ICYO – YOUTH INFORMATION

                           No: 2007/21

(E-Newsletter from network of youth organizations in India)

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ICYO - Platform of 356 Youth Organizations in India.       

ICYO - India’s largest network of urban and rural youth.

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Women Group Launch a Mass Anti-Family Planning Campaign in Manipur,

Despite

Population growth of Manipur is Over & Above the National Average

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Deciding on Family Size Parents` Prerogative`

Akoijam Sunita

IMPHAL, Apr 2: Even though 64.5 % married women in Manipur do not want more than two children, United Women`s Front, one of the most recently formed women pressure groups in the state, is all set to launch a mass anti-family planning campaign throughout the state.

Ph Indira, assistant secretary, UWF maintained, "What the Indian government wants from Manipur is the land and not the people, and the family planning measures are part of several strategies to wipe out the native population."

Reacting to the announcement of the anti-family planning stance taken up by this organization, an official of the state family welfare department responsible for the implementation of family planning programmes said that even though in the early period of the implementation, very few women avail the facilities of family planning programme in Manipur, currently the programme is being implemented successfully.

She said, "Almost all the married educated women are using their choice method of family planning to avoid unwanted pregnancy after the birth of two or three children."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a working mother of two said, "I fully support family planning. Why should we go for big family when we don`t have the required support systems and an enabling environment? For my two children I have already chalked out a lump sum budget for their education and other needs."

She quickly added, "Money is a big issue but going for a manageable family size is not just about money. Moreover I don`t think it would be fair to bring in more babies when there are so much of shortcomings in our state."

For 47 years old Mobi, the greatest regret of his life is not taking timely family planning measures. He said, "As a casual labourer, making ends meet for myself is a challenge. I have 5 children and now I realized that having many children is not really God`s gifts, they are just human ignorance. I fully support family planning. It should be actually banned to have children beyond one`s ability to provide quality life."

As per the 2005-06 survey report of the National Family Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare throughout the country, 64.5 % of the married women in Manipur do not want more than two children. It further reported that 72.2 % of the married women in the urban areas are availing the facilities of family planning after having two children while the percentage was 60.2 in the rural areas.

The survey report also stated that 68.8 % of the married women with two sons do not want more children while 75.8 % of the women having one son and a daughter do not want further children. However, the report stated that only 28.3 % of the women having two daughters do not want more children. Moreover, 4.8 % of the married women of age range 15 to 49 are using any kind of family planning method available.

The population of Manipur has increase from 18.31 lakhs in 1991 to 22.94 lakhs in 2001 registering a decadal growth of 24.86 percent between 1991 and 2001 as compared to 21.35 % at all India level.

When asked as to how UWF is looking at expanding the family size given the constraints one faces in giving quality life, Indira said that the first priority will be given at reviving and making the government schools functional so that children can get quality education at affordable prices. She added that her organisation will take steps in making the people hard working and self-dependent by ensuring that government`s schemes for people`s welfare reaches the needy. She said that the drive against family planning will be taken up subsequently.

Finding the whole campaign amusing and impractical, a working mother of one said, "Family planning policy of the government is based on common sense and need for safeguarding the reproductive health of women. I think deciding on when to have baby and how many is entirely the prerogative of the parents. The emotional and mental preparedness of the parents and their ability to provide a quality life should be the decider for family size".

( http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=37157&typeid=1 )

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Youth Information is published by

Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO)

194-A, Arjun Nagar, Safdarjang Enclave

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Phone: 91 9811729093  / 91 11 26183978 Fax 91 11 26198423

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Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental network organization, committed in developing areas of mutual cooperation and understanding among different youth voluntary agencies, youth groups, clubs and individuals working in the field of youth welfare in India. 

ICYO functions as an umbrella organization of youth NGOs in India. It's family consists of
over 356 organizations spread in 122 districts of 22 states from different corners of India.

Our goal:
To improve and extend the youth work and services through Youth Organizations;
To enhance and demonstrate youth work in the society;
To promote effective youth programmmes;
To organize network of civil society organizations working towards the development of youth work;
To organize seminars, conferences, workshops, trainings;
To maintain international relation with organizations promoting young people in their programmes and activities

Affiliation: 

Consultative (Roster) Status with ECOSOC, United Nations;
Consultative Status with Commission on Sustainable Development;
Full Member of World Assembly of Youth (WAY); Asian Youth Council (AYC);
Youth for Habitat International Network (YFHIN); CRIN, South Asia Youth
Environment Network (SAYEN), Affiliate group of ECPAT International, Thailand;
ATSECE-DELHI, Indian Partner of AIDS Care Watch Campaign;
Steering Committee member of World Bank's YDP Network;
Working relation with Indian Association of Parliamentarians (IAPPD);
International Medical Parliamentarians Organizations (IMPO);
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD);
World Youth Foundation, Malaysia