Benin report - Institut Africain de la Gouvernance

CHAPTER SIX: SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT__________________________________________________________________________sector. The formal and permanent formal sector demand more qualifications,and qualification is a privilege of men.877. Maternal and reproductive health. The fundamental objective of the PNPF 69 isto improve the health and nutrition of women and the family. To achieve this,efforts have been made in the last few years to promote maternal and infanthealth services and family planning. However, discussions with stakeholdersrevealed that, in the area of health, women are still largely underprivileged.Women‟s specific needs are not adequately addressed in health sector policiesand strategies.878. For example, despite Law 2003/04 of 3 March 2003 on sexual andreproductive health, Beninese women still do not fully enjoy their right tohealth, especially the right to reproductive health. Deep-rooted customarypractices seriously impede the enjoyment of this right. For example, Beninesewomen cannot practise birth control without permission. They need theirhusbands‟ consent to use contraceptives, and this consent is hardly ever given.879. The CRM was pleased to note that Benin, in its May 1996 population policystatement, planned to “promote responsible fertility” to help reduce earlyand/or belated motherhood, to reduce the number of abortions, to enhancefamily planning for responsible sex, to distribute contraceptives, and graduallyto abolish such practices as forced or early marriages. Despite this policy anddespite information, sensitisation and education campaigns carried out byBeninese associations and NGOs, the birth rate is still high and mothers stillyoung (there were 6.3 children for each woman in 1996, and 5.6 children foreach woman in 2001). There were great disparities depending on the regionand the women‟s level of education. There has been only a slight increase inthe use of contraceptives, from 3% in 1996 to 7% in 2006. This may partlyexplain increases in the number of illegal abortions and the high rate ofmortality and early pregnancies.880. Participation in decision making. The problem of women participating indecision making has largely been dealt with in the section on the promotionand protection of women, which can be found in Chapter Three on democracyand political governance. Unfortunately, the absence of women onmanagement structures is not limited to high-level decision-making bodies.Although women contribute most to farm work, their representation in ruralagricultural organisations is not proportionate to what they contribute.881. During one discussion forum, the CRM team was informed that, even on localcommittees for the management of amenities like water (whose clientele isexclusively women), women are not represented. Even when they are, the mencarry out their functions while women are made to play ceremonial roles.69 MFE. 2007. PNPF. 2nd edition.280