• by IPS Correspondents (pirojali, bangladesh)
• Wednesday, November 23, 1994
• Inter Press Service

PIROJALI, BANGLADESH, Nov 23 (IPS) - THIS REMOTE UNDER DEVELOPED VILLAGE OF FRUIT ORCHARDS AND PADDY FIELDS HAS EMERGED AS AN UNLIKELY LEADER IN BANGLADESH'S FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMME, PUZZLING DEMOGRAPHIC EXPERTS BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY.

DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF ALMOST ALL THE TRADITIONALLY ACCEPTED DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS FOR FERTILITY DECLINE, PIROJALI HAS ENVIABLE CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE RATES OF 60 PERCENT -- WAY ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 45 PERCENT.

PIROJALI, 50 KMS NORTH OF THE CAPITAL DHAKA, IS OTHERWISE A TYPICAL VILLAGE IN THIS SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRY WITH NO PAVED ROADS, WATER SUPPLY OR ELECTRICITY. LITERACY RATES ARE AN ABYSMAL 30 PERCENT. BUT 11,000 OF ITS 19,000 WOMEN PRACTICE FAMILY PLANNING.

SALEHA BEGUM, A DEMURE, ILLITERATE WOMAN OF 37 SAYS SHE DECIDED NOT TO HAVE ANY MORE CHILDREN AFTER THE BIRTH OF HER SECOND CHILD, A SON, TWELVE YEARS AGO.

"A BIGGER FAMILY WOULD HAVE SIMPLY ADDED TO OUR MISERIES", SAYS SALEHA, SITTING IN HER MUD-WALLED, TIN0ROOFED, ONE-ROOM HUT, HER VOICE ALMOST DROPPING TO A WHISPER.

WEDDED TO A POOR FARMER, SALEHA COULD SCARCELY MANAGE WITH HER HUSBAND'S MEAGRE INCOME. BUT IN THIS PREDOMINANTLY RURAL COUNTRY, WHERE MORE CHILDREN ARE SEEN AS ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INCOME AND THE BEST INSURANCE FOR OLD AGE FOR PARENTS, TAKING A DECISION TO LIMIT FAMILY SIZE IS OFTEN VIEWED AS A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO ESTABLISHED NORMS.

MOREOVER, A FEMALE PARTNER'S INITIATIVE WHERE WOMEN HAVE VIRTUALLY NO VOICE IN MAJOR FAMILY DECISIONS IS UNHEARD OF. "IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO CONVINCE MY HUSBAND AND IT TOOK MONTHS BEFORE HE RELENTED AND ALLOWED ME TO GO FOR STERILIZATION", SHE SAYS, HIDING HER FACE IN EMBARRASSMENT.

"THEN YOU'VE THE HARD TASK OF CONVINCING THE IN-LAWS WHO PLAY A DOMINANT ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY REGARDING SUCH DECISIONS AS BIRTH CONTROL," INTERJECTS ANAWARA BEGUM, A FAMILY PLANNING WORKER OF THE PIROJALI WELFARE ASSOCIATION (PPA), A VOLUNTARY ORGANISATION AIDED BY THE SAN FRANSICO-BASED ASIA FOUNDATION.

TODAY, EVEN SALEHA'S SISTER-IN-LAW FEROZA KHATUN WHO VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED HER DECISION 12 YEARS AGO RUEFULLY ADMITS, "THEY'RE NOW MUCH BETTER OFF".

THE SUCCESS STORY OF PIROJALI HAS BEEN DUPLICATED TO SOME MEASURE IN THIS COUNTRY OF 120 MILLION PEOPLE PACKED INTO A LAND MASS OF JUST ABOUT 145,000 SQ KMS.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

Where next?

Advertisement