JOICFP NEWS NO.245 NOVEMBER 1994

Item

Title: JOICFP NEWS NO.245 NOVEMBER 1994
extracted text: No. 245 November 1994

V

ISSN 0911-0755

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JOICM NEWS
Japan Fully Endorses ICPD Program of Action
Deputy prime minister expresses
support for reproductive health
and partnerships with NGOs
The last major population conference of the
century, the International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD), wound up
in Cairo, Egypt, on September 13 with adoption
of the Program of Action. The event, held from
September 5 -13, was attended by some 10,000
representatives of governments and non
governmental organizations (NGOs), experts
and the mass media. The large-scale
international conference focused on the issues
of reproductive health and rights and the
empowerment of women to set a new course for
population activities for the ’90s and beyond.
During the conference, Japan fully
endorsed the Program of Action and expressed
its support for tackling international population
issues. The official Japanese delegation to the
ICPD was headed by Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yohei Kono.
Below are highlights of the address he gave at
the ICPD on September 6.

The population issue has grown more
complex as the international community has
developed and is now a global issue that
requires urgent action. I believe that this issue,
which is related to a whole range of economic
and social issues, must be addressed by taking a
comprehensive approach, one that includes the
adoption of policies on basic health, education,
and the improvement of the status of women.
Based on these ideas, Japan launched the
Global Issues Initiative in February, under
which it will substantially increase assistance to
developing countries in the fields of population
and AIDS, a clear statement of the positive
stance it intends to take on these fronts.
One of the major topics of this conference
is reproductive health. My government is of the
view that reproductive health is an important
concept in solving the population issue since
the concept is based upon the respect for basic

human rights, such
International Conference on
as improvement of
Population and Development
the status of women
and promotion of
b ik
women’s
5-B September 1994
participation in the
Cairo Egypt
decision-making
process.
4. iZuJIj
Japan has been
ir-o
undertaking a
variety of measures
AW
to enhance activities
1
in the area of
reproductive health.
It provides equal
Yohei Kono, deputy prime minister of Japan and minister of foreign
education
affairs, speaks at the ICPD.
opportunity to both
genders. The health
discussions at the preparatory meetings. I hope
care system protects and fosters the health of
mothers and children by distributing a Maternal that the draft Program of Action will be adopted
unanimously, so that we shall be able to
and Child Health Handbook, providing women
from the age of puberty on with the opportunity cooperate with one another to deal with the
to receive counseling and guidance about
population issue towards the 21st century.
The population issue, an important agenda
pregnancy, childbirth and child care. These
measures enable women to make their own
of the international community, is an area in
choices and decisions based on accurate
which Japan could make full use of its
capabilities, and Japan regards its contribution
information, and along with the improvements
in this field as a mission. Japan, the largest
in the attitudes and conduct of Japanese men,
donor of official development assistance
have brought about a decline in the rates of
infant mortality and birth.
(ODA), announced the Global Issues Initiative
Japan recognizes the importance of
(GII) on Population and AIDS in February as
grassroots activities which NGOs are carrying
concrete evidence of its determination to carry
out this mission. Under the initiative, Japan
out in fields where governments and inter
national organizations are not always able to
will continue and enhance its international
deliver adequate service. It would not be going cooperation by providing ODA in this area
too far to say that the relationship between
toward a targeted sum of US$3 billion over the
seven years from fiscal year 1994 to 2000. By
governments and international organizations
implementing the initiative, Japan, together
and NGOs in these fields is a complementary
one. Japan intends to intensify its support for
with the U.S., wishes to promote the worldwide
effort concerning the population and AIDS
grassroots projects conducted by NGOs in its
bilateral cooperation in the fields of population, issues which are part of the common agenda of
which includes enhancing dialogue with NGOs
all humankind. I earnestly hope that many
from the stage of project formulation onward.
countries, international organizations, and
Establishing this kind of partnership with
NGOs respond to our appeal, and that it
NGOs is also important internationally.
becomes a truly global effort.
Japan endorses the draft Program of Action
I would like to reiterate Japan’s strong com
which was prepared as a result of the
mitment to tackling the population problem.

1

ICPD

Parliamentarians Unanimous on
Program of Action
Parliamentarians from all over the world
showed unanimous commitment to solving
population and development issues at a meeting
of legislators held two days prior to the

A view of the ICPPD.

International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD). A full 300 lawmakers
from 107 countries attended the International
Conference of Parliamentarians on Population
and Development (ICPPD), held from
September 3 - 4 in Cairo. The meeting was
remarkable for the absence of differences over
the draft Program of Action. Parliamentarians
fully endorsed the draft, which was later the
focus of considerable dispute at the ICPD.
The strong show of support for the ICPPD
far exceeded expectations with some 300
attending the event, 100 more than expected.
Parliamentarian support for population and
development has been driven largely by the
pioneering efforts of parliamentarian groups in
Asia, which are united under the Asian Forum
of Parliamentarians on Population and
Development
(AFPPD). Within
this group, the
Japanese
Parliamentarians
Federation for
Population (JPFP)
has historically
Nafis Sadik
played a leading
role. Japan’s Shin
Sakurai, chairman of AFPPD, served as
secretary general of the ICPPD. Dr. Taro
Nakayama, chairman of JPFP, and former
minister of foreign affairs, attended the ICPD
itself as part of the official Japanese delegation.
Dr. Nafis Sadik, secretary general of ICPD

and executive director of UNFPA, emphasized
the important role that parliamentarians have in
contributing to the ICPD and in following up
the conference in a keynote address to the
ICPPD on September 3. “I have
stressed the invaluable function that
you, as intermediaries between
government and people you represent,
have in bridging governments’
activities and people’s perception,” she
said. “You therefore are in a unique
position to facilitate the
implementation of, and monitoring the
goals and objectives of, the draft
Program of Action.’-’
One of the outcomes of the
parliamentarians’ meeting was the
adoption of the recommendations of
the ICPPD Cairo Declaration on
Population and Development.
Among the recommendations included in
the document was the recognition that family
planning (FP) should be placed within the
broader framework of reproductive health care.
“We further urge governments to ensure that all
population and development policies and
programs in our countries safeguard
internationally recognized human rights.”
Unlike the disruption that the issue on
abortion caused at the ICPD, the ICPPD made a
clear statement on abortion. Acknowledging
abortion as a major public health concern for
women, the declaration called on governments
to reduce the need for abortion by providing
universal access to FP information and services.
The declaration also made an
uncompromising statement about women: “The
empowerment of women and the improvement
of their political, social, economic and health
status are highly important ends in themselves.
We further believe that human development
cannot be sustained unless women are
guaranteed equal rights and equal status with
men,” it states. “We call upon legislators all
over the world to join us in our efforts to
empower women as a matter of national
priority, and we call upon governments to
enforce legislation in this respect.”
To mobilize resources for the action
outlined in the Program of Action, the
parliamentarians called for a shifting of
resources “especially from defense
expenditures.”

2

Kono Endorses
RoleofNGOs
Yohei Kono, deputy prime minister and
minister of foreign affairs of Japan, emphasized
that the Japanese government has high
expectations for working in partnership with
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the
field of population, while speaking at an open
meeting with NGO representatives at the NGO
Forum in Cairo on September 6. The meeting
was the first between top Japanese government
officials and Japanese NGOs. A powerful
endorsement of the effective role that NGOs
play in the population field, Kono’s Cairo
meeting with NGOs was a milestone for
government-NGO cooperation. The forum was
attended by 100 representatives of Japanese
NGOs which had attended the NGO Forum.
During the meeting, Kono expressed his
hopes for joint government-NGO cooperation,
particularly with the
implementation of
the government’s
Global Issues
Initiative (GII) on
Population and
AIDS. Noting the
different but
complementary
roles of the
government and
Yohei Kono
NGOs, Kono said
that NGOs have
accumulated expertise and experiences.
In response, JOICFP suggested that Japan
could contribute internationally in the field of
population by providing technical assistance to
developing countries with expertise gained
from Japan’s past experience and by fostering
the understanding and support of its public
toward international cooperation activities.
Since the support of NGOs will be needed to
achieve the aims of ICPD, JOICFP urged that
the government create guidelines for such
collaboration.
Kono expressed the government’s desire to
listen to NGOs in the development of future
programs under the GII through open dialogue.
He said that further such meetings were needed
to ensure regular contact between the
government and NGOs.
Kono said that NGOs are in touch with the
people in communities and can therefore play a
vital role to ensure that assistance reaches the
grassroots.
JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

ICPD

NgO Forum - a Landmark
for NGOs
Voices of NGOs heard loud and
clear at ICPD
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
made a large contribution to the International
Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD) as part of the official delegations and
through the NGO Forum ’94, held concurrently
with the ICPD. Almost half the delegations to
the ICPD included women and NGO
representatives, indicating the recognition that
NGOs have won among governments.
The NGO Forum itself was launched on
September 4 with a ceremony attended by
1,500 representatives of NGOs from around the
world. Officially opened by Suzanne Mubarak,
wife of the president of Egypt, the event proved
too popular for the size of the venue and many
had to be turned away.
Emphasizing the NGO role, Mubarak said

TheNGO
Forum 1994

NG O’

their “accessibility, innovativeness and
flexibility” allow NGOs to respond
effectively when other institutions
cannot. “Their grassroots base ensures
that especially vulnerable groups
including women, children, migrants,
/A view of the opening ceremony of NGO Forum '94.
refugees and others are reached with
essential services,” she said. “It is the
NGOs in partnerships with women who
have often been the first to address population
to render the UN declarations and plans of
issues in the development programs and
action more meaningful to our grassroots.”
projects aimed at empowering women through
The NGO Forum drew representatives from
education, health and economic opportunities.”
various Japanese NGOs involved in such fields
as women, population, the environment and
Noting that the role of NGOs is now
health. A total of 100 representatives of 15
recognized within the UN system and by
governments, Mubarak said that NGOs have
NGOs from Japan attended the event including
become partners in the decision-making
representatives of JOICFP.
process. “As NGOs, we must continue to study,
to network, and to reinforce each other in order

JOICFP Booth at ICPD

Avictory for Women at ICPD
The recognition of reproductive health and
rights and women’s empowerment in the
Program of Action adopted at the International
Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD) was cause for celebration for the
Women’s Caucus which served as a driving
force for the ICPD from its earbest stages.

Bella Abzug speaks at the Women’s Caucus.

Led by co-chair of the Women’s
Environment and Development Organization,
Bella Abzug, and joined by women from all
over the world, the caucus was active in each of
JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

the preparatory meetings leading up to the
Cairo conference and behind the scenes
lobbying governments, monitoring the activities
of donor nations and international agencies and
closely following the progress of the draft Cairo
document. As a result of these efforts and those
of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the
final Cairo document maintains its focus on the
needs of women.
To ensure that the Cairo document is
implemented, however, the caucus established a
task force at the end of the ICPD to monitor the
conference agreements. The focused, collective
action of women is expected to continue until
the World Conference on Women, to be held in
Beijing in 1995.
Women also played an active part within
Japan in lobbying the government to fully
support the women’s agenda in Cairo.
Especially active was the Japan’s Network for
Women’s Health, Cairo ’94, an NGO
established specifically for the ICPD. The
members of this women’s NGO are now
committed to following up the conference in
Japan to ensure that the Program of Action is
implemented.

3

Dr. Maher Mahran, minister of
population and family welfare of Egypt
(right), was one of the many visitors to
the JOICFP booth which was open to
participants of the NGO Forum ’94, held
in Cairo from September 4-12. The
booth was visited by representatives of
governments and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and the mass
media and served as a source of
information on JOICFP’s activities and
the role of NGOs in Japanese official
development assistance (ODA),
particularly under the Japanese
government’s Global Issues Initiative
(GII) on Population and AIDS.
Informative panels were on display at the
booth alongside publications and IEC
materials produced by JOICFP such as
the educational Magnel Kit and some of
the videos of JOICFP’s popular
adolescent health series.

JOICFP Symposium

Firsthand Experiences of
Participatory FP Programs
Counterparts from Asia, Latin
America and Africa provide
insights into IP at NGO Forum
An introduction to the participatory
approach to family planning (FP) was provided
during the first session of the JOICFP
International Symposium, held on September 8
at NGO Forum ’94
of the International
Conference on
Population and
Development
(ICPD) in Cairo.
The event, aimed at
sharing the
experiences of
Isaac Boateng
JOICFP’s
Integrated Project
(IP) offered five
different perspectives of the project from
representatives of five IP-implementing
countries. Alfonso Lopez Juarez, executive
director, Mexican Foundation for Family
Planning (MEXFAM), served as coordinator of
the event which introduced such project aspects
as people’s participation, sustainability of FP
programs and quality of care.
The first speaker was Dr. Huang Baoshan,
director, International Relations Department,
State Family Planning Commission of China.
Explaining that the project was initiated in
China in 1984, Huang said that the IP was not
just geared to raising FP acceptance, but was
also aimed at
improving maternal
and child health
(MCH), particularly
women’s health.
The key to the
project’s success in
China, he said, is
the participation of
Roberto Santiso
the people who are
willing to share
responsibility for
the activities and contribute to making
community improvements such as to water
supplies and toilets. Since the IP was launched
in China, the quality of services has improved,
he added. The IP has now been expanded to
cover 18 project areas in 16 provinces.
An outline of the project in Nepal was

provided by Ram K. Neupane, director
general, Family Planning Association
of Nepal (FPAN). Commenting that
the IP had resulted in many spin-off
effects in addition to raising FP since
it was started in 1980, Neupane said
that environmental sanitation had
Ram Neupane (3rd from right) looks on as Alfonso
improved and MCH had been raised
Lopez (3rd from left) coordinates the first session.
with a reduction in infant mortality.
Neupane said that the project in
Nepal has developed a cost-sharing scheme to
The IP has emphasized the organization of
promote sustainability under which people are
women, training for volunteers and
participation of women in the decision-making
charged nominal fees to support the
community-based primary health care units.
process. Santiso said that in project areas, for
The units, set up in villages with the assistance
example, a women’s group has been organized,
of communities to provide easy access to
and skills training and income-generation
services, are managed by community health
activities have been
volunteers trained under the IP, he said.
initiated using
The IP experience of Ghana was introduced sewing machines
by Isaac K. Boateng, executive director,
donated through
Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana
JOICFP. Women
have further
(PPAG), who said that one of the keys to the
success of the project was the strong support of participated as
national and local steering committees. At the
valuable human
national level, the committee brings together
resources for
government agencies, experts and the PPAG
promoting health
Huang Baoshan
and coordinates activities. The local
care at the
committees, meanwhile, serve as an effective
grassroots.
means to bring community people together to
The last speaker was Christina Nsekela,
examine their own needs and work together to
chairperson, Family Planning Association of
Tanzania (UMATI), who introduced the IP
solve such issues as FP, MCH and
environmental sanitation.
experience of Tanzania. Noting the gains that
The nine original communities have seen
have been made in project areas since the IP
improvements in the nutrition situation, MCH
was started in 1983,
Nsekela said that
service participation and FP practice. The
integrated approach to FP has resulted in an
while the
contraceptive
increasing the FP acceptance rate from 17.4%
prevalence rate is
to 62.3% in the first six years, he said.
Dr. Roberto Santiso Galvez, executive
less than 10% at the
director, Family Planning Association of
national level, it has
Guatemala (APROFAM), provided an outline
reached about 35 of the IP in Guatemala where women’s
40% in the IP areas.
The figures, she
participation in activities has boosted
Christina Nsekela
acceptance and success since the project began
said, indicate that
in 1988. Explaining that the IP is being
the IP approach is a
very effective means to reach the people with
promoted in an area where the majority of the
FP messages. She added that gains have also
population is indigenous, Santiso said that the
been made in areas such as MCH and in other
project is unusual in that it has successfully
aspects health that are covered by the integrated
gained the trust of this group. Despite the
package of services promoted under the project.
distrust that these people have of outsiders, the
The donation of items such as
project has been accepted by involving the local
reconditioned bicycles from Japan has also
women in activities that raise the health of the
helped the project, she said.
community people.

4

JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

JOICFP Symposium

Developing Countries
Express High Hopes

for on

the most
productive age
group, he said.
Wilas added
that much can
The second session of the JOICFP
be done to
International Symposium, held at the NGO
foster SouthForum ’94 on September 8, focused on
population and family planning (FP) assistance. South
Masahiro Kumomi of JICA speaks at the second session coordinated by
Panelists provided a cooperation
Mark Laskin of IPPF (3rd from left).
non-governmental
and the
organization (NGO) exchange of
rights for women, she said.
successes and failures in FP and related fields.
perspective on
Hiroko Hara of Japan’s Network for
The
second
speaker,
Aziza
Hussein,
desirable forms for
Women
and Health, Cairo ’94, stressed that the
president,
Family
Planning
Association
of
population/FP
issue
of
quality of life should never be left out
Egypt,
and
former
president,
IPPF,
emphasized
official development
of
discussions
about population. She said that
assistance under the the effectiveness of cooperation between
women
’
s
initiatives
are extremely important
governmental organizations (GOs) and NGOs.
Japanese govern
and
that
women
’
s
perspectives
must be
ment’s Global Issues Noting that the ICPD had done much to further
Aziza Hussein
included
in
any
program
supported
by Japanese
GO-NGO cooperation, Hussein said that NGOs
Initiative (GII) on
ODA.
“
When
the
government
says
that it
should
be
utilized
as
effective
partners
to
Population and
supports
a
comprehensive
approach,
it must
governments.
AIDS. The session was coordinated by Mark
clarify
its
approach,
”
she
said.
“
People
’s
Hussein
also
had
comments
to
make
about
Laskin, assistant secretary general, IPPF.
initiatives must be respected in the programs.”
AIDS, which she said needs serious
The session began with an explanation of
Under the GII, Japan and the U.S. have
consideration and action. She said that Egypt
the strategies of the GII by Masahiro Kumomi,
joined hands for a more effective approach to
has stressed the importance of population, but
director, Environment, WID and other Global
population and AIDS. Mary Luke, vice
Issues Division, Japan International Cooperation policies are vitally needed to tackle AIDS.
president, Center for Development and
Carlos Welti, professor, National
Agency (JICA). In his outline, Kumomi
Population Activities (CEDPA), provided a U.S.
Autonomous University, Mexico, noted that
emphasized that
NGO perspective to
Mexico has made progress in its FP program,
Japan endorses a
the
symposium.
but
that
gaps
still
exist
on
a
nationwide
scale.
comprehensive
Women, she said,
To illustrate his point, he said that the total
approach to
are not just
fertility rate in Chiapas is 4.7, while in the
population issues
important as targets
Federal
Territory
the
figure
is
only
2.0.
that integrates such
of services. Their
issues as FP,
Meanwhile, the national average contraceptive
education and
R ■
maternal and child
prevalence rate in 1992 was 63.1%; while the
women’s advocacy
figure
for
educated
people
was
73.6%;
and
for
health (MCH),
are also important
education
for
women
illiterate
people
38.2%.
Meeting
these
unmet
Avabai Wadia
Mary Luke
issues. Luke called
and other social and needs is the challenge for Mexico, he said.
for women to be
Avabai Wadia, president, Family Planning
basic health needs.
trained in the
Association of India, and former president,
In response, Wilas Lohitkul, director,
community as leaders to promote their own
IPPF,
emphasized
the
importance
of
social
and
Population, Health and AIDS Bureau,
development.
human
development.
The
most
important
area
Population and Community Development
The session ended with agreement on the
Association (PDA), Thailand, outlined areas that of India, she said, is in the north where
need to foster GO-NGO partnership to improve
demographic transition has not been achieved.
need attention in Thailand. In particular, Wilas
the effectiveness of the GII. Representatives of
She said that there are 19 districts with low FP
stressed the need for support in combating of
developing countries made it clear that they
AIDS, explaining that the most urgent issues are performance and in serious need of support,
have high expectations for the GII. It was
awareness creation and comprehensive health
The efforts of NGOs need to be expanded
emphasized that the Japanese government needs
services for all age groups. At present in
and positive GO-NGO partnerships should be
to develop a concrete program for the GII that
Thailand, heterosexual transmission accounts for cultivated, she said. For programs to be
reflects the needs of the individual, particularly
successful, they need to be people-centered,
73.8% of new HIV cases, while AIDS is
with regard to women.
consider basic human needs and seek equal
affecting those between the ages of 20 and 40,

Symposium ends with a call to
the Japanese government to
create concrete program for GII

fey,

Bk

JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

5

Asian Roundup

Philippine Women in Action
Significant progress was made toward
assembling a village level task force during
three-day training workshops held in the two
areas in the Province of Batangas in the
Philippines where the UNFPA-supported
Sustainable Community-based Family
Planning/Maternal and Child Health Project
with Special Focus on Women is being
promoted. The training in community
organizing was attended by 33 participants
from the 15 barangays (villages) of Malvar
Municipality from August 1 -3 and 32
participants from 11 barangays in Balayan
Municipality from August 4 - 6. Participants
included village health volunteers and women
leaders of the communities.
The training followed an orientation and
planning workshop in April and was geared to
bringing women into the project as promoters

to stimulate community participation. The aim
of the training was to get women to look at
their situation, recognize needs and organize
themselves to tackle these needs.
The project itself is aimed at building on
the existing system of health volunteers in the
barangays to assist midwives in their role as
key health personnel for the promotion of
family planning/maternal and child health (FP/
MCH) in the community. An important aspect
of the project is increasing awareness at the
community level to enable health personnel to
work in collaboration with health volunteers
and women’s groups to provide more
comprehensive and integrated health activities.
The training was organized as dynamic and
participatory with participants working in
groups to identify issues and develop action
plans for each barangay.

Hands-on
Training in Laos

mobile health services for the participants since
the concept of outreach clinics is very new to
Laos. The simulation training, enabled the
participants to determine necessary preparation
for the introduction of actual services.
Through the training, participants realized
the considerable time involved in a quality-ofcare approach. As a result, it was decided that
the first and second mobile teams should focus
on family planning (FP) counseling. They
agreed that this should include client medical
examinations followed by face-to-face
counseling to provide clients with a full
knowledge of available contraceptives to enable
them to choose the most suitable method. The
training, though simple, was extremely
effective and revealing for the participants.
According to Dr. Michiko Chosa, JOICFP’s
consultant working on a voluntary basis for the
IP in Laos, actual services were launched in on
August 24 in the first of eight selected villages
in Naxaithong District. Using a temple as a
base in Phonsavane village, the team saw 52 of
the 62 married women of reproductive age in
the village on the first day. Despite the location
of Phonsavane in Vientiane Municipality, the
demand for services was astounding. At the
temple, the women were introduced to
reproductive processes and contraceptives with
video equipment and IEC materials. Following
the clinic, the mobile team returned to the
district hospital to review activities and prepare
for the next clinic.

Village volunteers and health staff had their
first experience at learning through role plays
during simulation training for outreach health
clinic services in three districts of Laos where
the UNFPA-supported Sustainable Community
based Family Planning/Maternal and Child
Health Project with Special Focus on Women is

Health workers encourage a village volunteer
to experiment with a condom.

being implemented. The training, the first to
provide practical skills to all those to be
involved in service provision at the community
level, was conducted in Naxaithong, Taphabat
and Pacsane districts, from August 9-18.
The training was the first introduction to

6

Volunteers and health workers prepare work
plans in Balayan.

The work plans, which reflected the
participants’ needs assessment, focused on the
need to gain the interest of women in the
project and organize them to contribute to the
project’s promotion. They also highlighted the
need for training for women in FP/MCH and
nutrition and the importance of developing an
effective monitoring system and following up
on educational activities. The participants also
noted the need to develop strategies to support
and sustain the project.
The action plans were presented at the end
of the workshops in front of local mayors and
barangay captains, thus ensuring their support
for women’s initiatives.

Following up ICPD
®
Members of the official Japanese
®
• delegation to the ICPD reported on the
•
• conference to 50 representatives of
®
• Japanese non-governmental
•
• organizations (NGOs) at a meeting held •
• on September 21. The meeting was
•
• organized by the Ministry of Foreign
•
• Affairs of Japan. Among the speakers
•
• were Makoto Ato, director, Institute of
•
• Population Problems, Ministry of Health •
• and Welfare, and Akiko Domoto,
•
e member, House of Councilors. The three e
• NGO representatives who joined the
•
• official ICPD delegation also spoke at
e
• the meeting. JOICFP Deputy Executive •
• Director Yasuo Kon provided an NGO
•
• perspective of the ICPD along with
•
• Keiko Higuchi of Japan’s Network for
•
• Women’s Health, Cairo ’94, and
•
• Shunsuke Iwasaki of People’s Forum
•
• 2001. The officials of MOFA expressed •
• the government’s desire to follow up the •
• ICPD through implementation of the
•
• Program of Action. They also called for •
• similar meetings to be held in the future. •

JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

Asian Roundup

New FP/MCH
Perspectives in
China
A study tour to China yielded insights into
the family planning/maternal and child health
(FP/MCH) situation for 10 Japanese, who
visited China on a tour organized by JOICFP
from August 8-21. All self-funded, the team
included representatives of the public health
and preventive health fields and mass media.
To gain a broad perspective of FP/MCH
activities, the team toured three areas where the
Integrated Project (IP) is being promoted. The
team visited two fourth phase project areas in
Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province, and Runan
County, Henan Province, where the project was
launched at the beginning of 1993. The visitors
were then able to compare these areas with the
situation of Taicang City, Jiangsu Province, a

first phase area and the original site of
IP implementation in China in 1984.
At the IP areas, the Japanese
visitors were introduced to all aspects
of the IP by local steering committees
is/
and spoke with local people involved
s '
in the project. The team visited such
facilities as FP and MCH stations at
the county level, town hospitals, farm
houses and homes for the elderly. The
I
visitors observed how the FP
associations promoting the project
emphasize health education through
Villagers of WanggangTownship, Henan Province.
the promotion of such activities as
parasite control in schools. It was also
noted that FPAs are contributing to
the FP associations of urban areas are placing
improving the welfare of the people and the
greater emphasis on improving the health of
community through promoting income
people as the goal of slowing rapid population
generating activities such as pig rearing.
growth is being met in larger cities.
The study tour included visits to China’s
The insights into the situation of China
three largest cities of Shanghai, Tianjin and
were
welcomed by the team members who
Beijing where the team members were able to
noted
that the contribution of the people
gain insights into FP/MCH challenges for urban
themselves
is a key factor to project success.
populations. In particular, the team learned that

• Fa

Turning Point for
FP in Shanghai
Shidzue Kato with Margaret Sanger in 1954.

Shidzue Kato, 97, spoke about her
lifelong struggle to promote the family
planning (FP) movement and women’s
empowerment at an event entitled “Text
for the Future,” held in Tokyo on
September 24. Some 1,000 people
attended the event. Kato, president of the
Family Planning Federation of Japan
(FPFJ) and vice president of JOICFP, won
the UN Population Award in 1988.
Kato explained that it was a meeting
with Margaret Sanger in 1920 and an
introduction to the concept of birth
control that sparked her commitment to
FP. She would later be imprisoned in
Japan for her convictions and her
pioneering efforts would lead her to
become a founding member of IPPF in
1952. Seventy-four years later, Kato said
that she remains steadfast in her
commitment to FP and women’s
empowerment.

JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

A three-member team from Shanghai
family planning (FP) organizations learned
insights into ways to diversify their activities
during a study tour to Japan from September 25
- October 3. The visit, organized by the Japan
Family Planning Association (JFPA) in
cooperation with JOICFP, was geared to
promoting exchange of information and future
collaboration in FP between the two countries.
The visit was particularly rewarding for the
Chinese officials who are looking to broaden
FP activities to meet the changing needs of the
people of Shanghai. The city is unique in
China for being the first to report negative
population growth in 1993.
After 40 years of population activities,
Shanghai’s average annual birthrate fell from
the 1950s level of 40.1 per 1,000 to reach 6.5
per 1,000 in 1993. Natural growth rate
decreased from 32.1 per 1,000 to minus 0.8 per
1,000 over the same period.
With the concept of FP already well
accepted among the Shanghai people, the FP
organizations are seeking to focus more on
activities that improve the quality of life of the

7

Cfl 1

ft
—

Chinese visitors observe guidance for baby
food preparation in Machida City.

people rather than slow population growth.
Shanghai is the first city to face such a
historical challenge in China.
In Japan, the Chinese officials were briefed
on preventive health activities in Machida City
and observed various activities there such as
MCH care, baby food guidance, rehabilitation
activities, a lecture for menopausal women and
FP consultations. They also visited a condom
factory. At a local supermarket, the team
observed child care consultations provided by
public health nurses using IEC materials of
JFPA. The Chinese were particularly interested
in the way that JFPA had linked up with private
enterprise and local health staff to promote
health care and expand its activities.

VOICE OF VOICES
By Chojiro Kunii

New Challenges for Men
Women took center stage at the Interna
tional Conference on Population and Develop
ment (ICPD) in Cairo, which also saw vigorous
debate over issues at odds with certain religious
views expressed at the conference.
The conference was a landmark event and
has brought the freshest perspective to the
discussions on population since the time of
Thomas R. Malthus. Rather than being a forum

ANNOUNCEMENTS

for conventional discussions on population
increase and decrease, the conference focused
on the improvement of women’s status and their
political empowerment. It was indeed very
encouraging for me.
The conference offered new challenges for
the field of family planning (FP) in Japan. It
will go down in our history as a turning point
for FP alongside the significant contributions
that Margaret Sanger and Shidzue Kato made to
the early movement.
Before World War II, men controlled almost
all aspects of Japanese life including the family,
education and politics. But the feudal political
system and its social structure came to an end

Workshop on Quality of Care for
Community-based FP/MCH in Asia

3rd Regional Technical Committee
Meeting on Sustainable
Community-based FP/MCH with
Special Focus on Women

This workshop is being organized by JOICFP and the
Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN).
Objectives: To learn effective strategies to promote
quality of care of FP/MCH activities through the
Nepalese experience; to share experiences for
developing strategies for project sustainability; to
develop strategies and action plans for respective
countries; and to follow up IEC materials developed
in two previous IEC workshops held in 1993.
Date:
December 4 - 9
Venue:
Katmandu, Nepal
Sponsors:
UNFPA, IPPF and Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Japan
Participants: Three project directors/managers or
equivalent from Bangladesh, Laos, the Philippines,
Nepal, China, Vietnam; representatives of UNFPA
and IPPF; and resource persons.
For further details, please contact FPAN or JOICFP.

This regional technical committee meeting for the
UNFPA-supported regional project is being
organized by JOICFP.
Objectives: To review project implementation of
1993/1994; to discuss evaluation scheduled for 1995
and the future plan; and to learn experiences and
know-how of FP/MCH in Japan.
Date:
January 23 - 28, 1995
Venue:
Tokyo
Sponsors:
UNFPA, IPPF and Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Japan
Participants: Three project directors/managers/key
local personnel of project or equivalent from
Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal and the Philippines; two
project directors/managers or equivalent from China
and Vietnam; and representatives of UNFPA, IPPF
and JOICFP.
For further details, please contact JOICFP.

-

DIARY
- A 10-member Japanese team was in China
from Aug. 8-21 to study FP/MCH activities.
JOICFP program officers Yukio Honma and
Yoshitalsu Kanno accompanied the team.
- Haile Wubneh Nerae, head, Health Bureau
of Region 14, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and
James Dhikusoka, program manager, Family
Planning Association of Uganda, paid a
courtesy call to the mayor of MCCOBA
member Itabashi City on Aug. 22.
- Fourteen participants from 14 countries
attended the Seminar on FP Administration for
Senior Officers held Aug. 6 - 26, organized by
JOICFP and entrusted by JICA.
-Agnes Amon Msuya, director, Finance and
Administration, Family Planning Association
of Tanzania (UMATI), and Mukoboto Moffat
Fwanyanga Kangwanda, acting director of
programs, Planned Parenthood Association of

after the war. The nation’s defeat and the
democratic reform that followed awakened
something in the people who looked to a new
future free of feudalist ideas and practices.
I lived through this time of dramatic change
and witnessed a new chapter in Japan’s history.
I became deeply committed to the movement to
improve hygiene and health, and raise the
quality of life. From this movement came the
concept of the Integrated Project (IP) which
caught on and spread throughout Japan. The IP
was later implemented in countries in Asia,
Latin America and Africa.
Since the Meiji period (1868 -1912),
women have played an essential role in
improving family welfare and the quality of life
in the community in Japan. But, as the Cairo
conference showed, it is time for change. Men
must take responsibility and do their part to
create a better future both within the family and
the community. Japanese men must accept the
challenges proposed by the Cairo conference
and do their part to make amends for the past.

JOICF? 'Documentary Series

____ A New Documentary Film____

Maria
33 mins., Color; English, Spanish, Japanese

Our latest documentary film features two Marias
from Guatemala — a country over 50 percent of
whose population is comprised of indigenous people.
Nano Maria, a traditional birth attendant and faith
healer who still follows the Mayan tradition closely, strives
to protect the health and decrease 'he burden of the
women in her village. City-dweller Maria Teresa wishes
to get closer to indiaenous women like Nana Maria.
This touching film outlines the awakened women
trying to protect themselves through action.

C:

(>
C

Zambia, paid a courtesy call to the mayor of
MCCOBA member Ota City on Aug. 26. They
o later visited the mayor of MCCOBA member
o
Nerima City on Aug. 29.
() - A seven-member delegation from JOICFP
headed by Deputy Executive Director Yasuo
Kon attended the ICPD, held in Cairo, Egypt,
o from Sept. 5-13.
-Program Officer Sumie Ishii was in the U.K.
from Sept. 14 - 18 for talks with IPPF and ODA
< officials.
<) -Program Officer Kiyoko Ikegami was in
() France for talks with OECD DAC officials from
Sept. 15-18.
- Program Officer Ryoko Nishida was in Ghana
from Sept. 15 - Oct. 3 for IP monitoring.
-Program Officer Hideyuki Takahashi was in
: : Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia from Sept. 15 Oct. 6 for IP activities including monitoring.

(

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JOICFP NEWS is a monthly newsletter published by
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Cooperation in Family Planning, Inc. (JOICFP).

JOICFP NEWS welcomes your comments,
suggestions and contributions. Please mail to:
JOICFP NEWS
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JOICFP NEWS, November 1994

Media: JOICFP NEWS NO.245 NOVEMBER 1994.pdf

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