[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 109 (Tuesday, August 9, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1040
 
              IN SUPPORT OF A SUCCESSFUL CAIRO CONFERENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barlow). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of February 11, 1994, and June 10, 1994, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland [Mrs. Morella] is recognized during morning business for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, worldwide efforts to stabilize population 
growth, alleviate poverty, and protect the environment have been 
significantly undermined by the lack of attention to women's 
reproductive health and to the role of women in the economic 
development of their families, their communities, and their countries. 
In recent years, it has been evident, in Rwanda, in Central America, in 
Gaza, and in a number of other regions of the world, that population 
growth is a critical factor in air and water population, deforestation, 
civil unrest, migration and refugee flows, and political instability.
  The world's population now exceeds 5.6 billion, and more than 90 
percent of the annual population increase of 100 million people is in 
the development world. Whether the Earth's population doubles or 
triples in the next century will be determined by actions we take 
during this decade to improve access to family planning programs for 
all women and couples who desire them.
  Next month, the third U.N. decennial International Conference on 
Population and Development will meet in Cairo to discuss strategies for 
slowing rapid population growth and assuring access to family planning 
services for all women and couples who desire them. I will be attending 
as a member of the House delegation to Cairo.
  Mr. Speaker, a lot of misinformation and outrageous charges have been 
leveled against this conference, so let us be clear about what the 
Cairo conference is not about. It is not about governments coercing 
women to have abortions against their will. It is not about third world 
bureaucrats forcing birth control bills on unsuspecting women like 
common street corner drug pushers. And it is not about assigning blame 
to women in developing countries for the problems of environmental 
degradation and patterns of overconsumption which we are experiencing 
in the industrialized countries.
  Instead, the Programme of Action which will be adopted at Cairo is 
recognition of the international consensus reached in recent years that 
worldwide efforts to stabilize population growth, alleviate poverty, 
and protect the environment have been significantly undermined by the 
lack of attention to women's reproductive health and the role of women 
in the economic development of their families, the communities, and 
their countries. It acknowledges that sustainable development programs 
and population stabilization programs are much more likely to be 
successful when implement4ed in tandem rather than separately, and that 
neither policy can be effective without a strategy to empower women. In 
fact, the evidence demonstrates that the status of women in a 
particular country directly corresponds to its ability to achieve 
sustainable development and reduce fertility rates.
  The Cairo Conference will speak not only of the need for stabilizing 
population growth by increasing funding for family planning services, 
but also of the need to allow women to assert control over their own 
health and economic circumstances by establishing and implementing 
literacy and education programs for women and girls, basic health and 
nutrition programs for women and children, and prevention of the spread 
of sexually transmitted diseases.
  I am an original cosponsor of the International Family Planning and 
Reproductive Health Act, H.R. 2447. This legislation, introduced by 
Congressman Beilenson, also a delegate to the Cairo Conference, will 
establish the United States as a leader in the global struggle to 
empower women, ensure women's health, and stabilize population growth. 
This bill is not about more foreign assistance. It is about foreign 
policy priorities.
  In addition, Congressman Beilenson has joined me in introducing House 
Concurrent Resolution 234, a concurrent resolution in support of a 
successful Cairo Conference. I urge Members to join me in supporting 
these bills, and in acknowledging the vital importance of this issue in 
determining the kind of world that we will be leaving to our 
grandchildren. The time to act is now.

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