“World Population Summit” opened. Pregnancy, childbirth. Focus on women's rights.
As various issues emerged around the world, such as the rapid increase in population issues and the declining birthrate and aging population, a summit-level meeting was held in Kenya, East Africa, where representatives from each country discussed countermeasures. The greatest focus is on increasing international debate over how to ensure women's rights related to childbirth.
The United Nations-led International Population Development Conference started on the 12th in Kenya's capital Nairobi on the 12th, with over 6000 leaders from over 160 countries including Japan.
In countries such as Africa, where the population is rapidly increasing, there is a problem that women are married at a young age and suffer from unwanted pregnancy and childbirth.
On the other hand, in a country with a declining birthrate and an aging population, such as Japan, the labor environment and childcare support are not improving.
At the meeting, the background to these issues is that women have the basic right to choose whether to give birth or give birth, the “reproductive rights,” which are not fully protected. How to guarantee is the biggest theme.
At the first day's meeting, UNEPPA, Secretary General of the United Nations Population Fund Kanem said, “There is a long way for reproductive rights to be guaranteed around the world, but it needs to be a reality,” calling on countries to take action. .
After that, subcommittees were held for each theme, and discussions were held on measures to prevent dangerous abortions and dissemination of accurate knowledge about pregnancy and contraception.
The right to pregnancy and childbirth
The right to pregnancy and childbirth = "Reproductive Rights" was advocated as a basic right for women and couples at the World Population Development Conference held in Egypt 25 years ago.
The emphasis was on “freedom of choice” regarding pregnancy and childbirth, such as the ability to freely and responsibly determine the number of children and the timing of pregnancy and giving birth in a safe environment.
The United Nations Population Fund is not only forced to “unwanted pregnancy” due to child marriage or forced marriage, but also to be forced into a “situation where it is impossible to give birth” due to social and economic circumstances. It is said.
In the population white paper last year compiled by the United Nations, in countries such as Japan and South Korea where fertility rates are low and there is a trend toward a declining birthrate, women lose their careers due to childbirth, and partner men raise children. He points out that by not fully participating in the housework, we are not able to have as many children as we want.
In Japan, the total fertility rate, which is an indicator of the number of children a woman born in her lifetime, was 1.42 last year, which remained low, and the number of children born and the number of births was 91. 8,397, a decrease of more than 27,000 from the previous year, and the smallest since we started taking statistics in Meiji 32.
In the background are the adverse effects of Japanese employment practices that presuppose long working hours and frequent transfers, delays in support systems such as the development of daycare centers, the lack of progress in taking childcare leave for men, and high housing and education costs. The burden of is raised.
“It is important for society to accept that the choice of giving birth is a woman's right,” said UN Director-General of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office for the United Nations Population Fund. It is also very important to change our sense of value and behavior, ”and pointed out that we should protect the women's“ right to pregnancy and childbirth ”and create an environment where they can choose between balancing childbirth and work. Stressed.