Common use of Policy Implications Clause in Contracts

Policy Implications. Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, the inclusion of men has become a major focus of reproductive health programs (United Nations, 1995; United Nations, 1997). To promote male involvement in shaping reproductive preferences, it is important to take into consideration the norms of society including social norms on reproductive preferences, gender inequality, and the role of men in the society. The reproductive behavior of couples is particularly useful in developing a critical understanding of these factors. The findings of this study indicate that when there is no agreement on reproductive preferences between partners, men’s reproductive goals are generally higher than those of their wives. When both spouses agree on the same ideal number of children, the mean ideal number of children desired is smaller than the ideal number of children desired by either spouse separately. In other words, the individual reproductive goals of the husband or the wife are not always synchronized with joint goals (cf. Table 4.4). Joint goals can be achieved when both partners are able to discuss their reproductive desires and goals and how to achieve them. Toward this end, efforts are needed to expand family planning outreach education that focuses on men and their role in fertility decisions. In communities where polygyny is widely practiced, men’s roles present a challenge for family planning and reproductive health programs. In such societies, the man is often involved in decisionmaking, with different, often conflicting, implications for each of his wives/partners. Programs that aim to encourage interspousal communication may want to consider alternative approaches to the standard family planning program, so that programs adapted to the needs of polygynous households can be implemented. Bankole, A. 1995. Desired fertility and fertility behaviour among the Yoruba of Nigeria: A study of couple preferences and subsequent fertility. Population Studies 49(2): 317-28. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇., and ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇. 1999. Unmet need for couples: An analytical framework and evaluation with DHS data. Population Research and Policy Review 18(6): 579-605. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇., and ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. 1995. Childbearing attitudes and intentions. DHS Comparative Studies, No. 17. Calverton, Maryland, USA: ORC Macro.