Tobacco and Public Health - TCSC Indonesia

AMANDA AMOS AND JUDITH MACKAY 347
tobacco control strategy for Europe. A key element of the project was an expert seminar
held in 1999 which brought together leading experts in the field of gender and
health, and tobacco control (INWAT Europe 2000). The report on the seminar identified
three main areas for future action:
◆ Research and policy frameworks for establishing coherent tobacco control policies
for women, taking into account the important intersections between gender, socioeconomic
status, and age.
◆ The importance of linking women’s tobacco control with other organizations and
pressure groups concerned with the general status of women in society.
◆ Proposals whereby INWAT could become a resource for promoting women-specific
tobacco control to a higher priority status in Europe, drawing on its extensive
network and the high quality expertise of its members.
National level
At national level, governments have a central and crucial role in tobacco control, especially
in the area of legislation and tobacco tax increases. Without government leadership
and commitment, tobacco control measures—especially in developing countries—are
unlikely to succeed. Because the full impact of tobacco-related deaths is not yet apparent
in developing countries, many governments are still not convinced of the degree of
the harmfulness of smoking. They are preoccupied with other problems, such as high
infant mortality, communicable diseases, economic difficulties, or political conflict,
they lack funds, and have little experience in dealing with the tactics of the transnational
tobacco companies. In addition, they may be reluctant to act because of the
mistakenly perceived economic ‘benefits’ of tobacco.
The lead government ministry is the Ministry of Health, but with the issue of
tobacco and women, women’s commissions or ministries should be active. There is no
government department that does not have some role. Many developing countries have
implemented tobacco control programmes, including legislation, far ahead of many
western countries, and without any severe economic consequences. For example, legislation
in Singapore, Fiji, Mongolia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam is
far ahead of many western countries. Many tobacco control measures cost little other
than political will—for example, legislation requiring health warnings on cigarette
packets; or the creation of smoke-free areas in government buildings, public areas,
transport, or schools. However, many tobacco control programmes in both developed
and developing countries continue to take a gender neutral or gender blind approach.
NGOs, including women’s groups, can:
◆ lobby, advise, or pressure governments to make sure that all legislation and other
tobacco control action is gender sensitive
◆ make sure that ministries or commissions on women address tobacco as a woman’s
issue and uphold the principle of women’s right to health as a basic human right,