The United Nations Population Fund - Then and Now - success stories of work with women

UN Chronicle, June-August, 2001 by Nafis Sadik

I am happy to know that our prompt action in such situations is helping to save women's lives, and I hope that in future emergencies, women's health needs will be met as a matter of course.

Another indication of the evolution taking place: at the World Population Conference in Bucharest in 1974, there was hardly any mention of women. In 1984, at the International Conference on Population in Mexico City, it took determined action early in the proceedings to insert a few paragraphs on the centrality of women.

Ten years later, at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994, and its review in 1999, women's issues were central. In Cairo, 179 countries from all parts of the world, representing all cultures and religions, and at all stages of development, not only accepted women's right to self-determination, but agreed on practical steps to make it a reality.

Nor would the consensus achieved at the ICPD have been possible without the committed support of NGOs. During the ICPD, I decided on the spur of the moment to visit the parallel NGO Conference, against the advice of my security officers. Yet, I felt it was essential to go and show my support for the many contributions made by the NGOs. When I walked into their Conference, the entire audience--mainly women-stood up and applauded. It was one of the most moving moments of my career!

Our partnership with national and international NGOs is fundamental to the work of UNEPA. If there has been an evolution over the last 30 years, it is this-partnership with civil society. Working together, we can accomplish so much more.

In the beginning, UNFPA had a modest budget of $2 million. Immediately following the ICPD, UNFPA achieved contributions of over $300 million a year in 1996 and 1997. Since then, they have been declining, but were up moderately to $263 million in 2000 and another slight increase is forecast in 2001.

To achieve full funding requires firm political will, sometimes in the face of strident opposition. Yet, more powerful than any number of loud, nervous objections are the quiet voices of millions of women and men talking to one another.

As we learned from the story of Fatima, women's social, economic and political participation advances human rights and equity, increases investment in health and education, strengthens civil society institutions, promotes economic growth, accelerates the stabilization of world population and reduces pressures on natural resources.

And that is the essence of the success story of UNFPA, which is really the success of the United Nations system overall, and a strong indication of the growing awareness among peoples and countries. As we move into the twenty-first century, I have full confidence that this awareness will continue to grow, that we will continue to evolve, and that our small and beautiful planet will gradually blossom, as a flower in a garden.

Dr. Nafis Sadik was the Executive Director of UNFPA from 1987 to December 2000. She is currently Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General and has been named an Eminent Person for the International Year of Volunteers. Dr. Sadik was also chosen to receive the 2001 United Nations Population Award for an individual.