UNSIA Newsletter Issue 1, December 1997
UNFPA Mainstreams Population and Gender in SIA
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is fully involved in the operationalization of the UNSIA and collaborates closely, at country and sector levels, with other UN agencies assigned components of the Initiative. UNFPA is making concerted effort to ensure mainstreaming of reproductive health, population and gender concerns in all programme areas under the SIA through development of common situation analyses or establishing baseline data. This is being done in the context of existing channels of communication and framework of collaboration.
The agency participated in the Common Country Assessment (CCA) for Mozambique, initiated in December 1996, and played a key role in ensuring incorporation of demographic and reproductive health issues into the analyses of the socio-economic situation in the country.
In Cape Verde, the UNFPA collaborated with other UN agencies in discussions about the SIA in light of the country’s needs. In Cameroon, the agency was involved in the development of a data base for socio-economic, population, and health indicators. In Zimbabwe, UNFPA and 18 UN agencies in the country were involved in consultations to narrow the focus of SIA in conformity with the needs of the country. An inter-agency document specifying areas of collaboration will be finalized by October 1998.
UNFPA took part in a retreat organized by the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana in April 1997 as part of the UN country team. UNFPA has also made common advocacy efforts for the Initiative at the national level.
The agency was actively involved in the initial launching of the Initiative in Malawi and is involved in SIA preparatory activities in Niger and Sao Tome and Principe. In both countries awareness-raising seminars have been conducted and UNFPA is assisting the national counterparts to integrate population and gender issues in their reform strategies.
At the sector level, UNFPA has continued to play a key advocacy role for incorporation of reproductive health care as a part of a minimum package of health services in health sector reforms. In Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Benin, and Ghana, UNFPA is closely tied to the sector reform process by offering administrative policy input and cooperating with government officials and UN agencies in ensuring that the process is on track.
In addition, UNFPA contribution to UNSIA has been channeled through its regular activities: to help ensure universal access to reproductive health; to support population and development issues; and, to advocate for the mobilization of resources and political will necessary to accomplish reform tasks.