Voices of Africa.

Abstract

It was good to hear in People (10 4) the voices of African women and men expressing simple truths which are not those of the State or those of the ruling classes. They are the voices of women who accept their suffering because they hope that their lives will find a new value through their offspring and that they will be supported in their old age and perhaps even have a better afterlife. They are the voices of men who think that they must perpetuate their line and that God will help them to feed all their children. These statements are not abstract: they contain a message for all those who plan and those who formulate population policies. They place the debate on family planning in a different context: that of finding an alternative way of satisfying the fundamental needs of these men and women without them being obliged to have too many children. It is thus a cultural and economic problem: the status and role of both men and women in society must be rethought; jobs must be created along with social security for the elderly. Health and education must be made available to all. These longterm objectives must be met in such a way as to overcome taboos religious beliefs and social prejudices which are at present obstacles to the acceptance of family planning. The media and womens organizations have a major role to play in the process. Factual information on contraception must be popularized and made available to the public in national languages; both this and a good distribution and follow-up of contraceptive services are essential to overcome the resistance of individuals. Womens organizations must aim to promote a new female image of a woman whose social worth is not determined just by marriage or a large family. Only then will conditions be created for a transformation of attitudes towards childbearing. (full text)