Planet Earth, already short on resources and reeling from regular calamities across its latitude and longitude, is expected to be inhabited by over 7 billion people this year. This overwhelming number was highlighted repeatedly on the occasion of World Population Day 2011 observed on 11th July. What could have been a huge pool of human resources, lack of resources means that Pakistan's 6th rank on the list of most populous nation is more of a curse than a blessing.
The stark imbalance vis-a-vis the country's size - Pakistan is world's 36th largest country geographically - and the strength of its population needs to be addressed on an urgent basis. Though Pakistan's average fertility rate has decreased from 6.8 children per household in the 1960s to about 4.0 in 2000s, the population is still rising at a distressing rate. Pakistan is projected to become the fourth largest country by population before the end of this decade. Unfortunately, with myriad of problems the country currently faces, including terrorism, security, and energy and food crises, this alarming problem has not yet been given adequate attention, or perhaps is not considered one at all.
The government's successive family planning campaigns, launched sporadically since Field Marshal Ayub Khan's time in the 1960s have not achieved the projected results. The problem has primarily existed because of short-term strategies designed to achieve quick outcomes ultimately failed to yield desired results.
The issue of population control lies in the murky waters of societal taboos to openly discuss reproduction, religious beliefs regarding the size of the family, and patriarchal structures which demand a male progeny. In such a space, it becomes extremely difficult for younger couples to communicate effectively and plan their families. The social taboo of discussing contraceptive methods, and absence of information material on social and medical problems related to rapid pregnancies have created a vacuum of informed decisions. Added to this, the religious belief of divine help delegated to the well-being of the family, thus rendering family planning moot, is overwhelmingly prevalent in both rural and urban areas.
In the past few years, there has been a welcome shift in the way Ministry of Population Welfare has approached the issue of population control. Realising that it is equally, if not more importantly to convince the men of the house to consider family planning, the ministry's educational ad campaigns have been targeted at the husbands as well who are the traditional decision-makers of the family.
However, this approach, though practically aligned with the ground reality, is not enough if Pakistan is to effectively control its population. Unless we are able to raise the socio-economic status of women in the country, they will always be dependent on the goodwill of their husbands and their families without having any say or control over their own bodies. The figures presented in the Demographic Health Survey of Pakistan (2006-2007) conducted by the Ministry of Population Welfare, support this argument: even though 96 percent of the married women in the survey were aware of at least one method of family planning, less than half had hardly ever used any method.
The challenges faced by Pakistan in terms of curbing its expanding population are daunting to say the least. The government and local NGOs working in the family planning sector must develop a long-term strategy keeping the flaws of previous campaigns in mind. The issue of rapidly growing population cannot be ignored any longer and must be looked at from a macro-perspective.
With Pakistan's economy slowing down amidst constant internal and external security threats to its citizens, population explosion will further cast a heavy burden on its dwindling resources. We are already struggling to provide basic civil rights of education and healthcare to the present population. Added burden will only exasperate the situation putting extra strain on the available resources including food, water and energy.
In this regard, an effective, two-pronged strategy is needed, which will counter the misguided social and religious narrative on the one hand, while working towards raising the status of women on the other hand. Unless women are assimilated as equal socio-economic partners of the household, we cannot expect to witness any substantial success in this area.
The government's successive family planning campaigns, launched sporadically since Field Marshal Ayub Khan's time in the 1960s have not achieved the projected results. The problem has primarily existed because of short-term strategies designed to achieve quick outcomes ultimately failed to yield desired results.
The issue of population control lies in the murky waters of societal taboos to openly discuss reproduction, religious beliefs regarding the size of the family, and patriarchal structures which demand a male progeny. In such a space, it becomes extremely difficult for younger couples to communicate effectively and plan their families. The social taboo of discussing contraceptive methods, and absence of information material on social and medical problems related to rapid pregnancies have created a vacuum of informed decisions. Added to this, the religious belief of divine help delegated to the well-being of the family, thus rendering family planning moot, is overwhelmingly prevalent in both rural and urban areas.
In the past few years, there has been a welcome shift in the way Ministry of Population Welfare has approached the issue of population control. Realising that it is equally, if not more importantly to convince the men of the house to consider family planning, the ministry's educational ad campaigns have been targeted at the husbands as well who are the traditional decision-makers of the family.
However, this approach, though practically aligned with the ground reality, is not enough if Pakistan is to effectively control its population. Unless we are able to raise the socio-economic status of women in the country, they will always be dependent on the goodwill of their husbands and their families without having any say or control over their own bodies. The figures presented in the Demographic Health Survey of Pakistan (2006-2007) conducted by the Ministry of Population Welfare, support this argument: even though 96 percent of the married women in the survey were aware of at least one method of family planning, less than half had hardly ever used any method.
The challenges faced by Pakistan in terms of curbing its expanding population are daunting to say the least. The government and local NGOs working in the family planning sector must develop a long-term strategy keeping the flaws of previous campaigns in mind. The issue of rapidly growing population cannot be ignored any longer and must be looked at from a macro-perspective.
With Pakistan's economy slowing down amidst constant internal and external security threats to its citizens, population explosion will further cast a heavy burden on its dwindling resources. We are already struggling to provide basic civil rights of education and healthcare to the present population. Added burden will only exasperate the situation putting extra strain on the available resources including food, water and energy.
In this regard, an effective, two-pronged strategy is needed, which will counter the misguided social and religious narrative on the one hand, while working towards raising the status of women on the other hand. Unless women are assimilated as equal socio-economic partners of the household, we cannot expect to witness any substantial success in this area.
Source: Business Recorder
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