Education of women key to curb population growth

Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The education of women plays a more pivotal role than the use of contraceptives in curbing population growth, an expert said on Monday.

Sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo of the University of Indonesia said he had noticed in recent surveys that the availability of contraceptives did not automatically lower the fertility rate.

"Contraceptives should be available to everybody, however, the core issue is how to change people's perceptions and to raise women's desire to reduce their fertility rate," he said. He added that society needed to change their traditional perception of children as an investment to secure their future welfare.

Since women by nature bear children, their education should be top priority, as by providing women with skills they are given alternatives to being housewives.

"With sufficient knowledge and education, women will have more options to do activities outside the house, this will eventually decrease their desire to have so many children as they will be too busy," Imam said.

Data from the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN) reveals that 35 percent of the 27 million fertile couples are poor. It also shows that the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) among fertile couples increased to 60.3 percent in 1997, from 57.4 percent in 2003 and the fertility rate decreased to 2.6 births per woman, from 2.8.

Tini Hadad of the Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) agreed with Imam, saying that current data also revealed the level of education of women was lower than that of men.

"With higher education, women will have more bargaining power," said Tini.

However, she warned that cultural and religious issues, and those concerning customs and traditions, in which women had no say in decision making, included the decision to have children.

"I strongly believe that men also need education on family planning as they often insist that their wives should have as many children as they (the men) like," she said.

Tini was convinced contraception was mandatory for uneducated poor people, but complained that poor people had little access to information on the side effects of contraceptives and which options were open to them.

A 40-year-old woman related at the seminar that she had quit the family planning program, after suffering from health problems caused by the use of three different types of contraception.

Tini said the woman was an example of the unnecessary suffering caused to those who did not receive enough information about contraception.

"Their rights as consumers aren't secured due to a lack of information and options," she said.

She added that not only did poor uneducated people not dare to ask questions, (as they thought doctors' opinions were always right), but they did not know what to ask.

She blamed small funds -- 7 percent of the total state budget -- that the government had allocated for the family planning program.

BKKBN chairwoman Sumarjati Arjoso did not deny that funds were limited.

"But the House of Representatives has assured the allocation of Rp 125 billion (US$14.7 million) for us to provide free contraception for the poor next year," said Sumarjati.

She said under the program, the goal to raise CPR to 75 percent in 2015 would be achievable.