Topic: Reproductive Health
Country: India
Delegate Name: Marlena Gray
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All India position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
The fight for womens’ rights has been happening for the past 169 years; fighting for political, social, and economic rights. In recent years, the world has been fighting for womens reproductive health rights. In many countries women are subject to childhood pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases or infections, and other health issues. Young women need to be educated on their bodies and how they can protect themselves from life threatening events. Worldwide,“HIV disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls because of vulnerabilities created by unequal cultural, social and economic status” (“Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS”). In Africa, “In East and Southern Africa young women will acquire HIV five to seven years earlier than their male peers” (“Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS”). This staggering statistic shows the inequality among the sexes. In many countries, once a woman becomes pregnant they lose their opportunity to attend school, work, and their value. “Unintended pregnancies are widespread in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), jeopardizing the health and wellbeing of women and their families.1 These unplanned pregnancies also exert an unnecessary burden on their countries’ health systems and socio economic development” (“Unintended pregnancies in the Middle East and North Africa”). India currently lacks in access to contraception and control over reproductive choices. Due to lack of education, women often give birth too early in life. Nearly 21% pregnancies are either unwanted or mistimed. The public health system fails to provide adequate antenatal care, access to safe abortion, emergency obstetric care, and postnatal care. “Nearly five women die every hour in India from complications developed during childbirth” (“5 Women…”). This frightening statistic represents the need for change, not only in India, but worldwide.
India became the world’s first nation to launch a family planning programme, in 1951. The International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994) prompted a change in available programmes, with the advocacy of client-centered and quality-oriented reproductive health approaches, India formulated appropriate policy and programmatic responses. The National Population Policy was created in 2000. This policy encourages governments to promote voluntary and informed choice. The National Rural Health Mission, created in 2005, seeks to provide accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare to the rural population. The Conditional Cash Transfer, started in 2008, addresses financial barriers for access to health services. The UNFPA currently works in India, to support the Reproductive and Child Health II (RCH-II) programme, aimed at reducing maternal mortality, child mortality, as well as supply a range of quality contraceptive services. These interventions focus on empowering community-based organizations and village-based health/sanitation committees to monitor service provision and articulate community perspectives on access and quality of reproductive health services. (“Sexual & Reproductive Health”). India supports the increase of education to rural regions, increase of health services, and increase in research for better options. India suggests that all governments send people to communities to advise citizens the best health options for them. The emphasis should be shifted from curative medicine to preventive medicine. Education is the most important service a government can supply to women, to increase their reproductive health.
Works Cited “5 Women Die Every Hour during Childbirth in India: WHO – Times of India.” The Times of India, India, 16 June 2016, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/5-women-die-every-hour-during-childbirth-in-India-WHO/articleshow/52781552.cms.
ROUDI-FAHIMI, FARZANEH. “UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.” Inform Empower Advance, July 2010, www.prb.org/pdf10/unintendedpregnancies.pdf.
“Sexual & Reproductive Health.” UNFPA India | Sexual & Reproductive Health, 18 Oct. 2017, india.unfpa.org/topics/sexual-reproductive-health-10.
“Women and Girls, HIV and AIDS.” AVERT, 27 July 2017, www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-social-issues/key-affected-populations/women.
