Women speak out : health issues in Southeast Asia

This booklet provides the results of an international symposium on womens health that was initiated by the Vietnam Womens Union and other womens groups in developing countries. An objective of the symposium was to exchange information between Vietnamese womens groups and other womens groups that differed by organization culture and socioeconomic conditions. The participants attempted to define issues and develop strategies for improving womens health and reproductive rights in Southeast Asia. Follow-up activities were planned for the region. Chapter topics include family planning and population policies traditional medicine health education community health services nutrition violence against women working conditions and the environment. Each chapter is organized according to a standard format: summary of the formal paper summary of the issues in the workshop discussion and outcomes of discussions. Participants unanimously agreed that progress on womens health issues depended upon the recognition and respect for the right of women to express themselves and be heard. Women must participate in decision making at all levels. Participants identified reproductive rights safe and effective methods and sociocultural factors such as mens involvement as key family planning issues. Traditional medicine issues for instance involved quality control of traditional birth attendants and medicines the lack of use of traditional methods by modern doctors and a population uneducated about health. Participants agreed that womens rights and the needs of women must be protected by governmental and nongovernmental groups. The most important outcome of the symposium was the network of contacts that was established.