Sunday, Jan 12, 2003
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By Our Special Correspondent
It stressed the need for effective dialogue among diverse stakeholders and forging partnerships involving all levels of Government and civil society in the implementation of the policy. The Declaration appreciated the efforts of the Government in framing the National Population Policy-2000, which affirms the commitment of the Government to its overriding objective of economic and social development, improving the quality of lives of people through education and economic empowerment, particularly women, and providing quality health care services. It noted with concern that population policies framed by some State Governments reflected a coercive approach through the use of incentives and disincentives, which in some cases was violative of human rights. This was not consistent with the spirit of the National Population Policy. The violation of human rights affected the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society, including women. It said that the propagation of a two-child norm and coercion or manipulation of individual fertility decisions violated the principle of voluntary informed choice and the human rights of the people, particularly the rights of the child. Similarly, the use of contraceptive targets resulted in undue pressure being put on clients by service providers. It called upon State Governments to exclude discriminatory/coercive measures from the population policies that had been framed, or are proposed. It emphasised that in a situation where the status of women was low and preference for a son was prevalent, coercive measures further undermined the status of women and resulted in harmful practices such as female foeticide and infanticide. The Declaration affirmed that reproductive rights could not be seen in isolation. Therefore, giving priority to health, education and livelihood of women was essential, as also reducing fertility rates and stabilising population. The Declaration acknowledged that reproductive rights should include the right to informed decision-making, free from fear of discrimination; the right to regular accessible, affordable, good quality and reliable health care; the right to medical assistance and counselling for the choice of birth control methods appropriate for the individual couple; the right to sexual and reproductive security, free from gender-based violence. The Colloquium was organised jointly by the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the United Nations Population Fund.
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