The Policy Tracking and Monitoring Unit Maintains a Database of Population and Sexual And s1

The Policy Tracking and Monitoring Unit maintains a database of population and sexual and reproductive health policies in cooperation with UNFPA. This update is a part of policy tracking.

Issue No. 61–September 28th 2012 REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FAMILY PLANNING Malaysia looking to boost funding to battle sexual India to jail families who coerce women into violence against women abortions Over the past few months, Malaysia women have faced an Entire families of women who abort a female fetus uncertain public future, with attacks at car parks and could be jailed for up to seven years under an Indian sexual violence pushing women inside in what has fears government move to ease the pressure for male rising in the Southeast Asian country. This week, the children. The initiative is an attempt to halt the Wanita Barisan Nasional (BN) said it would like to see the growing gender imbalance in India where girls are government put more funding into the police department considered a financial burden and families fear the in the country for next year’s budget in order to amp up cost of paying illegal but common dowries when they efforts to end sexual crimes, domestic violence and child marry. Campaigners believe up to eight million abuse in Malaysia. Wanita BN leader Shahrizat Abdul Jalil unborn girls were aborted in India in the last decade, said attention should “be given towards training more while UN figures show that female infants are twice investigating officers, as well as improve the research and as likely to die in India before the age of five. The development quality, especially equipment for forensic number of girls born per thousand boys has declined investigations.” In a statement issued on Monday, she also from 976 in 1961 to 914 in 2011, according to census suggested the “formation of a civil police force, increase statistics. Current laws to prevent 'sex selection' and mobile patrols and installation of more closed-circuit female feticide, clinic doctors who perform the television cameras (CCTV).” Prime Minister Najib Razak operations or the ultrasound tests to determine will table the 2013 Budget in Parliament on September whether the sex of the fetus face punishments 28th. ranging from a 1000 Rupee fine (£12) to three years imprisonment. But in the last ten years only 463 Vietnam: Fewer women in National Assembly people have been prosecuted and the government's The number of women working for the National Assembly Ministry for Women and Child Development wants to (NA) in Vietnam has declined in the past ten years, turn the focus on the family networks which put proven by its falling to 44th in the world rankings, pressure on women to abort unborn girls. according to a United Nations Development Programme india.nydailynews.com study released on September 21. Speaking at the launch of the study, UN Resident Co-ordinator and UNDP HEALTH AND POPULATION Resident Representative Pratibha Mehta said that in China: Guangzhou seeks opinions on population 1997, Vietnam ranked amongst the top ten countries with draft the highest number of women in parliament in the world. Guangdong's provincial capital is soliciting public However, after a decade, the number of women in opinions on a revised draft of its family planning government has remarkably reduced, accounting for only regulation, which would make it easier for remarried 24.4 percent of total candidates. "It's true that in couples and families with disabled children to have countries such as Vietnam and Switzerland, this number one more child. According to the proposal, couples is decreasing while it increases globally," Pratibha said. would be allowed to have another child under eight The situation doesn't seem to be improving in Asia- situations. For example, remarried couples in Pacific, where the number of women in parliament, Guangzhou would be allowed to have one more child excluding those in Australia and New Zealand, is the if one of the spouses has no children and if the other lowest in the world. On average, women account for less spouse has no more than two children from previous than 10 percent of ministers in Asia-Pacific while women marriages. Currently, the other spouse must have no hold slightly less than 20 percent of seats in parliament more than one child from previous marriages. The globally, the study released. family planning policy in China restricts most urban www.english.vietnamnet.net couples to just one child, but it gives exceptions and varies in different provinces. Some couples from GENDER EMPOWERMENT ethnic groups or rural areas are allowed to have Mongolia: Forum Held to Implement New National more than one child. The draft document also relaxes Law on Gender Equality restrictions for families with disabled children. The Parliament of Mongolia has finally adopted the Law www.chinadaily.com on Gender after many years of discussion. The Law on Gender was a significant advance for Mongolia as the law India: Central population policy outperforms imposed a quota towards establishing equal gender states’ representation in all levels of the country’s India’s vexed population policy debate has just got establishments. Some provisions of the law started the fresh fodder with states pursuing independent implementation process from the day of the law’s policies registering higher growth rates than those adoption, while some provisions related to the quota will embracing centrally approved National Population go into effect from the start of 2013. Although it is to be Policy, 2000. While health is a state subject, praised that we are trying to follow the new law and individual states are free to choose the central rules, as of yet we have no mechanism with which to template or follow a state specific policy to manage implement them. On the other hand, the Law on Gender population control there. This has led to a varying has become a symbolic law. That issue was discussed on performance; reigniting an earlier demand for a Wednesday through the multilateral conference themed mandatory national prescription on the issue of “Creating a beneficial national mechanism to provide population control. India’s rather lackluster equal gender rights.” The conference was co-organized by performance on population control can also be the National Network of Women’s NGOs—MONFEMNET, viewed in the fact that while China’s population grew the National Committee on Gender Equality and the from 1.20 billion to 1.33 billion, India’s population Women’s Caucus group in parliament. Conference increased from 1 billion to 1.18 billion. This participants discussed how to compose the nationwide represented a 12 percent higher growth for India. mechanism. www.zeenews.india.com http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn

GENDER ISSUES Pakistan: Women violence law to be reviewed Australian Senate votes down same-sex marriage Sindh Minister for Women Development, Tauqeer Fatima bill and Deputy Speaker of Sindh Assembly, Shahla Raza will The Australian Senate has joined the House of jointly co-chair a seminar to review measures required Representatives in voting down legislation aimed at for early adoption of domestic violence bill in Karachi. allowing same-sex couples to marry. The final vote on The moot to be hosted by Aurat Foundation will be the bill introduced by Labor senators was 26 in favor attended by senior activists, journalists and women and 41 against. Labor senator Penny Wong, who is professionals from different sections of the society. The openly gay, described the result as disappointing and motive of the meeting will be to convince Sindh a failure of the Parliament to remove discrimination. Government to pass the domestic violence bill as after the "Despite the results in both the House of passage of the 18th amendment, the bill falls under the Representatives and the Senate this week, I believe provincial governments’ domain. The upper house of the we have achieved a great deal," she said. "To the parliament (Senate) has already passed the Domestic many supporters of marriage equality, I encourage Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill in Feb 2012. you to continue to campaign for marriage equality in Early passage of the law in Sindh is extremely important each state and federally." On September 19th, just 42 as an overall 6.74 % increase was reported in violence MPs in the Lower House supported a private against women (VAW) in the country during 2011 members bill put forward by Labor backbencher compared to 2010. According to fourth annual report Stephen Jones while 98 MPs voted against. The defeat published by Aurat Foundation 8539 women became of gay marriage legislation this week has prompted victims of violence in 2011 against 8000 in 2010. renewed debate about the merits of Commonwealth www.pakobserver.net legislation to recognize same-sex civil unions. www.abc.net.au If you have any related information, suggestions/comments, please contact:

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