will also help encourage smaller families. Addressing underlying
social, economic, and cultural factors that affect reproductive
health will also have positive effects on women's lives generally,
improving their access to education and employment opportunities,
and enabling them to participate more fully in the life of their
communities.
With these
realities in mind, the Foundation has for the past two years
focused on the social, economic, and cultural factors that affect
reproductive health. The program works in three interrelated areas:
social science research to increase knowledge about the factors
influencing reproductive health; helping women in particular, but
also men and the larger community, to participate in decisions and
policies aimed at improving reproductive health; and promoting a
public dialogue to define ethical and legal frameworks for
reproductive health and rights appropriate to each society.
The focus
of the program varies according to circumstances in each country.
Activities include encouraging reproductive health policies and
services that are sensitive to women's needs and open to community
participation, improving access to and the quality of reproductive
health services, focusing on sexually transmitted diseases and
particularly on HIV/AIDS, documenting and increasing awareness of
the poor status of reproductive health, and addressing the needs of
particularly vulnerable groups, like adolescents and poor
women.
In 1992 the
Reproductive Health and Population program granted a total of $16.7
million.
Social
Science Research and Training
An
important component of the program has been to strengthen national
and regional social science research and training centers and
research networks to promote multidisciplinary research on
reproductive health problems. Funds have been granted to institutes
in the West Indies, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia,
Mexico, and Senegal. Research networks are being supported in
China, Egypt, Francophone Africa, Nigeria, India, Indonesia, and
Mexico. These projects address a range of reproductive health
issues, including women's perceptions of their own health needs and
priorities. Several networks and individual research projects are
also addressing underlying issues of sexuality and interpersonal
relations.
Empowering Women
Another
major focus of the Reproductive Health and Population program has
been support for women's organizations. The aim is to promote their
increased participation in policy discussions, in the design of
programs and services, and in community-based research on
reproductive health. Although there are examples of effective
collaboration among women's