Welcome to AFPPD Newsletter

Dialogue on gender equality, women and population issues

In a message delivered by Ms. Zhu Lilan, Chair of ESCPH Committee of NPC-China – on behalf of Mr. Wu Bangguo, Chair of the Standing Committee of NPC-China – she said, “AFPPD has committed itself to encourage parliamentarians and ministers from Asia-Pacific to get involved in population and development activities. In the past two decades, this forum has grown into an important platform of cooperation for Asian parliamentarians and ministers. This conference plays an active role in promoting dialogue on gender equality, women and population issues”.

Educating and empowering women are the keys in breaking the poverty cycle.

Ms. Gill Greer Director General of IPPF

Ms. Gill Greer, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), emphasized that the education of girls is essential for the social and economic development of a country. Educating and empowering women let them reach their full potential and are the keys in breaking the poverty cycle. Twenty three percent of women worldwide are illiterate and many are forced into early marriages. Young married girls have limited social networks, less opportunity to earn a living, higher health risks and tend to have more children. Girls who complete secondary school are less likely to become mothers early in life and most often have less children. They are able to find employment, start a small business and become involved in micro credit.

Women’s literacy rate has a relation to child mortality rate

Four AFPPD Asian Women Parliamentarians and Ministers’ conferences were held in the past. As a result, many laws on population, reproductive health (RH) and women had been adopted. Ms. Wakako Hironaka, MP (Japan), stressed “Because of the positive campaigns, the number of Asian women completing higher education increased. There are countries where women learning in higher education outnumbers the men, however, most Asian countries show wide gender gap. There is an evidence that women’s literacy rate has a relation to child mortality rate, suggesting that giving women education is an effective means of protecting the health of their children”.

Education is a pillar of the human capital

Mr. Bernard Coquelin, Representative of UNFPA-China, quoting from the 2003 UNFPA Global Survey, said that most countries recognize the importance of reducing the gender gap in education. He added, “By increasing the investment in women and young people’s education, employment and RH, we uplift millions of people from poverty and control the spread of HIV”. Along with nutrition, health and skills, education is a pillar of the human capital – these elements enable people to have productive lives and to contribute in their country’s economic development.

China takes promoting and achieving gender equality as a basic policy in advancing development

Ms. Gu Xiulian, Vice Chair Standing Committee of NPC-China

Comprehensive progress has been made in China – the country’s GDP grows 9.5 percent annually. The living standard of the Chinese has improved, and the government takes promoting and achieving gender equality as a basic state policy in advancing development. “Many of the Chinese parliamentarians and government officials are women – 20 percent of the deputies, 10 percent of the ministers and 3 Vice-Chairs of the Standing Committee. Females account for 47 percent of the primary school pupils, 49 percent of the secondary school students, 47 percent of the college enrollees and 43 percent of the post-graduate course takers”, emphasized Ms. Gu Xiulian, Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of NPC-China.

Parliamentarians to implement measures to meet the MDGs

The participants were briefed on the 8 MDGs by Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD. The discussion focused on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering of women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing global partnership for development. He urged parliamentarians to implement measures to meet the MDGs.

Left to right: Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD; Ms. Trulyanti Habibie Sutrasno, MP (Indonesia); and Ms. NP Durga, MP (India)

India’s policies are mostly aimed for women empowerment

The framework of India’s policies, plans and programmes are mostly aimed for women empowerment. Some of the examples are the setting up of a National Commission for Women to safeguard the rights of women and the amendments to the Indian constitution to provide seats for women in local municipalities. “Many humanitarian organizations and international civil societies are contributing initiatives to empower women but those programmes are not reaching most of the women”, highlighted Ms. NP Durga, MP (India).

Left to right: Mr. David Dollar, Director of World Bank-China; Ms. Boupha Boungnong, MP (Laos); and Ms. Jill Pettis, MP (New Zealand)

Involving women in parliaments results to good governance

The societies that discriminate more against women tend to have higher poverty, slower economic growth and weaker governance. There is a relationship between better access to education for women and better access to labor market, family earnings and economic growth. “There is an indirect benefit of educating women, as it may result to stronger governance and longer term of development. Countries that have good governance are the ones where a lot of women are involved in the government. If you have more women in parliament, you tend to have lower rates of corruption”, explained Mr. David Dollar, Director of World Bank-China.

Gendered educational choices lead to segregation in the labor market

In her remarks, Ms. Jill Pettis, MP (New Zealand), said that education is a priority of international aid programmes and is accounted to one third of New Zealand’s annual official development assistance. “Education is good but it is what you study that has more significant impact on your income. Men and women still tend to study different areas – women are over-represented in arts and humanities while men study technical fields. Gendered educational choices lead to segregation in the labor market. Female-dominated jobs tend to have lower pay”, she added.

Left to right: Ms. Zhao Di, Member of the Internal and Judicial Affairs Committee of NPC-China; Ms. Khuon Sudary, MP (Cambodia); and Ms. Chew Mei Fun, MP (Malaysia)

Malaysia’s female labor force rate

Ms. Chew Mei Fun, MP (Malaysia), reported, “The number of women in the labor market is 3.7 million, making up 36 percent of the total labor force. Today, there are more women in higher learning institutions – with 61 percent enrollees in government universities and colleges are women”. In addressing the under-representation of women in the government, Malaysia adopted a policy in 2004 stating that women should hold at least 30 percent of the posts. As result, top management positions held by women had increased from 18 percent in 2004 to 24 in 2006.

Education must be used to implement policies against HIV/AIDS

HIV-infected children have gone up from 2.2 to 2.5 million, with 85 percent of them do not have access to treatment and care. Ninety percent of the infected mothers do not have the medication necessary to prevent the transmission of the disease. “Education must be used to implement policies to combat the pandemic and to clarify myths regarding the disease. If you encourage children to go to school and to complete their education, they will be less vulnerable and they will be able to learn livelihood skills”, stated Mr. Gopakumar Nair, Global HIV Policy Advisor and Manger of Save the Children-UK.

HIV/AIDS education is an effective tool to combat the pandemic

Ms. Francesca Semoso, MP (Papua New Guinea) focused on her country’s HIV/AIDS response by saying that integrating HIV/AIDS education in schools, curriculums and syllabuses is an effective way to win the battle against HIV/AIDS and to help fulfill UNAIDS’ objective on eradicating HIV/AIDS worldwide. HIV/AIDS education benefits students through peer education programmes and free dialogues. She added, “Until we have practical approaches, there is no point in discussing youth and women empowerment issues. Schools are in the position to change the perceptions and attitudes of women and young people regarding the pandemic – this opportunity must be used to its maximum benefit”.

Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection

Left to right: Mr. Gopakumar Nair, Global HIV Policy Advisor and Manger of Save the Children-UK; Ms. Chitralekha Yadav, MP (Nepal); and Ms. Fang Xin, Member of ESCPH Committee of NPC-China

“In 2006, an estimated 39.5 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, with 17.7 million of the infected were women; and there were 8.6 million HIV/AIDS carriers in Asia, with 2.5 million of those were women. In 2005, there were 650 thousand infected people living in China”, informed Ms. Fang Xin, Member of the Standing Committee of NPC-China. Women are more vulnerable to HIV due to their weak social, economic, cultural and educational positions. She said that the best ways to fight sexually transmitted infections are to raise women’s socio-economic status, to eliminate discrimination against women, to increase investment in women and children’s health care, and to improve the quality of medical services.

Higher education means better employment opportunities

In China, 67 million migrant workers are aged between 16 and 25, with 54 percent of them are women, 17 percent have high school education and 18 percent have vocational training. There is a strong link between women and girls’ vulnerability to gender-based violence and education. In Southeast Asia and Pacific, girls account for 48 percent of the 206 million children registered in primary education. “Higher education means better employment opportunities, greater awareness of rights and better access to services of women”, underlined Ms. Joyce Wul from UNIFEM-China.

Governments should implement laws against trafficking and sex tourism

Left to right: Ms. Hajar Tahriri Nik Sefat MP (Iran); Ms. Joyce Wul from UNIFEM-China; and Ms. Girja Vyas, Chair of the National Commission for Women of India

To combat trafficking, Ms. Girja Vyas, Chair of the National Commission for Women of India, suggested that governments should check their territory boundaries and implement laws against sex tourism and prostitution. She said “Education is important against trafficking but a survey stated that 80 percent of educated girls are trafficked because they are poor and ignorant of the law”.

Most women are trafficked for bonded labor, domestic work and sexual exploitation

Ms. Darlene Custodio MP (Philippines) and Treasurer of AFPPD

The most prevalent forms of trafficking are prostitution, sex tourism, and the growing mail-order bride industry – they are becoming global businesses that yield enormous profit to the traffickers. In 2005, 12.3 million people were in forced and bonded labor, and in sexual servitude – with 80 percent of them were females and 50 percent were minors. “Because of the increase in the volume of labor migration, Philippines has been increasingly prone to trafficking. Poverty, natural calamities and armed conflicts are some of the push factors of trafficking”, informed Ms. Darlene Custodio, MP (Philippines) and Treasurer of AFPPD.

Commitment to women’s equal participation in governance as a step in building a strong nation

Ms. Phoebe Asiyo Member of CEDPA

Ms. Phoebe Asiyo, Member of the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), informed that CEDPA provides women with tools to improve their lives, families, communities and education opportunities; and ensures their access to life-saving RH services. To advance girls’ education, CEDPA provided 8,900 children in Egypt, India and Nepal with practical livelihood training and non-formal education. “It is also committed to women’s equal participation in governance as a step in building a strong nation”, she informed.

Gender gap in the school dropouts in Indonesia

Indonesia’s gender gaps in primary and secondary school dropout rates were discussed by Ms. Annisa Mahfudz, MP (Indonesia). Girls are more likely to drop out of school – in primary school, 6 out of 10 dropouts and in secondary school, 7 out of 10 dropouts. Stereotyping in Indonesia still prevails, as shown in the selection of specialization in universities – social sciences are generally dominated by females while technical sciences by males. She reported that Indonesia’s implementation of ‘education for all’ becomes a factor to endorse and enhance the education of females.

China’s policies to promote the development of women education

Left to right: Ms. Pang Lijuan, Member of ESCPH Committee of NPC-China; Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, MP (Vietnam)

In 2004, the dropout rate of girls in secondary school was 2.2 percent but it decreased in 2006. China has taken special policies to promote the development of women’s education and to reduce the gender gap in education. “China believes that education influences women’s quality of life and their ability to participate in the economy, politics, and society”, said Ms. Pang Lijuan, Member of ESCPH Committee of NPC-China.

Donors’ commitment to women education


Jane Singleton	Susan Kedgely

Ms. Jane Singleton, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (ARHA), spoke on “The Way Forward – Donors’ Commitment to the Education of Women and Girls, and Gender-Sensitive Budgeting”. She said, “It is easier to support legislations if you have commitment. It is up to us to press our governments; and to address maternal mortality and women education”. The final session, “Adoption of the Joint Statement”, was chaired by Ms. Susan Kedgely, MP (New Zealand).

AFPPD’s Brainstorming Meeting on Parliamentarian Advocacy for MDGs

Parliamentarians’ Role in Accountable and Transparent Governance Vital for the Achievement of MDGs

Participants at the meeting

AFPPD and UNMC Asia-Pacific, in cooperation with UNDP and the Office of UN Special Ambassador on Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for Asia-Pacific, organized a “Brainstorming Meeting on Parliamentarian Advocacy for MDGs” on 6-7 November in Bangkok, Thailand – attended by 15 parliamentarians from 9 Asian countries.

The meeting was opened by the Head of the Policy Programmes of UNDP, Ms. Marcia Kran, saying that there has been progress in poverty reduction in Asia-Pacific but there are countries where progress is slow. “The role of parliamentarians in this issue is crucial as they can exercise their mandates; and be involved in helping to monitor the implementation of policies, to generate advocacy and to raise awareness in the national level”, she stressed.

Achieving MDGs requires political commitment

“As highlighted in MDG Report 2007, Asia-Pacific made great progress in the areas of poverty reduction, and maternal and child health ; however, these improvements were not equally distributed across the region”, said Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, MP (Thailand), Secretary-General of AFPPD and Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health. He underlined that achieving MDGs requires strong political commitment and correct understanding of leaders on its importance in a country’s development.

Asia-Pacific has done well in meeting some of MDG targets

Left to right: Mr. Shigeru Mochida, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNESCAP; Mr. Salil Shetty, Director of UNMC; Ms. Marcia Kran, Head of the Policy Programmes of UNDP; Mr. Minar Pimple, Deputy Director of UNMC, Asia-Pacific; and Mr. Omar Noman, Chief of the Policy and Programmes of UNDP-RCC

In his speech, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, Mr. Shigeru Mochida, emphasized that Asia-Pacific has done well in meeting some of MDG targets – in 1990, the region was home to 1 billion people living in extreme poverty but this decade, the figure has decreased to 641 million. Primary enrolment rate reaching to 100 percent in many countries, gender parity in primary education has been achieved, and large number of children are surviving beyond the age of 5.

Mr. Salil Shetty, Director of UNMC, informed that there are growing civil society movements that are supporting to achieve MDGs. He cited the successful campaign “Speak Out and Stand Up Against Poverty 2007” as an example – the event gathered 44 million people across the globe. “The biggest challenge is that we are running campaigns in both rich and poor countries. In developed countries, the foci are on increasing aids, canceling debts and improving trade relations with the poor nations”, he added.

MDG progress in Asia-Pacific

“Forty eight percent of children below 5 years old are underweight in Nepal while 46 percent of the population of Bangladesh lives in extreme poverty”, reported by Mr. Omar Noman, Chief of the Policy and Programmes of UNDP-RCC. Literacy rate of the Chinese youth is almost 100 percent and the net primary enrolment ratio in Sri Lanka is 96 percent. Cambodian women employed in a non-agricultural sector reach to 52 percent and 28 percent of the parliament seats in Afghanistan are held by women. With child and maternal mortality rates, Afghanistan tops with 255 per 1000 live births and 1600 per 100 thousand women, respectively. Cambodia has the most HIV/AIDS infections, as high as 160 infected young people in every 100 thousand. Nearly 100 percent of the Thais have access to sanitation and 90 percent of the Malaysian households have access to clean drinking water.

The report “People’s Voices on MDGs”, that was jointly published by UNDP, UNESCAP and the Asian Development Bank, was highlighted by Mr. Minar Pimple, Deputy Director of UNMC, Asia-Pacific. He said, “The localization of MDGs provides greater focus to vulnerable groups that are at risk of poverty and social exclusion”. Targeted programmes for vulnerable and marginalized groups require increased public investment, domestic mobilization of resources and funding through pro-poor policies and public-private partnerships. “Civil societies must strengthen democratic institutions and processes that facilitate political participation, giving an equal voice to all segments of the society”, he stressed.

A study presented by Ms. Leotes Lugo Helin, Assistant Programme Officer of UNESCO, found that the primary enrolment rate in most Asian countries is high, nearly 99 percent; and that the literacy rate among Asian youth is as high as 98 percent – indicating that the reforms in the education system have succeeded in building the literacy skills of the youth. “It is important to promote awareness to everyone that education is a right and not a privilege”, she stressed.

Promote gender equality and women empowerment

MDG 3, focusing on gender equality and women empowerment, was presented by Ms. Anuradha Seth, Senior Policy Advisor and Deputy Programme Manager of MDG1, Asia-Pacific, UNDP-RCC. She emphasized on how countries are fairing on gender equality indicators, on how progress towards gender equality issues can be accelerated and in identifying some areas that parliamentarians can consider for advocacy at the national level. There is a reduction in the literacy gender gap in Asia-Pacific though women are still at a significant disadvantage when it comes to tertiary education.

(Laos); and Mr. Garimella Giridhar, Director of UNFPA-CST, Bangkok

Improve maternal health

Mr. Garimella Giridhar, Director of UNFPA-CST, Bangkok, highlighted MDG 4 by underlining maternal health. Despite the globalization, modernization, and improvement in health, education and transportation in the last 20 years, maternal mortality rate had not improved in the past two decades. “More than 25 percent of maternal deaths and morbidity during childbirth can be averted by giving a choice to women and by fulfilling the unmet needs for family planning – an estimated of 200 million women want to delay pregnancy but do not use effective family planning”, he underlined.

Link between poverty and environment

“Poverty is linked to environmental factors. For the vast majority, the principal cause of poverty is the degrading and deteriorating environment in which people live. Less than 40 percent of the households have access to sanitation”, said Mr. Paul Steele, Environmental Advisor of UNDP-RCC. Of the estimated 64 million people living in the region, around half live in areas that are under environmental stress. Poverty is exacerbated by threats from natural disasters, including the added risks from climate change.

Lessons from the parliamentarians and their engagements in MDG


At the parliamentarian roundtable (left to right): Mr. Sikhamtath Mitaray, MP (Laos); Mr. Dao Xuan Nay, MP (Vietnam); Ms. Rukhsana Zuberi, MP (Pakistan); Ms. Shinkai Zahi Karokhail, MP (Afghanistan); and Mr. Domingos Canossa Caldeira Mesquita, MP (Timor-Leste)	Left to right: Ms. Maria Ulfah Anshor, MP (Indonesia); Ms. Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz, MP (Philippines); Ms. Erna Witoelar, UN Special Ambassador for MDGs in Asia-Pacific; and Mr. Madhusudan Mistry, MP (India)

Ms. Nerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz, MP (Philippines), pointed how her country is meeting the MDG targets. Philippines has progressed in some goals – particularly in poverty reduction, nutrition, gender equality, access to safe drinking water, sanitation, malaria, HIV/AIDS and child mortality. “To enhance the country’s capacity to achieve MDGs, the government created a committee on MDGs which has been instrumental in passing several MDG-related policies in the Philippines”, she added. “Indonesia is trying to reach the target of reducing poverty by half. The number of poor people in the country is growing – from 15.9 percent in 2005 to 17.7 in 2006. Also, around 5 million children below the age of 5 are underweight”, said Ms. Mariah Ulfah Anshor, MP (Indonesia). To combat the problem, Indonesia increased the national budget for people to access their basic needs, subsidized the oil’s price, drafted the micro finance and health regulations, and amended the population and family welfare laws.

Mr. Madhusudan Mistry, MP (India), stressed “Unless you improve your governance and have accountability, you can’t improve the society and economy. Unless you have created pressure to the government, the system will not work and the MDG programmes will simply remain in the paper”.

Parliamentarians and the civil societies

Ms. Ryce Chanchai, Policy Associate of UNMC, Asia-Pacific, spoke on enhancing the understanding between governments and civil societies, as well as in promoting public policy that is conducive for the youth to make constructive contributions to the national development process. An open forum on enhancing parliamentarian role in MDGs was highlighted during the session on “Building a Framework for Collaboration: Advocacy, Programming and Capacity Building Initiative”.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Arusha Stanislaus, Deputy Coordinator of ARGP, UNDP-RCB, urged parliamentarians to ensure that they focus in meeting MDGs. “We have learned that we have made a lot of progress but there are some challenges that we have not been able to focus on. Goals related to gender equality, maternal health, sanitation and education are still not on track and needs more attention. We in UN are committed to ensure that parliamentarians have the tools, knowledge and capability to fulfill their responsibilities and to help attain the goals”, he underlined.

AFPPD’s Regional Workshop on the Promotion of HIV/AIDS-Drugs Prevention and Harm Reduction

Capacity Enhancement of Parliament Staff Helps Elected Representatives

Participants of the workshop

AFPPD and the Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN), with the support of UNFPA and the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD), organized a Regional Workshop on the Promotion of HIV/AIDS-Drugs Prevention and Harm Reduction in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 14-15 December – to inform and educate 20 parliament and national committee staff from 11 Asian countries on the inter-relationship of HIV/AIDS-Drugs and resulted harm, so that they can encourage parliamentarians to implement harm reduction strategies.

Mr. Ton Smits (left), Executive Director of AHRN; and Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot (right), MP (Thailand), Secretary-General of AFPPD and Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health

The opening ceremony was addressed by Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, MP (Thailand), Secretary-General of AFPPD and Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health; and Mr. Ton Smits, Executive Director of AHRN. By identifying that the Injecting Drug Uses (IDU) as one of the first groups that are severely affected by HIV/AIDS, Dr. Boonyawongvirot expressed the importance in educating parliament staff on HIV/AIDS-Drug prevention and harm reduction.

Mr. Smits reiterated the governments’ role in the issue, as harm reduction interventions are often led by NGOs and civil societies. He said, “Unless bold measures are taking place that allow unrestricted access to condoms, humane and effective drug treatment, needle and syringe exchange programme and employment for marginalized groups, I am afraid that the situation cannot be turned around and that the consequences in the communities and health systems will be of significant proportion”.

Drop-in centers and outreach programme for drug users

Mr. Paul Hardacre (standing, left), Manager of the Technical Assistance and Capacity Unit of AHRN, briefing the participants at the TDN Drop-In Center; and Mr. Nattapong Boonyotayan (standing, right), Manager of TDN.

After the introductory session by Mr. Paul Hardacre, Manager of the Technical Assistance and Capacity Unit of AHRN, participants visited the Thai Drug Users’ Network (TDN), the only network in the north of Thailand that has a drop-in center and an outreach programme in providing drug users with sterile injections and information on safety measures against HIV/AIDS.

Difficulties that drug users encounter with the government

After a briefing by the Manager of TDN, Mr. Nattapong Boonyotayan, participants were given an opportunity to interact with TDN staff who were former drug users. From the discussions, participants were able to learn the actual difficulties that the drug users encounter with the government in receiving proper care and employment opportunities, and the lack of commitment of the government in overcoming issues related to drugs and HIV/AIDS.

Linkage of drugs, HIV and potential harms

The session on the links between drugs, HIV and other harms was discussed by Dr. Apinun Aramrattana, Director of the Research Institute for Health and Science Department of Chiang Mai University, Thailand. He presented the context and prevalence of drug use, its relationship with HIV/AIDS, and the reasons to promote and improve the healthcare of drug users in Asia. He described the drug policy approaches – including their pros and cons, actual implications, misconceptions and barriers.

Lack of funding for harm reduction and HIV treatment

The participants also visited the Chiang Mai Drug Dependence Treatment Center (CDTC) for a briefing and discussion with Dr. Apisak Wittayanookulluk, Chief of the Addition Medicine of CDTC. He presented the structure and functions of the center, as well as the services and campaign programmes provided to former drug patients. The main problem of the center is the lack of direct funding from the government, as harm reduction and treatment for drug patients fall in between funding for HIV/AIDS and drugs prevention. Dr. Apisak urged the government to initiate programmes and to allocate appropriate budget for treatment centers.

Mr. Pascal Tanguay (left), Communications Manager of AHRN; and Mr. Joy Ganguly (right), Technical Expert of the Technical Assistance and Capacity Unit of AHRN

The fundamental harm reduction interventions were discussed by Mr. Joy Ganguly, Technical Expert of the Technical Assistance and Capacity Unit of AHRN, and Mr. Pascal Tanguay, Communications Manager of AHRN. They highlighted the most fundamental and important harm reduction responses to drug use and HIV – specifically peer education out reach, drop-in center, needle and syringe exchange programme and pharmacotherapy.

AFPPD Parliamentarian at World Bank’s Study Visit to Cambodia

Phnom Penh, November 11-16: A high level delegation of 13 parliamentarians from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America – including an AFPPD parliamentarian, Mr. Tuang Untachai, MP (Thailand) – visited Cambodia to witness on the ground the country’s development efforts. The visit was hosted by the National Assembly of Cambodia and co-organized by the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the World Bank (WB). Mr. Jean-Christophe Bas, Development Policy Dialogue Manager of WB, briefed the delegation on the purpose and objectives of the study visit. Parliamentarians were able to visit projects in agriculture, public health, education and infrastructure. Further, the visit included in-depth discussions with Cambodia’s major stakeholders, government officials, parliamentarians, civil societies, youth, and representatives from the donor communities and private sectors.

UN Agencies and NGOs Request 3.8 Billion USD to Aid Crisis- Stricken Countries

Geneva, December 10: UN agencies, Red Cross and other NGOs requested international donors to contribute 3.8 Billion USD to address the reproductive health needs of refugees and displaced people in 24 countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters. The aim is to prevent maternal mortality, HIV infection and sexual violence that often accompany a crisis. The proposed project is part of the Humanitarian Appeal for 2008.

UK Teen Pregnancy Highest in Europe

London, December 30: Despite government spending of 150 million GBP to combat teen pregnancy, Britain’s teen pregnancy rate is at its highest in a decade, almost 50 thousand annually. The number is the highest in Europe. Critics called for funding cuts and blamed the government for making contraception easily accessible to teens without parental consent, thus encouraging sex; but many family-planning advocates disagreed.

“How Long Can we be Silent Watchers of Half a Million Maternal Deaths Every Year?”

UNFPA and AFPPD’s Workshop on Reproductive Health Commodity Security

These compelling opening remarks by Mr. Jagdish Upadhyay, Chief of the Commodity Management of UNFPA, set the scene for the regional workshop on “Strengthening National Capacity for Achieving Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS)”, held in Bangkok, Thailand on 11-13 December. The workshop, jointly organized by UNFPA and AFPPD, brought nearly 50 participants from 9 Asian countries.

In his opening address, Mr. Garimella Giridhar, Director of UNFPA-CST, Bangkok, acknowledged the importance of these key groups – parliamentarians, government officials and media representatives – coming together as each can be involved in the issue of making Reproductive Health (RH) commodities available in a secure form. He noted that the profile of the issue needs to be raised and requires more attention. “Lack of funding is not the only impediment to RHCS, logistics can also play a critical role. RHCS involves making sure everyone faces no obstacles in accessing and using these supplies”, added Mr. Jagdish Upadhyay.

Mr. Jayanti Tuladhar, Adviser of Country Technical Services Team for East-Southeast Asia of UNFPA, said that RHCS is an essential tool in preventing unwanted pregnancy and HIV infections. Ms. Siriporn Kanshana, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health – on behalf of Dr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, MP (Thailand), Secretary General of AFPPD and Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health – informed that Thailand’s population growth is less than 1 percent and the fertility rate is 1.1.

Mr. Rodante Marcoleta, MP (Philippines), chaired the session focusing on RH, HIV and maternal health. HIV/AIDS/STI Adviser of UNFPA-CST, Bangkok, Mr. Chaiyos Kunanusont, pointed out that the factors affecting RH are the limited knowledge and access to the supplies, leading to unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancy and spread of HIV/AIDS. It is reported that three-fourth of the new HIV infections are transmitted through unprotected sex. He stressed, “Everybody must be aware of their rights, and governments must ensure the availability and affordability of quality RH services. Maternal deaths can be avoided if women have access to contraception, skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care”.

Mr. Chris Wright, Senior Technical Advisor of John Snow Incorporated (JSI), emphasized that RH commodities refer not only to contraception and family planning, but also to a range of health supplies required for RH, as well as the availability of skilled birth attendants during childbirth. These commodities help prevent maternal death and abortion.

Participants presented their respective country reports and identified their country’s challenges in attaining RHCS – these included meeting World Health Organization’s specification standards for contraceptives and condoms; ineffective procurement system; unregistered sale of inferior quality of contraceptives; many private companies are procuring and distributing health supplies with ineffective coordination; and opposition of religious groups. Following awareness on the challenges of each country face in achieving RHCS, the focus of the workshop shifted towards the actions that can be taken to address the issue.

Ms. Margaret N. Thuo, Adviser of the Behavior Change Communication and Advocacy of UNFPA-CST, Addis Ababa; and Mr. Kabir Ahmed, Technical Adviser of the Commodity Management of UNFPA, facilitated a number of sessions to build participants’ advocacy in support of RHCS. Sessions included are “Why Leaders Must be Involved in Advocacy?”, chaired by Dr. Somphou Donangsavanh, President of LAPPD; “Advocacy as a Strategic Communication”, chaired by Mr. R Amarjarga, MP (Mongolia); and “Processes for Building Support for RHCS”, chaired by Princess Sisowath Santa, MP (Cambodia).

Ms. Thuo commenced the sessions with the message, “Advocacy is speaking up on behalf of someone who is marginalized or suffering...you are leaders because you can give voices to the people who cannot speak for themselves”. Mr. Ahmed emphasized the importance of building a partnership in advocacy campaigns and of knowing the best way to tailor messages towards policy actors for them to be mobilized into action.

A session on ways in which the media can be engaged in advocacy efforts was conducted – with Princess Sisowath Santa; Mr. Chairul Anwar, MP (Indonesia); Mr. Ahmad Djunaidi from the Jakarta Post; Ms. Rina David from the Philippine Daily Inquirer; and Mr. Garimella Giridhar. Ms. David explained that the media does not have the expertise on RHCS issues, so it is important for their contacts to be available at all times. She said, “There is a need to make RHCS more informative and controversial for newspaper readers, radio listeners and TV viewers to become interested”.

Cooperation Among Indo-China Nations Essential in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS in the Region

Hanoi, December 27-28: Parliamentarians from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand gathered for the “Indo-China Parliamentary Workshop on HIV/AIDS Laws and Policies”, organized by the National Assembly of Vietnam Committee for Social Affairs, and supported by UNDP-Vietnam and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. In his opening remarks, Mr. Uong Chu Luu, Vice President of the National Assembly of Vietnam, stressed the importance of cooperation among nations and international organizations in combating HIV/AIDS. He said, “International funding in support of developing countries has been a factor in ensuring success in HIV/AIDS control. The country places great importance in creating regulatory systems to control the pandemic”.

Ms. Truong Thi Mai, MP (Vietnam) and Vice Chair of AFPPD, said that policymakers should exchange law-making experiences on HIV/AIDS control. “They should propose, discuss and agree on joint viewpoints in multi-sectorial coordination of HIV/AIDS control at the grassroots level”, she stressed. She provided an overview of HIV/AIDS epidemic and response in Asia by highlighting on emerging threats – including the concentration of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users, and continuing stigma and discrimination among those with or at risk of HIV/AIDS.

The sessions at the workshop enabled to build consensus and resolutions on effective, efficient and coherent strategies for establishing a multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration model in HIV prevention and control, and to gain experience on harm reduction initiatives and HIV law implementation process. The need to address stigma and discrimination, to scale up pilot harm reduction strategies, and to increase and sustain a national budget for HIV/AIDS were among the topics highlighted at the workshop. In addition, a field visit provided an insight to the parliamentarians on how networks of people living with HIV/AIDS can better communicate their needs to the government, mobilize resources, learn to value themselves and increase their capacity to meet their own needs.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, MP (Vietnam) and Vice Chair of Vietnam Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, discussed ways on which collaboration between Indo-China countries could be enhanced in dealing with HIV/AIDS. He noted, “Strong commitment is needed to address HIV/AIDS in the region”. AFPPD was represented by Ms. Carla Benham, Programme Associate.

Ms. Mane of UNFPA Appreciates Japanese Parliamentarians’ Contribution to ICPD

Tokyo, November 30: At the Japan Parliamentarians’ Federation on Population (JPFP) General Assembly for 2007, the organization members discussed the annual progress report, and the upcoming year’s project proposal and budget. Ms. Wakako Hironaka, Acting Chair of JPFP, opened the meeting by reporting the outcome of the recent AFPPD’s 5th Asian Women Parliamentarians’ and Ministers’ Conference, held in Beijing, China on November 27-28, 2007. She noted, “Countries discussed women equality, and the importance of educational empowerment for women and girls to fight trafficking and prostitution. It was a good opportunity to reaffirm the need to address the lack of education of females worldwide”.

Ms. Yuriko Koike, former Minister of Defense, expressed that Japan’s presence in international meetings is becoming weak. She highlighted that Japan’s funding for development aid is also diminishing. Mr. Taro Nakayama, Principal Advisor of JPFP, mentioned that due to the lack of resources in developing countries, parliamentarians find it difficult to participate in international conferences; so he suggested that UN takes leadership in facilitating online conferences. He also expressed the importance of including in the agenda a diplomatic dialogue on the implications of population. Ms. Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, appreciated Japan’s contribution to the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action (ICPD PoA) and its endeavor to advance the discussions on public health and population issues.

The assembly also highlighted the nomination of Mr. Fukushima Yutaka, Deputy Executive Director of JPFP, as representative of the New Kumeito Party; Ms. Yuriko Koike as representative of the Democratic Party of Japan; and Mr. Shuichi Kato as new Director of JPFP.

IN BRIEF

Brussels, November 27: UNFPA had been named the beneficiary of the 2007 ‘Europeans of the Year’. The financial proceeds of EUR 32,000 will support the UNFPA-led campaign to end fistula. The awards are conferred annually by the European Voice, the European Union Affairs’ newspaper, to ten individuals who have influenced the European agenda over the past 12 months. Winners were selected among 50 nominees by leading editors, opinion makers and thinkers.

Beijing, December 14: China will face a baby boom starting early of 2008. China loosened restrictions on its one-child policy, allowing couples to have a second child if the first child is a girl – traditional desire for a son leads to an increase in birth rate. Chinese officials stated that the boom will tighten the scarce resources of China, and that the country will experience more gender imbalance as couples abort female fetuses. Currently, China has a gender ratio of 119 boys to 100 girls.

New Delhi, December 3: UN stated that more women die of childbirth in India than in any other country – with 20 percent of the world’s maternal deaths occur in the country, 100 thousand die yearly in India during childbirth or pregnancy and 1 Indian woman dies every 5 seconds. Most of the country’s health practitioners are in the private sector so life-saving care is often unavailable to women giving birth. The government has taken steps to reduce maternal mortality – the number is declining, but still remain alarming.

Washington DC, November 30: Catholics for Choice released the poll results that most Catholics support the use of condoms. When asked if ‘using condoms is pro-life because it helps save lives by preventing the spread of HIV’, 90% of Catholics in Mexico, 86% in Ireland, 79% in US, 77% in Philippines and 59% in Ghana agree. Whereas, respondents in Ireland (79%), US (63%), Mexico (60%), Philippines (47%) and Ghana (37%) agree that the church’s position on condoms is wrong and should be changed.

Ms. Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, addressed 100 Vietnamese parliamentarians

Hanoi, November 2: “UNFPA will continue to support Vietnam with its population and Reproductive Health (RH) programmes”, addressed by Ms. Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, to 100 parliamentarians at the Vietnam Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development’s (VAPPD) annual meeting, aimed to discuss the demographic survey of Vietnam for 2007. UNFPA partners with the government to help meet the RH needs of the Vietnamese through policy advice, advocacy and innovative programming. She pointed out that the country’s attitudes and practices in RH had changed for the past 3 decades, adding that, “Mothers are healthier, fewer women are dying when giving birth, most couples practice voluntary family planning and more women are being treated as equal members of the society”.

Over the last 15 years in the country, the use of contraceptives has increased, the infant and maternal mortality rates have decreased and the national fertility rate has fallen – with every couple having an average of 2 children. Most of the progress are related to the strong leadership and policies of the government. “Vietnam’s population strategies have shifted from a quantitative demographic target to a more qualitative goal, based on reproductive rights. Work remains to be done to ensure women and girls are given equal opportunities and valued as equal members of the society”, noted Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director of the Asia-Pacific of UNFPA. The finding of a recent UNFPA study indicated that there is a slight imbalance in the national birth sex ratio. While the country has outlawed pre-birth sex selection, a tradition of son preference still persists.

Mr. Ian Howie, Representative of UNFPA-Vietnam, said that the partnership between UNFPA and Vietnamese parliamentarians have produced great results – the Gender Equality Law was passed last year and the Domestic Violence Prevention Law is introduced. But disparities remain, with women and the urban poor still more likely to have limited access to quality RH services and to die during child birth. “This is especially true, as the rate of unintended pregnancies remain high among Vietnamese youth, who are also at risk of contacting HIV”, he said.

AFPPD Women Parliamentarians Make Progress

Parliamentary Groups to Reinforce Efforts for ICPD

New York, November 21: UNFPA convened a meeting of global and regional parliamentary groups working on population and development-related issues to review the parliamentarians’ involvement in the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development’s (ICPD) Programme of Action at the national, regional and global levels. The groups agreed to give special focus on the national level to reinforce efforts to enhance the parliamentarians’ participation, leading to ICPD+15 in 2009. The meeting was attended by representatives from AFPPD, the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development, the Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, and the Parliamentarians for Global Action – along with UNFPA department heads and staff. The meeting was chaired by Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director of UNFPA-IERD.

The “International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD will be held in Egypt in 2009 as agreed at the 2006 IPCI-ICPD in Bangkok, Thailand, and reaffirmed at the meeting of global and regional parliamentary groups in New York, USA.

Highlight

Women Education and Empowerment Critical for a Country’s Social and Economic Development