Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

Some analysts call for expanding family planningprograms to include teenagers and sexually active unmarriedwomen, who are excluded in many existingprograms. For teenagers, many advocate much greateremphasis on abstinence.Another suggestion is to develop programs thateducate men about the importance of having fewerchildren and taking more responsibility for raisingthem. Proponents also call for greatly increased researchon developing new, more effective, and moreacceptable birth control methods for men.Finally, a number of analysts urge pro-choice andpro-life groups to join forces in greatly reducingunplanned births and abortions, especially amongteenagers.Case Study: Family Planning in Iran:A Success StorySince 1989 Iran has used family planning and publiceducation to cut its rate of population growth in halfand reduce the average number of children perwoman from 7 to 2.5.When Ayatollah Khomeini assumed power in Iran in1979, he did away with the family planning programsthe Shah of Iran had put into place in 1967. He sawlarge families as a way to increase the size of hisarmy.Iranians responded and the country’s populationgrowth reached 4.4%—one of the world’s highestrates. But this rapid growth in numbers began to overburdenthe country’s economy and environment.In 1989, the government reversed its policy and restoredits family planning program. Governmentagencies were mobilized to raise public awareness ofpopulation issues, encourage smaller families, andprovide free modern contraception. Religious leadershelped by mounting a crusade for smaller families. TVstations were used to provide family planning informationthroughout the country.Iran became the first country to require couples totake a class on contraception before they could receivea marriage license. Between 1970 and 2000, the countryalso increased female literacy from 25% to 70% andfemale school enrollment from 60% to 90%.These efforts paid off. Between 1989 and 2004, thecountry cut its population growth rate from 2.5% to1.2% and its average family size from 7 children to2.5—a remarkable change in 15 years.How Can Empowering Women Help ReduceBirth Rates? Ensuring Education, Jobs, andRightsWomen tend to have fewer children if they are educated,have a paying job outside the home, and do nothave their human rights suppressed.What key factors lead women to have fewer andhealthier children? Three things: education, payingjobs outside the home, and living in societies wheretheir rights are not suppressed.Roughly half of the world’s people are female.Women do almost all of the world’s domestic workand childcare, with little or no pay. Women also providemore unpaid health care than all the world’s organizedhealth services combined.They also do 60–80% of the work associated withgrowing food, gathering fuelwood, and hauling waterin rural areas of Africa, Latin America, and Asia (Figure10-21). As one Brazilian woman put it, “For poorwomen the only holiday is when you are asleep.”Globally women account for two-thirds of allhours worked but receive only 10% of the world’s income,and they own less than 2% of the world’s land.In most developing countries, women do not have thelegal right to own land or to borrow money. Women4:45 A.M.Wake,wash, andeat5:00 A.M.-5:30 A.M.Walk tofields5:30 A.M.-3:00 P.M.Work infields3:00 P.M.-4:00 P.M.Collectfirewood4:00 P.M.-5:30 P.M.Pound andgrind corn5:30 P.M.-6:30 P.M.Collectwater6:30 P.M.-8:30 P.M.Cook forfamily andeat8:30 P.M.-9:30 P.M.Washdishesand children9:30 P.M.Go to bedFigure 10-21 Typical workday for a woman in rural Africa. In addition to their domestic work, rural Africanwomen perform about 75% of all agricultural work. (Data from United Nations)190 CHAPTER 10 Applying Population Ecology: The Human Population