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ROUNDTABLE ON WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVES ON FAMILY PLANNING, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

A number of governments raised the need for further dialogue on some of the most critical issues to be discussed at the 1994 Conference. As a result, the ICPD Secretary-General is convening a series of five roundtable discussions, in cooperation with Governments that have offered to host the meetings. The first of these roundtables addressed Women's Perspectives on Family Planning, Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights in Ottawa, Canada from 26-27 August 1993. The meeting, sponsored by UNFPA and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), focused on four areas of concern: women, human rights and reproductive rights; contraceptive research and development -- a woman-centered approach; family planning service delivery; and men and family planning -- their roles, responsibilities and concerns. There were 25 participants from both developed and developing countries. The participants at the roundtable made the following recommendations to the ICPD and policy makers everywhere:

Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other human rights conventions that guarantee women their rights;

Increasing attention on the neglected tragedy of maternal mortality in developing countries;

Recognition and removal of the barriers to women's ability to exercise their rights;

Allocation of resources and development of programmes to improve the sexual and reproductive health of disadvantaged women;

Increased support for research on improving existing and developing new contraceptive technology;

Recognition that unsafe abortion is a major and neglected public health concern. Governments are urged to frame their laws and policies on the basis of a commitment to women's health, rather than on criminal codes and other punitive measures;

Development of appropriate standards for reproductive health services;

Stopping the practice of genital mutilation and protecting the right of women and girls to be free from such unnecessary and dangerous procedures;

Recognition of gender-specific needs and risks of the young and adolescent population;

Ensuring that culture and tradition do not justify practices or procedures that stunt the development of girls and women, jeopardize their health, limit their freedom or threaten their security;

Development of and support for research, education and service programmes for men and boys that stress male responsibility for their sexual behavior;

Formulation of policies and development of programmes that promote the status and well-being of the girl child, including the elimination of the root causes of son preference and the practice of sex-selective abortion; and

Development of social and educational programmes that instill in the boy child behavioral norms and values consistent with gender equality, healthy sexuality and responsible parenthood.

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