Femme Natal

In 1969, the U.S. was integral in the formation of UNFPA, recognizing the importance of providing women's health care. Since 2002, the U.S. has withheld $161 million from UNFPA. The denial of funds strips the moral, political, and financial weight of the U.S. as an ally of women in the international community. While USAID provides some funds internationally, it only supports areas that are strategic to U.S. growth. UNFPA provides funding without bias, but at least 60 countries supported by UNFPA have been left without any U.S. government support.

Bush has been overwhelmingly opposed to women's empowerment in all foreign-policy matters. His defunding of UNFPA, in particular, has a direct impact on the health and dignity of women. For 10 days this month, I had the fortune of hosting Agnes Pareyio, a leading activist against female genital cutting (FGC) in Kenya. Though proud of her Maasai heritage, Agnes knew that certain traditional practices in Kenya that led to her genital cutting were harmful and unnecessary. With support from UNFPA and V-Day, Agnes educates her community about the dangers of FGC. She started the Tasaru Girls' Rescue Center, where she houses girls escaping FGC; 68 girls reside there now. She also created an alternative rite of passage into womanhood instead of FGC, which many parents now voluntarily allow their daughters to participate in; 680 girls have gone through the program. It is programs like Agnes', to protect women and prevent female genital cutting, that the Bush administration's policies are not supporting as a result of its defunding of UNFPA.

It is wonderful that your children came into your life and that you warmly received them. Let me say up front that I am not an expert on childbirth later in life, though I do know that these later-in-life pregnancies are fairly common. That being said, I urge you to talk with your OB-GYN immediately if you have not already done so.

UNFPA currently concentrates its assistance in 30 Chinese counties that have experimented with ways to improve service and give clients control over reproductive decisions to bring them in line with human-rights principles. UNFPA's program places greatest priority on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention.

UNFPA is the U.N. women's health agency and supports critical services -- such as safe motherhood, family planning, and the prevention of violence against women -- in over 140 countries in the world. It does not promote abortion as a method of family planning.

UNFPA and Americans for UNFPA are founded on the vision of empowering women. As a lifelong advocate for women's equality, I agree that it is a man's world, and I look forward to a day when it is both a woman's and man's world. But this can only happen if we educate women, empower them to get jobs, and support them in their life goals and life choices. That is the beauty of empowerment. An empowered woman need not listen to me, to you, or to anyone else -- she will make up her own mind. That is what humanity and equality are all about.

I share your concern for the environment. However, it is important to recognize that the environmental footprint of a person in the U.S. is 10 to 15 times that of someone in sub-Saharan Africa. A person's environmental impact is dependent on how we consume and live our lives. It is about the excessive number of cars and the lack of recycling, and not just about the number of children people have. In both eastern and western Europe we see that population growth is declining, but a European's environmental footprint is heavier because of the relative industrialization of this region. It is misguided to always think about the number of people without looking at the impact of each person's environmental footprint, particularly the footprint of those in industrialized countries.

I find it interesting that I have received many questions about abortion despite the fact that it is not an issue I discussed, and despite the fact that UNFPA does not promote abortion as a method of family planning. Internationally, the terms "reproductive health," "reproductive rights," and "choice" encompass a huge array of women's health problems. Two hundred million women have an unmet need for family planning, and 2 million girls are at risk each year of female genital cutting. And, I'm sure that when you hear that 529,000 women die each year from preventable pregnancy-related causes, you can see that women have the right to adequate reproductive health care. It is UNFPA's important task to help overcome these overwhelming issues.

I have never even thought of abortions and CO2 emissions in the same breath! I agree that it is absolute lunacy to discuss abortions as reducing CO2 emissions! Emissions correlate to industrialization. The world could reduce CO2 emissions if we developed cleaner technology and if our corporations were more environmentally conscious.

Volunteer with U.N.-associated organizations or causes. In Varanasi, there are numerous NGOs working on matters that are of vital concern to the United Nations. Join these groups and learn about the challenges of doing work at the field level. Take time to join email lists and visit websites that will help you stay current on topics that matter to you. Taking the time to visit Grist and post a question shows that you are already doing this. I encourage you to continue to stay active, and welcome you to visit Americans for UNFPA and join our global online community.