October 2006

Welcome to the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (PGPD)
e-newsletter, providing updates on PGPD activities and the latest news on population and development and sexual and reproductive health.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

The PGPD Roundtable Discussions on ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals in the Australian Aid Program’ were held in Parliament House, Canberra, on Monday 14 August and Monday 11 September.

Dr Sharman Stone MP, PGPD Chair

The Chair of the PGPD, the Hon Dr Sharman Stone, said the discussions reflected a growing awareness by parliamentarians of “the importance of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to the achievement of prosperity and stability in developing nations, and a growing demand for more information and discussion on the subject”.

Dr Sharon Camp, CEO of the US based Guttmacher Institute that provides global
statistics and advocacy on SRH, said at the Roundtable “Nearly one-fifth of the worldwide burden of disease and early death is due to poor SRH”.

Anne Marie Voetmann from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark discussed the development of the Danish strategy 'The Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights' and Denmark's approach to SRH in it's aid program.

Annmaree O'Keeffe, Director General AusAID, gave an overview of AusAID's work on gender equality, women and children's health and HIV. "AusAID’s approach to tackling HIV has at its core the essentiality of dealing with gender inequality" Ms O'Keeffe said.

A report summarising and analysing both Roundtables, and setting out PGPD priority areas for the future, is being prepared and will be widely distributed later this year. Copies of the presentations and a Hansard record of the Roundtables are available at www.pgpd.asn.au/roundtable.

September PGPD meeting
Dr Cindy Shannon, Chair of the Indigenous Australian's Sexual Health Committee briefed the group on the status of Indigenous Sexual & Reproductive Health in Australia.
Ms Anne Marie Voetmann, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark discussed Denmark's approach to addressing sexual and reproductive health in their Aid program.

PGPD DIARY REMINDERS

PGPD regular meeting: 18 October 2006. 4pm room 1R4

International Parliamentarians' Conference on ICPD (IPCI): 21/22 November, Bangkok, Thailand >> more.

LINK BETWEEN POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT

Senator Lyn Allison at the exhibition opening

Common Ground: visions shared is a thought provoking photographic exhibition featuring photos from Timor-Leste & Papua New Guinea focusing on the Millennium Development Goals. It was opened by PGPD Vice Chair Senator Lyn Allison at the ACT Legislative Assembly in August. The exhibition captured the links between population, environment, development and the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Duncan Kerr MP speaking at the photo exhibition

PGPD member Duncan Kerr MP spoke at the opening about his trip to PNG on a study tour in April this year, when some of the photographs were taken.
To see the photographic exhibition online please click here.

PGPD approves new members
The PGPD welcomes the following new members to the group: Lisa Singh MHA (Tas), the Hon Sue Napier MHA (Tas), the Hon Steven Kons MHA (Tas), the Hon Trish White (SA) and the Hon Jennifer Rankine (SA).

A current list of all federal and state PGPD members is available from the PGPD website.

PGPD WEBSITE

The PGPD website www.pgpd.asn.au contains information on members, PGPD's activities, reports and photos from conferences and meetings, resources on current population and development issues. A membership brochure for parliamentarians interested in joining PGPD can also be downloaded.

STATE OF THE WORLD POPULATION 2006

On 6 September 2006 the PGPD hosted the Australian launch of the UNFPA State of World Population 2006- A Passage to Hope: Women and International Migration. The Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP, PGPD Chair, hosted the launch. Ian Howie, UNFPA Representative to Vietnam launched the report and Dr Siew-Ean Khoo, ANU was the keynote speaker. The report notes that migration may open doors for many women to a new world of greater equality and relief from oppression and discrimination that limited their freedom. On the other hand, millions of female migrants face hazards ranging from enslavement through trafficking to exploitation as domestic workers.

l-r: Senator Moore, Chris Richards (Secretariat), Dr Sharman Stone MP, Bob Sercombe MP, Senator Allison at the launch of State of the World Population Report

Members of the Senate, Western Australian, South Australian and Tasmanian Parliaments put motions forward in their respective Parliaments highlighting the report. The motions encouraged governments and multilateral institutions to establish, implement and enforce policies and measures that will protect migrant women from exploitation and abuse. See a copy of the Senate Hansard here.

Seminar on 'Women & Migration'
A seminar on Women and Migration was also held in Parliament House to mark the launch of the UNFPA State of the World Population report 2006

Senator Payne speaking at the seminar

The public seminar was held in Parliament House, and was attended by over 60 academics, parliamentarians, experts, students and the public. Presenters included the Minister for Immigration & Multicultural Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone, PGPD Hon Sec Senator Marise Payne and Khin Mar Mar Kyi, a refugee from Burma now working at the Cross Cultural Resource Centre at ANU among others. Copies of the speeches and audio files can be found at this website.

DOMESTIC NEWS

Law on 'funding abortion abroad'
The Age 10 Sept 06: Restrictive laws that prevent Australia funding overseas abortion services may contravene our international obligations, a government committee will be told.
The Parliamentary Group on Population and Development is investigating foreign aid funding of sexual and reproductive health, including laws that prevent Australia giving money to abortion services. more>>

Country women's abortion hurdle
The Age 14 August 06: A lack of services in the country and doubts about privacy are forcing some women to travel hundreds of kilometres to have an abortion.
A study of more than 1200 women in Victoria has found that almost one in 10 travelled more than 100 kilometres to have an abortion in Melbourne. more>>>

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UN supports “universal access” target
The adoption of a new target, “to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015”, under Millennium Development Goal 5, to reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio, by the United Nations General Assembly is being hailed as the culmination of a tireless campaign by the global reproductive health community. more>>

AFPPD alumnus elected as Japan's new Prime Minister
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) alumnus Shinzo Abe has been elected as Japan's new prime minister by the Parliament. Mr Abe was a member of the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population and a participant of the 1995 AFPPD-UNFPA's International Parliamentarians Conference on Population and Social Development, organised at the Danish Parliament in conjunction with the UN World Summit on Social Development.

Cook Islands election
Preliminary results from the Cook Islands on September 27 have delivered three female MPs out of 24 - the highest total number of seats held by women. The women are longtime party candidate Ngai Tupa, 'Aunty' Mau Munokoa, Minister for Women, and first time candidate and local businesswoman Cassey Eggelton.

XVI International AIDS Conference
At least 20,000 medical researchers, clinicians, patients and political activists from around the world converged on Toronto for the 16th International AIDS conference, which opened Sunday 13 August. The theme of the conference was 'Time to Deliver,' and spotlighted the progress and shortcomings of global efforts to battle the disease. The conference brought more attention than ever on HIV prevention technologies that women can control, such as microbicide gels that kill the virus, or the simple use of diaphragms to reduce exposure to infected semen. For more information visit the conference website.

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