Africa
African women cry out for condoms on Women's Day

afrol News, 8 March - The average African women gives birth to six children during her life, but she'd gladly use contraceptives to lower that number. As one in 15 African women dies due to birth complications, women are also much more aware of the risks of giving birth than are men.

More than one quarter of worldwide pregnancies between 1995 and 2000 were unwanted on not planned, according to the UN population fund UNFPA. This situation is particularly true for African woman, where child-demanding families and husbands in addition to lacking family planning resources leave the average housewife few possibilities of dissent.

In addition, the risks of dying due to birth complications are particularly high in Africa. Of every fifteen women dying in Africa, one loses her life due to birth complications. Women are aware of these risks, while most men remain ignorant or even indifferent.

- Maternal mortality is an omnipresent reality in [African] countries, and for that reason, women are very well aware of their risks, Stefanie Ettelt of the German Fund for the World Population (DSW) tells afrol News. "For men, the decision is easier: When a wife dies, they can always marry again."

DSW on Women's Day reminds the world community that "unwanted pregnancy is a huge health risk for women in developing countries." Between 1995 and 2000, an estimated 700,000 women died as a consequence of unwanted pregnancies - more than the half of these died of abortions carried out illegally or without sufficient medical or hygienic knowledge. "Most of these deaths could have been prevented by giving women access to contraceptives," says DSW.

Some 350 million couples worldwide want to use contraception as a manner of family planning without having the means to do so, according to a recent UN study. The same study holds these couples/families could be given effective family planning means for only US$/euro 13 a year. 

Ms Ettelt confirmed to afrol News that recent studies by the German fund and other international bodies indeed confirmed African women were crying out for condoms. 

- Let's make an example of Ethiopia, Ms Ettelt says. Here, the average fertility rate [describes how many children a normal women will give birth to] is at 5.9 children. New surveys had put the number of children desired in Ethiopia significantly lower. "In the 15-19 age group, these young women by now only desire 4.2 children, while urban women of that age only want 3.3 children. Thus, there is a large demand of family planning and contraception here."

But it is not only the physical lack of contraceptives that stops African women from realising their wishes of "a perfect family". Especially in rural communities, husbands and families-in-law put a heavy pressure on the female head of family when it comes to plan the offspring.

- To stay with the Ethiopian example, the desired family size is indeed higher for men than for women, Ms Ettelt tells afrol News. "The older the men, the clearer the difference," she adds. While an Ethiopian woman of 15-19 years wants 4.2 children, a man of the same age wishes to have 4.5 children. Among the elder group of 45-49 years, women want 6.7 children while men cling to the desire of having 9.7 children.

- Indeed, contraception is a female issue in most African societies, as it is in most countries of the world, says Ms Ettelt. The German scientist emphasises on two main reasons for this: Social status increases especially for men with a high number of children and health risks of unprotected sex and of giving birth are a women's issue.

We asked Ms Ettelt to give an example of an African example where increased access to contraceptives had had a positive effect on family planning. She immediately mentions Kenya.

- Here, the total fertility rate has sunk from 7.5 children at the beginning of the 1980s to 4.2 children each woman today, she says. "That however doesn't mean that there isn't any unchecked need of contraceptives any more, as the desire of having children drops with fertility, and family planning becomes more and more popular due to ongoing programmes."

According to recent surveys, the unchecked needs of contraceptives in Africa in particular comprises of condoms. The AIDS pandemic has made this contraceptive the most wanted among African women.

Contrary to the needs and desires of African women, condoms are however barely used. Very few couples use contraceptives at all. Of all African couples, some 7 percent stick to the pill, devise that only gives responsibility to women and that doesn't protect against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Another four percent of African couples use intrauterine devices (IUDs). Another one percent of couples use condoms, according to a survey conducted by the Population Reference Bureau. 

While African women are increasingly crying out for condoms, international organisations and agencies are less and less able to fulfil the family planning tasks they are supposed to. "The scarcity [of condoms] is further increased because the United States meanwhile totally has ceased its payments the [UN agency] UNFPA," complains Ms Ettelt.

afrol News ask Ms Ettelt how the shift in US family planning policies during the Bush administration has changed the situation in the field in Africa.

- Many organisations that are active in Africa are hurt by the budget cuts, Ms Ettelt answers. She mentions both international and national family planning programmes. "The DSW is however not affected as we never have received any funds from the US government." 

While African and donor governments continue having different moral views on family planning matters, African women continue to give birth to more children than their bodies and their local environment can sustain. A woman from Niger will give birth to over 7 children, a Swazi woman to 6 children. 

Only some countries in Northern Africa and South Africa are close to give women a real choice: Here, the fertility rate is close to 2.5 children. Here, women have access to education, inheritance and family planning. In the rest of Africa, women cry out for CONDOMS.

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