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UNFPA has dedicated it's 2008 State of the World Population to culture. A two day meeting in Bern, Switzerland on the 18th March announced an upcoming publication which examines the benefit of engaging with faith based organizations and discussed the training of UN country teams on culturally sensitive approaches to reproductive health care.
To support the continuing work that seeks to mainstream culturally sensitive approaches into programming efforts and policy making UNFPA have collected case studies to demonstrate how different strategies are required for different cultural specificities.
Brazil- UNFPA adopted a strategy of "selective collaboration" with the Catholic Church, to see where there were shared objectives. By identifying these and working openly with each other there is greater scope for broadening UNFPA's reach.
Cambodia- By engaging with and supporting Buddhist nuns and monks UNFPA has identified ways in which they can assist in areas of public education and social development. There is also scope to integrate gender perspectives with Buddhist teachings such as the Five Precepts that advocate fidelity and need to refrain from sexual harassment.
India- While laws exist that prohibit sex selective practices like testing for gender and sex selective abortions, UNFPA has addressed a broader campaign that aims to redress the cultural preference for sons that is usually rooted more deeply in social and economic factors.
Yemen- By identifying the power structures that sustain the status quo and also those that can facilitate change, these can be used in strategies to address gender issues and the status of women. Ongoing engagement with the influential Ministry of Awqaf and religious guidance contributes to broader understandings of these local variables.
Uganda- UNFPA has reached out to partner, with the opinion leaders of society like elders, Kings and Imams to promote healthy behaviors and the elimination of harmful traditional practices. Patience is required to break new ground on issues that are deeply rooted in cultural norms.
These issues were further supported by a conference in Geneva on the 17th March, which also highlighted the growing attention to the cultural dimensions of population, gender and development issues.
The meeting, entitled Culture: A Missing Link in Development Practice, brought together NGOs, academics and religious experts to acknowledge the importance of working with faith based organizations in programming and development efforts.
“We must accept that in some developing countries, 70 per cent of all services are provided by FBOs [faith-based organizations],” said Azza Karam, UNFPA Senior Culture Adviser. “If we don’t engage with them, we will be marginalized, not the other way around.”
