs involved internationally in such
Toshima City, one of the
fields as population, family planning, AIDS
pioneering members of
prevention, women, health and the
MCCOBA, also announced at
environment.
the meeting that it will produce
Providing an
at least 20,000 notebooks of
outline of the
recycled paper to be sent
initiative, Norio
abroad with bicycles in 1994.
Hattori, deputy
The city donated 20,000 such
director general,
notebooks in 1993 to support
Bureau of
literacy promotion and record
Economic
keeping by community-based
Cooperation,
distributors and public health
MOFA, said that the
Norio Hattori (right)
J1
nurses in developing countries.
government’s
Since the scheme was
allocation of US$3
launched
in
1988,
a
total
of
billion
in official development assistance to
Community-based distributors in Tanzania ride bicycles
9,500 reconditioned bicycles
donated by MCCOBA in Japan.
population and AIDS-prevention activities is
have been sent abroad to 24
expected to effect positive cooperation with
countries through MCCOBA (as developing countries. Commenting that NGO
March 31, 1994), through the efforts of
of the end of March 1994). The scope of the
activities are effective for improving the
MCCOBA’s 15 members, which include 14
scheme continues to expand with bicycles being welfare of people, Hattori said that the
donated to support the work of large
local Japanese governments and JOICFP.
government will endeavor to link up with
Aimed at providing assistance directly to the
organizations such as UNFPA and IPPF, and
NGOs under this new initiative.
grassroots, the bicycles were sent to countries
local family planning associations. Over 90%
In response, NGO representatives made a
of the bicycles to be sent abroad in 1994 will be strong request that the government consider the
in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
sent through JOICFP channels.
At MCCOBA’s 1 Sth quarterly meeting,
needs of the people at the grassroots in
As the scheme develops, it is hoped that
held at JOICFP on March 28, the association
implementing any activities under the initiative.
welcomed Shibuya City of Tokyo as a new
exchanges
member to bring the total membership to 16. In among local
e
discussions about targets for activities in fiscal
governments in •
Fujikazu Horigome, managing
1994, the members agreed on a goal of 3,225 as Japan and in
e director, Social Welfare Foundation,
developing
the minimum number of bicycles to be shipped
• Mainichi Shimbun (left), presents a
to at least 22 countries. In providing these
countries will
• donation check to Yasuo Kon, deputy
targets, the members noted that over 4,000
expand to
• executive director, JOICFP, on
include the
bicycles could be donated abroad if there were
J March 16. The sum of ¥400,000
transfer of
sufficient funds to cover shipping costs, which
• (US$3,800 at an exchange rate of
pose the major hurdle to the scheme’s
commodities
• ¥ 106 to US$ 1) was donated by the
expansion.
and.oihecJaia
foundation to support the costs of
^^^SiBtYn^Hf^jS||jmping reconditioned bicycles donated by the Municipal Coordinating
However, participants at the meeting
welcomed an announcement that the Japanj x^iflclftHing^
/Co^imittee for Overseas Bicycle Assistance (MCCOBA) to developing
ex^ifeSce^
^Sunnies where JOICFP’s Integrated Project (IP) is being promoted.
Bicycle Promotion Institute has pledged aw
of ¥20 million (US$189,000 at an exchange rate
................ .......................
V<
*
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
’<1
7
VOICE OF VOICES
By Chojiro Kunii
Looking at China from Japan
Japan has long had a reputation as a
country with too large a population. Indeed, an
awareness of the size of the country’s
population and its limited resources drove
Japan in the past to engage in many conflicts.
The country’s military aggression finally ended
with its defeat in WWII 50 years ago. Since
then, Japan has undergone considerable
reconstruction to emerge the nation it is today.
However, in the years since the war, Japan
has still had to face the population issue and
find constructive ways to deal with the
DIARY
O
()
O
- Dr. Nafis Sadik, executive director; Dr.
o
Hirofumi Ando, deputy executive director;
o
Jyoti Shankar Singh, director, Technical
o
and Evaluation Division; and Kyoichi
o
Nakamura, information advisor, Information C)
and External Relations Division, UNFPA,
C)
were in Japan to attend the Meeting of
O
Eminent Persons on Population and
O
Development, held in Tokyo on Jan. 26 and ()
27. While in Japan, Sadik also met with
O
Japanese parliamentarians, representatives of O
NGOs and women’s organizations.
T
- Dr. Fred Sai, president, IPPF, was in Japan o
to attend the Meeting of Eminent Persons on $
Population and Development, held in Tokyo 6
on Jan. 26 and 27, and to meet with officials CD
of the Japanese Parliamentarians Federation C)
o
for Population (JPFP).
o
- Oscar Moret, director of finance, IPPF,
C)
visited JOICFP to discuss finance issues,
o
while in Japan from Feb. 14 - 18.
C)
- Nine participants from nine countries
o
attended the Seminar on Parasite Control
0
Administration for Senior Officers, held in
Tokyo Jan. 31 - Feb 18. The seminar was
<)
implemented by JAPC and sponsored by
o
JICA in cooperation with JOICFP.
()
- JOICFP staff member Tetsuo Kato was in C)
confined within national borders. Japan’s past
conduct clearly illustrates this. China is now
facing a major problem, which also has
negative implications for the rest of the world.
Aware of the magnitude of its problem, China
has set out on its own course of action. Aimed
at ensuring the country’s survival, the course of
action embodies Chinese tradition and
philosophy, which are not well understood in
the West. However, what should be understood
is that China is not just trying to decrease its
population, but it is also trying to develop and
improve the quality of life, just like Japan did
in the postwar years.
The Japanese people joined hands to
reconstruct Japan after the war in order to
create a better way of life. These efforts spread
throughout the country and became the
foundation of its development. The immense
efforts now being made by the people in China
will certainly have a major influence on the
world within the next 30 years.
problem. Many countries are today facing the
same situation as Japan did during its period of
reconstruction. These include the former
Soviet Republics and Eastern European
countries and the rapidly industrializing
countries of Asia.
China is also facing a serious population
problem and it is one that deserves special
mention. The new path that the country is
taking is being carefully observed by other
countries. Its “one-child family” policy is an
unparalleled approach and, as such, is very
controversial and subject to debate.
As a Japanese, I am acutely aware of the ill
effects of overpopulation. Therefore, I feel that
Japan should look toward China to see if there
are lessons to be learned for the future.
Population is not an issue that can be
Guatemala from Feb. 7 -15 to monitor the
IP and VDIA-related activities. He later
joined JOICFP Program Officer Ryoichi
Suzuki to attend the Seminar on the
Behavior of Young People in the Dominican
Republic, held in Santo Domingo on Feb. 17
and 18. They were in Mexico from Feb. 20 26 where they joined Dr. Kyoko Ishige,
director, N ihonmatsu Public Health Center,
Fukushima Prefecture, to tour IP areas.
- While in the U.S. from Feb. 21 - 27,
JOICFP Program Officer Hideyuki
Takahashi exchanged information with
UNFPA officials in New York and took part
in the Professional Development Day of the
1994 Cooperating Agencies’ Meeting
organized by USAID, held in Washington
D. C. on Feb. 25.
- A three-member mission headed by
William S. Reese, president, PARTNERS of
the Americas, visited JOICFP on Feb. 28 to
exchange information, accompanied by
Annette Clear, senior program officer, The
Asia Foundation Tokyo Office.
- Three fifth-year medical students of
Thailand’s Chiang Mai University visited
JOICFP on Mar. 1 for a one-day seminar on
FP and JOICFP activities.
JOICFP ADOLESCENT
HEALTH SERIES
NEW ANIMATION FILM
MUSIC FOR TWO
13min, color/English, Spanish
The pros and cons of sexual intercourse among
teenagers has already become an issue of the past.
As today’s young couples are already leading an
active sexual life, it is crucial to provide them infor
mation and guidance about a responsible sexual life.
MUSIC FOR TWO is the second animated film
in a series jointly produced by Mexico and Japan.
Featuring a girl in pursuit of true love who imagines
a variety of male-female relationships, this film is
supported by an impressive musical score and vivid
colors.
Distributed by
Sakura Motion Picture Co., Ltd.
YOYOGI CENTER BLDG., 57-1, YOYOGI 1-CHOME.
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16mm-VTR(£eta. VHS NTSC. PAL. SECAM)
JOICFP NEWS is a monthly newsletter published by
the Japanese Organization for International
Cooperation in Family Planning, Inc. (JOICFP).
Corrections
I The nominated countries listed in the announcement of the International Seminar on Family
| Planning Administration for Senior Officers II (Aug. 2 - 28,1994) that appeared in JOICFP
| NEWS (No. 238, April 1994) was incorrect. The list should have been as follows: Bangladesh.
Brazil, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Jordan,
Kenya, Lao P.D.R., Malawi, Mexico, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and Zambia.
On page 8 of the same issue, the name of Fumiko Mukaigawara appeared incorrectly as Fumiko
Mukaigawa. We regret these errors.
JOICFP NEWS welcomes your comments,
suggestions and contributions. Please mail to:
I
I
JOICFP NEWS
Hoken Kaikan Bekkan
1-1, Ichigaya Sadohara-cho
Shinjuku-ku. Tokyo 162 Japan
Phone: 81-3-3268-5875
Facsimile: 81-3-3235-7090
JOICFP NEWS, May 1994
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