"We Refuse To Die So Rapidly" - Women Activists

The International Women's Day focuses on "Ending Impunity for Violence Against Women and Girls." But on the other side poverty, financial problems, disease like AIDS and other social pressures have driven millions of mothers toward this situation. Many more die during pregnancies. More and more women in developing countries are not favor of having too many children but these women do not have an easy to the various types of facilities. Women have less access to income generating activities, education, employment and health. Similarly the underdeveloped countries have a vast difference in sterilization between the males and females.

The fourth world women conference was held in Beijing. The needed opinions and suggestions related to women problems were presented at the conference. At the conference, different national, regional and International preparations were discussed and the important issues of the right of reproduction for women was discussed at some length. The conference also focused on general problems and declining health standards of women including family planning, disease and rights of women.

Women have been long been denied their birth rights. Gender inequality is perpetuated by the attitude of men, socialite norms interpretation of economy. The women of the third world are subjected to face social problems. Only half of the women in developing countries have access to family planning devices. They also receive less attention when they fall sick. They also work for long hours. It is true women of the world do two thirds of the work but earn one tenth of income.

Poverty and domestic compulsions account for many percent girls drop out in school. Women also suffer from overwork and social infrastructure. Majority of women give births at home in very poor sanitary conditions and without the assistance of trained birth attendant.There is not even minimum care for a woman either during her pregnancy or after she has given birth.

Many women do not even get to rest for more than a few days and as a result many health problems occur. A major theme, however has legal aspects of the human and reproductive rights of women. This is further aggravated by early marriage, low nutritional status, high prevalence of anaemia, low education level. On the other hand she is not given any special encouragement to eat more than usual. So many women are risk due to poor nutrition.

Life for most women is a cycle of hard work, child bearing and services to others. According to survey, women themselves, especially rural women are reluctant, too poor. In many countries where the status of women is low, a low priority is given to their education.

Many women live in rural areas and earn their living from farming so we can say that women make an importance contribution to the agricultural activities of the nation. In south Asians countries the percentage of women over 12 percent of age who constitute the labour force in the agricultural sectors are in Nepal 90 percent, in India 80 percent, in Bangladesh 70 percent, in Pakistan 60 percent and in Sri Lanka 60 percent. Only about 18 percent of the entire land has irrigation facilities of any kind.

Education and information on nutrition and health should be strengthened. It is very necessary that the nation understands the importance of the overall growth of the women and provide them with the various training, education and different facilities. It is also necessary to make arrangements for the social and financial development. Equal opportunities for both men and women in the field of education and employment is very important but this is not fully accepted by the people. A solution to this problem can be the coordinated efforts of the programs.

The statistical ration shows that the present trend of the population growth has out grown the development in the economical sector. It is fearsome yet true, in the developing countries that 1500 women die in abortion cases daily. The fear of society, law and lack of knowledge leads many of these women to undergo abortion especially if the pregnancy is achieved by some immoral activities.

The Cairo conference advocated for maximum promotion of the family planning facilities. Until and unless women get to chose utilize and consume all the services of family planning, the idea of overall development of he women become empty and meaningless. The need for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy, repeated pregnancy, reduction of maternal mortality should be strengthed.

The 1994 Cairo Conference also argued strongly for incorporating the concepts of reproductive health. The 20-year Programme of Action adopted at the conference. The program called for investments to improve individuals' health, education, and rights — particularly for women — and for family planning services to be provided in the context of comprehensive reproductive health care.

According to the conference"Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are major causes of disability and death among women of reproductive age in less developed countries. More than 500,000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes; more than 95 percent of these deaths occur in the less developed world, particularly in Africa and Asia. Of all the adult health statistics monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal death rates show the largest discrepancy between more developed and less developed countries. The ratio of maternal deaths to live births varies from an average of 10 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in more developed regions to 880 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in Africa. Source:(Population Reference Bureau)

So, all the countries should develop programmes for women, maternal death rate, infant death rate, nutrition and reproduction and implement them successfully. We must remember the political, economic and social empowerment of women is prerequisite for development. Priority must be given to attaining the goal of equality through gender responsive development policies. We know most of the illness related to women can be prevented.

Nepali writer and Journalist Kamala Sarup is an editor of peacejournalism.com. Some of the main focus of the e-magazine has been on disarmament, conflict resolution, nonviolent sanctions, conflicts and crises. Its activities include training,research and supports peace, democracy and development in societies undergoing crisis and change. Kamala Sarup is specialising in in-depth reporting and writing on Peace Resolutions, Anti war, Women, Terrorism, Democracy, Development, Politics and HIV/AIDS. She wrote and published many articles, books and research papers. Her interests include international conflict resolution, cross-cultural communication, philosophy, feminism, political, socio-economic and literature. Her current plans are to move on to humanitarian work in conflict areas in the near future.

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