Population Policies Relating to fertility, mortality and migration with specific reference to developing countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America How Government policies influence demographic behavior Chinas one child policy

Definition of Population policies Policy Something that a government chooses to do or not to do Policy can be pronatalist, antenatalist or neutral These policies may be either stated (documented) or not stated in public document Legislative measures, administrative programmes, and other governmental action indended to alter or modify existing population trends in the interest of national survival and welfare ~Hope T. Eldridge There is lack of consensus

Areas of Disagreement (Three areas) Should there be an explicit statement or document by the government that a population policy exists? E.g. USA no official population policy exists. Yet the Federal Govt finances and supports programmes designed to eliminate unwanted childbearing and avail contraceptives to target populations. These programmes have a demonstrable demographic effect of lowering fertility despite the absence of an official population policy Should there be a planned course of action or programme? Absence of specific measures to influence the population is interpreted as a form of population policy. Some disagree. Should the goals be demographic or could they be social and economic? Additionally, should the demographic effects be intended and direct, or they could be indirect and unintentional? China, attempted to increase the status of women for ideolological reasons, but these measures have a demographic effect. These three areas are discussed to show that there are no correct answers in matters relating to population policy. It is very difficult to determine whether a country has a population policy or not.

Attempts to Influence Fertility LevelsPronatalist and Antinatalist Measures Pronatalist policies were prevalent before the 20th century, and were geared towards high fertility and population growth. They assumed the following characteristics Pronatalist propaganda Measures related to the family i.e. family allowance programmes, tax systems and rewards to mothers with large familiies Restriction on the distribution and use of contraceptives and abortion In developing countries, there was a perception that a larger population was necessary for economic growth, or for settling sparsely populated areas E.g. Marxist and leftist Latin America; their problem was social and economic not demographic. In their view population growth is a prerequisite the revolution necessary to achieve social, economic and political change. Developed countries such as Japan, Germany, and Italy adopted population policies to encourage high fertility between WWI and WWII Intensive pronatalist propaganda, cash payments to families with children, restriction of access to contraceptives, regulation of emigration all reflected attempts by these governments to raise fertility. France and Romania pronatalist policy while having an antinatalist policy as well. Marriage loans, premiums on the birth of first child, other forms of aid Romanian government was even more forthright Stopped official importantion of oral contracepties Taxes on unmarried and married without children Taxes on families with >3 children reduced by 30% Mothers promised early retirement form jobs Divorces were made difficult to obrain Mother Heroine reward mothers of large families Results for Romania were apparent Birth rate tripled (12.8 per 1000 to 39.9 in 1967) Thereafter it declined fairly steadily Reliance on one method of contraceptives to prevent birth can result in high fertility.

Antinatalist policies These aim at reducing fertility. 2 basic approaches are government sponsored family planning approaches and non-family family planning approaches National Family Planning Programmes Information, Delivery of good services, and voluntary Voluntary in natures Avoidance of unwanted births is stressed However, changes in attitudes, values and desired family size are not underscored In Kenya; Policy paper African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya, Sessional Papers No. 10, in which the main theme was how to utilize resources of the country (1965) Basic tenets were: Recognition of high population growth rate and the consequences in terms of a large dependent population, the reduction of money available for developments and increased pressure on social services Unemployment problem was cited as a major concern, and saving for development would be reduced by high population growth rate Steps to be towards family planning education were recommended by the paper 1966 first family planning programme Double population 70/growth rate**China Policy averted 400million births since policy Incentives for 1 child family Bonuses, lower taxes Free health care Priorities in housing, school and employment Those with no children, rewarded when they retire All women required to attend lectures on family planning Women who become pregnant for 3rd time are urged to get n abortion; considered unpatriotic

Non-family planning approach Attempt to influence fertility by motivating people to desire and have fewer children Recognition from this approach that family size could be a response to the way a person perceived the sociocultural world Emphasizes in the importance of altering the desired family size through changes in the institutional alignment and sociocultural environment of the population The most reliable non-family method is societal mordernization. AS modernization occurs between health condition ensure. Increase female labor force participation Women who participate in formal sector have fewer children

Attempts to influence mortality Subsidize health care and offer free care New drugs, new technologies Policies aimed at reducing incidence of burden diseases Regulations that focus on safety measures on driving; save thousands of lives Other measures include immunization, nutrition related information for mothers during ANC and postnatal care services, smoking, drinking, drug abuse, and occupational health regulations for workers. Measures to increase mortality Measures that endanger health, though unintentionally include international welfare WWII Genocide (Nazi Germany, Rwanda) Policies allow tobacco growing plus establishment of breweries to produce beers, wine indirectly contribute to a rise in mortality. Governments benefit from taxation, employment and development

Policies on Migration some encourage immigaration in order to increase the rate of population growth. Israel is a country that explicitly seeks more immigrants Countries that are characterized by high population Barrier to immigration are numberous. Immigration policies are subject to change Levels of education, acquired in employment, financial stability are some of the considerations used in screening potential migrants Well trained people stand a high chance of emigrant qualification

Demographic dividend India has benefitted immensely from a demographic dividend due to global competitive advantage brought about by the people Can result in rapid economic growth that might lead to economic takeoff .