Religion and Family Planning: What are the

Challenges and Barriers?

Breakout Group Work16 February 2005

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Presentation Outline

• Primary Topic: Sociocultural Factors– Sub-topic: Religion

• Issue/Problem #1: Multiplicity of Religious Interpretations

– Justification/explanation– Impact on unmet need– Availability of necessary data– Feasibility of making measureable progress toward a

solution• Issue/Problem #2: Insensitivity to Unmet FP Needs of

People in Religious Communities– Justification/explanation– Impact on unmet need– Availability of necessary data– Feasibility of making measureable progress toward a

solution

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Issue #1: Multiplicity of Religious Interpretations

• Justification/explanation– People in West Africa are very religious– Opinion of religious leaders has great

impact on people’s lives– Different schools of thought

• Impact on unmet need– High– Results in people being afraid/silent and

may seek alternative solutions

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Issue #1: Multiplicity of Religious Interpretations

• Availability of necessary data– Exists, but hasn’t been analyzed enough– Public health and medical fields only recently

looking at religion-health connection– Different levels of information for each country,

need to collect for those that are deficient

• Feasibility of making measureable progress toward a solution– Training of religious leaders in FP– Workshops, create documents to share between

religious leaders and FP providers

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Issue #2: Insensitivity to Unmet FP Needs of People in Religious

Communities• Justification/explanation

– By both donors and religious leaders– Religious leaders have not been involved

from the beginning of the process, including definition of the problem

– Western nature of programs, not localized

• Impact on unmet need– High

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Issue #2: Insensitivity to Unmet FP Needs of People in Religious

Communities• Availability of necessary data

– Exists, but is too generalized, need for more specific– Who should fill the gap?– Difficult to obtain as long as leaders remain silent on the

issue

• Feasibility of making measureable progress toward a solution– Need to advocate for inclusion of FP into curriculum of

higher institutions– Involve religious leaders in every stage of the process, the

entry point is key, donors should ensure sustainability of programs

– Program implementers have a lot to learn from religious leaders