The Beijing Platform for Action and Nutrition Education

The Beijing Platform for Action and Nutrition Education C A T H E R I NB ERIGGS Population Initiative for Peace, London, NW8 6PG, United Kingdom

The Beijing Platform for Action, a document adopted by nearly 190 participating governments at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in 1995 in Beijing, China, was analyzed for content related to food and nutrition. Words such as "nutrition,""food," and "hunger" were found in 6 of the 12 Platform sections on strategic objectives for the world's women. The Platform helps to demonstrate a universal recognition of nutritional concerns as part of necessary programs and actions for progress in girls' and women's health and development.A call to "eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition" was specifically included as one of the Platform's main strategic objectives. Nutrition educators and others involved in nutrition, health, and sustainable development have an important role to play in monitoring progress toward the achievement of the Beijing Platform's goals.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), held in Beijing, China in September 1995, one of the largest gatherings ever held under United Nations' (UN) auspices, culminated with the adoption of "The Beijing Declaration1" and "The Platform for Action." These documents are the product of a participatory and inclusive process, and the 135-page Platform-with its 361 paragraphs of negotiated text and concrete recommendations-provides a far-reaching agenda for meaningful and focused actions for and by women in all parts of the world. In December 1995, the U N General Assembly endorsed this Platform for Action and called for its effective implementation. Governments have the largest responsibilities in follow-up of the Platform, but nongovernmental agencies, grassroots groups, professional associations, and individual activists are also seen as all-important to this effort. The Platform for Action, adopted by consensus by the nearly 190 participating governments at the Beijing Conference, has been said to offer a transformational vision for sus-

tainable development for all: women, families, and their communities. It acknowledges and builds on agreements and action plans reached at previous world conferences, including the International Conference on Nutrition held in R o m e in 1992.The extent to which nutrition and food security are considered in the FWCW's global vision for action and the implications for nutrition educators are the subjects of this report. World conferences on women. Three previous world conferences on women led up to the Beijing FWCW. Perhaps the best known was held in Nairobi in 1985; the women of this conference developed the "Nairobi FonvardLooking Strategies" of equality, development, and peace, which were echoed as themes for Beijing in 1995. N o more U N conferences for women will be held in this century.The F W C W in Beijing was actually two conferences in one.The first was the U N conference with country and official observer delegations. In addition, any nongovernmental organization (NGO) could apply to be granted accreditation as a nongovernmental observer, and 3000 did just that.The second conference was the lively N G O Forum at Huairou in which most of the accredited NGOs participated, as well as thousands of other organizations and individuals. N G O activities in the form of advocacy, networking, and caucusing were effective in having a significant influence on the national delegations who were deciding on the final consensus documents. Critical areas o f concern. T h e "critical areas of concern" are the 12 issue areas around which the Platform's action plan is organized.They are listed as the 12 sections of the document's central "Strategic Objectives and Actions" chapter, each with a varying number of discussion/analysis paragraphs followed by from two to nine strategic objectives (Table 1). Each strategic objective-there are 52 in the document-is accompanied by a number of concrete actions that relate to the accomplishment of that objective.

METHOD

Address for corresponence: Catherlne Briggs, M.D., Ph.D., c / o Women's Health International Ltd., P.O. Box 626, Sudbury, MA 01776. 01997 SOCIETY F O R NUTRITION EDUCATION

The Platform for Action is retrievable on the Internet2 and was downloaded. A search was performed for the word "nutrition" and other related words such as food, hunger,

282 Table 1.

Briggs/BEIJING PLATFORM 12 critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform For Action

Area in Platform of Action

Total Number of Paragraphs

Number of Strategic Objectives

Nutrition/Food Reference Yes

A. Women and Poverty

No

B. Education and Training of Women C. Women and Health D. Violence against Women E. Women and Armed Conflict F. Women and the Economy G. Women in Power and Decision-Making H. Institutional Mechanisms for the

Yes No Yes Yes No

Advancement of Women

No

I. Human Rights of Women

No No

J. Women and the Media K. Women and the Environment

Yes

L. The Girl-Child

Yes

malnutrition, breastfeeding, physical activity, and anemia throughout the "Strategic Objectives and Actions" sections, which are contained within paragraphs 45 through 285 of the document's 361 total paragraphs. (The other 76 paragraphs make up an overall mission statement, a global framework, and institutional and financial arrangements.) A combination of searching and reading also revealed the inclusion of nutrition-related issues such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Nutrition-related words searched for and not found were diet, nutritionist, nutrition education, nutrient, micronutrient, fruit, vegetable, antenatal, and prenatal. Specific nutrients and micronutrients, with the one exception of iron, were not found to be present upon a close reading of the document. Sections of the document that could have potential relevance for nutrition education (e.g., relating to overall education and training of girls and women) but did not specifically mention foods or nutrition were not included in this report. Likewise, the shorter Platform sections on the mission, global framework, institutional arrangements, and financial arrangements are not included in the table, although "food," "nutrition," and "malnutrition" are each mentioned once within the introductory discussion of the global framework. Overall findings. Nutrition and food-related words were found in 6 of the 12 critical areas of concern sections: "Women and Health," "Women and Poverty,""Women and Armed Conflict,""Women and the Economy,""Women and the Environment," and "The Girl-Child."The word "nutrition,'' or "nutritional," was used 16 times, in 13 separate paragraphs and one strategic objective. "Food" was used on six occasions, "hunger" or "malnutrition" was used four times, the term "physical activity" was written into the document three times, and "breastfeeding" was mentioned twice, as was "osteoporosis." In addition, cancer, chronic disease, or cardiovascular disease were mentioned on six occasions; safe

drinking water was mentioned, and the concepts of extension work and cooperatives were included.

RESULTS: FINDINGS BY SECTION (The following six sections of the Strategic Objectives and Actions portion of the Platform are those that include one or more nutrition-related words. Each section of strategic objectives in the Platform begins with a background discussion, and the nutrition-related text of the discussion paragraphs is included in this Results section. The nutritionrelated text of the strategic objectives, on the other hand, is compiled for easier reference and use into Table 2.) Women and Poverty (Section A). Nutrition, in terms of hunger and malnutrition, is identified as a manifestation of poverty within 2 of the 11 discussion paragraphs of this section. After the discussion mentions this result of poverty, and emphasizes that increased access to resources, credit, information, and training will help women improve nutrition within the household, one of the four strategic objectives in this section includes specific actions to be taken in terms of agriculture and food distribution.The text of the nutritionrelated background discussion points are the following: (47) Poverty has various manifestations, including lack of income and productive resources sufficient to ensure a sustainable livelihood; hunger and malnutrition; ill health; limited or lack of access to education and other basic services; increasing morbidity and mortality from illness... (55) ....particularly in developing countries,the productive capac-

ity of women should be increased through increased access to capital, resources, credit, land, technology, information, technical assistance, and training so as to raise their income and improve nutrition, education, health care...

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The overall strategic objectives of this section on women and poverty include recommendations on access to credit and savings mechanisms and institutions and ensuring women's equal rights to all economic resources. Although the relationship between poverty and malnutrition was pointed out in the discussion section, this is not restated in the text of the objectives and actions.The text of the one objective in this section that does specifically mention food-related concerns (Strategic Objective A. 1: "Review, adopt and maintain macroeconomic policies and development strategies that address the needs and e@ts of women i n poverty") is included in Table 2.

Women and Health (Section C). Not unexpectedly, there is a strong presence of nutrition within the Women and Health section, which is noteworthy for its strong emphasis on a comprehensive approach to primary health care.The discussion section, which presents background information about the major health issues facing the world's women, includes nutritional/food issues within four separate paragraphs: Paragraph 90: ...Women have different and unequal access to and use of basic health resources, including primary health services for the prevention and treatment of. ..malnutrition, anemia ...among others. Paragraph 92: ...Lack of food and inequitable distribution of food for girls and women in the household ...have a negative effect on their health. Paragraph 93: Discrimination against girls...in access to nutrition and health-care services endangers their current and future health and well-being ....Adolescent girls need, but too often do not have, access to necessary health and nutrition services as they mature. Paragraph 101: ...The long-term health prospects of women are influenced by changes at menopause, which, in combination with lifelong conditions and other factors, such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

The above background statements lead up to a total of four strategic objectives concerning women and health, two of which include specific recommendations integrating nutrition actions (see Table 2): Strategic Objective C. 1: Increase women's access throughout the l$e cycle to appropriate, affordable and quality health care, information and related services. Strategic Objective C . 2 : Strengthen preventive programs that promote women's health.

Although specific references to nutrition, malnutrition, or foods are found in only two of the five strategic objectives in the "Women and Health" section, objectives related to aspects of the work of individual nutrition educators can be found in all five portions of this important section of the Platform, and a thorough perusal of this part of the Platform .~ no discusfor Action is especially r e ~ o m m e n d e dHowever,

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sion of prenatal or postnatal nutrition was found, other than its implicit inclusion in a comprehensive system of primary health care for all.

Women and Armed Conflict (Section E). In this section, with 11 discussion paragraphs and six strategic objectives, the framers of the document point out the inextricable linkage of equality between peace, equality between men and women, and development. Not forgotten is how the absence of peace and the reality of war and conflicts can lead to hunger for many of those affected.A discussion paragraph on this theme is: Paragraph 131: An environment which maintains world peace and promotes and protects human rights, democracy and the peaceful settlement of disputes ...is an important factor for the advancement of women ....Gross and systematic violations and situations that constitute serious obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights continue to occur in different parts of the world. Such violations and obstacles include...poverty, hunger and other denials of economic, social and cultural rights ...

Two of the six strategic objectives in this section (seeTable 2) mention food issues: one includes the phrase "the right to food" and the other emphasizes equal access to food and health services within the context of refugee, conflict, and international relief situations: Strategic Objective E.3: Promote non-violentforms of conjict resolution and reduce the incidence ofhuman rights abuse in contict situations. Strategic Objective E. 5: Provide protection, assistance and training to rejiugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women.

Women and the Economy (Section F). Although food security, a mention of extension workers, and the promotion of breastfeeding for working mothers are included within two of the six strategic objectives of this section, these areas are not mentioned in the 15 paragraphs of background discussion analyzing the issues of women and the economy. One strategic objective mentions food security and food production, as well as asking to increase extension workers, and another adds a recommendation for the promotion of breastfeeding for working mothers (paragraphs 166 and 179 in Table 2). Strategic Objective F.2: Facilitate women's equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade. Strategic Objective F.6: Promote harmonization of work and family responsibilities for women and men.

Women and the Environment ( Section K). Women's critical roles as environmentally concerned actors in the provision of food and in meeting the household's nutritional needs are integrated into this section, into one of the seven discussion paragraphs:

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Table 2. The Beijing Platform For Action: text of nutrition-related strategic objectives. Platform of Action Section: "Critical Area of Concern"

Relevant Text Containing a Nutrition/Food Reference

A. Women and Poverty Strategic Objective A. 1: Review, adopt and

Paragraph 58: (e) Develop agricultural and fishing sectors, where and as necessary,

maintain macroeconomic policies and development

in order to ensure, as appropriate, household and national food security and food

strategies that address the needs and efforts of

self-sufficiency...; (f) develop policies and programs to promote equitable distribution

women in poverty

of food within the household; (j) develop and implement anti-poverty programs, including employment schemes, that improve access to food for women living in poverty, including through the use of appropriate pricing and distribution mechanisms; (n) formulate and implement policies and programs that enhance the access of women agricultural and fisheries producers...to financial, technical, extension and marketing services; provide access to and control of land, appropriate infrastructure and technology in order to increase women's incomes and promote household food security...and, where appropriate, encourage the development of producerowned, market-based cooperatives

C. Women and Health Strategic Objective C. 1: Increase women's

Paragraph 106: (1) Give particular attention to the needs of girls, especially the

access throughout the life cycle to appropriate,

promotion of healthy behavior, including physical activities ...; (m) ensure that girls

affordable and quality health care, information

have continuing access to necessary health and nutrition information and services as

and related services

they mature, to facilitate a healthful transition from childhood to adulthood; (r) promote public information on the benefits of breast feeding: examine ways and means of implementing fully the WHOIUNICEF International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, and enable mothers to breastfeed their infants by providing legal, economic, practical and emotional support; (w) promote and ensure household and national food security, as appropriate, and implement programs aimed at improving the nutritional status of all girls and women by implementing the commitments made in the Plan of Action on nutrition of the International Conference on Nutrition..., including a reduction worldwide of severe and moderate malnutrition among children under the age of five by one half of 1990 levels by the year 2000, giving special attention to the gender gap in nutrition, and a reduction in iron deficiency anemia in girls and women by one third of the 1990 levels by the year 2000

Strategic Objective C.2: Strengthen preventive

Paragraph 107: (a) Give priority to both formal and informal education programs that

programs that promote women's health

support and enable women to...acquire knowledge, make decisions and take responsibility for their own health...educate men regarding the importance of women's health and well-being, placing special focus on programs for both men and women that emphasize the elimination of harmful attitudes and practices, including...discrimination against girls and women in food allocation...; (f) create and support programs in the educational system in the workplace and in the community to make opportunities to participate in sport, physical activity and recreation available to girls and women of all ages on the same basis as they are made available to men and boys; (j) ensure that health and nutritional information and training form an integral part of all adult literacy programs and school curricula from the primary level; (I) devise and implement comprehensive and coherent programs for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, a condition that predominantly affects women

E. Women and Armed Conflict Strategic Objective E.3: Promote non-violent

Paragraph 145: (h) Discourage the adoption of and refrain from any unilateral measure

forms of conflict resolution and reduce the

that is not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United

incidence of human rights abuse in conflict

Nations...including the right of everyone to a standard of living adequate for their health

situations

and well-being and their right to food, medical care and the necessary social services. This Conference reaffirms that food and medicine must not be used as a tool for political pressure

(continued)

Journal of Nutrition Education Volume 29 Number 5 Table 2.

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(continued) The Beijing Platform For Action: text of nutrition-related strategic objectives.

Platform of Action Section: "Critical Area of Concern"

Relevant Text Containing a Nutrition/Food Reference

Strategic Objective E.5: Provide protection,

Paragraph 147: (f) Ensure that the international community and its international

assistance and training to refugee women,

organizations provide financial and other resources for emergency relief and other

other displaced women in need of international

longer-term assistance... In the provision of protection and assistance, take all

protection and internally displaced women

appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in order to ensure equal access to appropriate and adequate food, water and shelter, education, and social and health services...

F. Women and the Economy Strategic Objective E2: Facilitate women's equal

Paragraph 166: (e) Create and modify programs and policies that recognize and

access to resources, employment, markets

strengthen women's vital role in food security and provide paid and unpaid women

and trade

producers, especially those involved in food production, such as farming, fishing and aquaculture as well as urban enterprises, with equal access to appropriate technologies...; (g) Increase the proportion of women extension workers and other government personnel who provide technical assistance or administer economic programs

Strategic Objective E6: Promote harmonization

Paragraph 179: (c) Ensure, through legislation, incentives and/or encouragement,

of work and family responsibilities for women

opportunities for women and men to take job-protected parental leave and to have

and men

parental benefits; promote the equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women, including through appropriate legislation, incentives and/or encouragement, and also promote the facilitation of breastfeeding for working mothers

K. Women and the Environment Strategic Objective K. 1: Involve women actively in

Paragraph 255: (b) Facilitate the access of women agriculturists, fishers and

environmental decision-making at all levels

pastoralists to knowledge, skills, marketing services and environmentally sound technologies to support and strengthen their crucial roles and their expertise in resource management and the conservation of biological diversity

Strategic Objective K.2: Integrate gender

Paragraph 256: (f) Promote knowledge of and sponsor research on the role of

concerns and perspectives in policies and

women, particularly rural and indigenous women, in food gathering and production,

programs for sustainable development

soil conservation, irrigation, watershed management, sanitation, coastal zone and marine resource management, integrated pest management, land-use planning, forest conservation and community forestry, fisheries, natural disaster prevention, and new and renewable sources of energy, focusing particularly on indigenous women's knowledge and experience... Paragraph 257: (c) Support women's consumer initiatives by promoting the marketing of organic food and recycling facilities, product information and product labeling, including labeling of toxic chemical and pesticide containers with language and symbols that are understood by consumers, regardless of age and level of literacy

L. The Girl-Child Strategic Objective L.2: Eliminate negative

Paragraph 277: (d)...place special focus on programs to educate women and men,

cultural attitudes and practices against girls

especially parents, on the importance of girls' physical and mental health and wellbeing, including the elimination of discrimination against girls in food allocation...

Strategic Objective L.5: Eliminate discrimination

Paragraph 281: (a) Provide public information on the removal of discriminatory

against girls in health and nutrition

practices against girls in food allocation, nutrition and access to health services; (b) sensitize the girl-child, parent teachers and society concerning good general health and nutrition and raise awareness of the health dangers and other problems connected with early pregnancies; (f) include health and nutritional training as an integral part of literacy programs and school curricula starting at the primary level for the benefit of the girl-child

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Paragraph 250: Women have often played leadership roles or taken the lead in promoting an environmental ethic...Women in many communities provide the main labor force for subsistence production, including production of seafood;hence, their role is crucial to the provision of food and nutrition, the enhancement of the subsistence and informal sectors and the preservation of the environment... They are also integrated into two of the three strategic objectives of this section: Strategic Objective K. 1: Involve women actively in environmental decision-making at all levels. Strategic Objective K.2: Integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programs for sustainable development.

The Girl-Child (Section L). Nutrition features prominently in the girl-child section, an area of concern added later in the preparatory process in an effort led by African and Asian women leaders. Although it is the last section in the Platform, it appears that it was an important area of attention for many conference attendees. It has a total of nine strategic objectives, the largest number of strategic objectives in any section of the document. Three of the discussion section's 15 paragraphs include the words "nutrition" or "food": Paragraph 259: ... In some areas of the world, men outnumber women by 5 in every 100. The reasons for the discrepancy include...discrimination against girls in food allocation... Paragraph 266: Existing discrimination against the girl-child in her access to nutrition and physical and mental health services endangers her current and future health. An estimated 450 million adult women in developing countries are stunted as a result of childhood protein-energy malnutrition. Paragraph 272: All barriers must therefore be eliminated to enable girls without exception to develop their full potential and skills through equal access to education and training, nutrition, physical and mental health care and related information. O f the nine strategic objectives in this section, two include nutrition-related text (seeTable 2). Strategic objective L.5 is of particular interest and importance for nutrition workers interested in using the Platform for Action in advocacy for nutrition education, since it is here that we find the only instance in the Platform where nutrition is included in the text of the strategic objective itself. T h e two nutritionrelated strategic objectives in this section are: Strategic Objective L.2: Eliminate negative cultural attitudes andpractices against girls. Strategic Objective L.5: Eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition.

The thorough approach to nutritional concerns in this section on the girl-child and adolescent rightly draws the reader's attention to the need for actions toward improvement in the nutritional status of girls and young women5both for their own long-term health and for the health of any future children they may choose to have.

Implementation. The implementation of the Platform is primarily the responsibility of governments, although it is not a legally binding document.The achievement of its far-reaching vision is dependent on actions and initiatives of a wide variety of other institutions and individuals as well. Within the platform, in paragraph 288, is a recommendation for increased linkages between networks and organizations, and for a consistent flow of information among all concerned.An ultimate goal would be that all organizations and associations whose goals intersect with portions of the document-such as, for example, the Society for Nutrition Educationbecome involved in at least one focal area of the implementation and monitoring of the Platform for Action, and that all women become aware of their home country's commitments for action and take part in follow-up activities. DISCUSSION Nutrition and food-related concerns are soundly interwoven within the framework of the Platform document, and a search located nutrition and food-related terminology in fully half of the document's 12 sections that discuss strategic objectives and actions. In addition, with the introductory"G1obal Framework" section (paragraphs 6-40), a reference is made to the 1992 International Conference on Nutrition,* as well as to nutritional and food security concerns related to the growing girl-child. However, one area that might have benefited from further discussion is that of the complex inter-relationship between nutrition and women's reproductive and maternal health."12 This area of nutrition and reproductive health, including successful operational integration of nutrition and reproductive health within primary care for all women, merits further attention of researchers and practitioners. Additionally, a further discussion of issues related to micronutrients (in addition to the mention of iron deficiency) would also have been welcomed and is a missing link to an important issue. One further disappointment is that the concept of a right to food security is not specifically included in the human rights section, although the phrase a "right to food" is found within another section in Objective E.3 (seeTable 2).Yet, overall, what is documented in the Platform presents a good base for further action on the part of nutrition education specialists. Some sections without a specific reference to nutrition are also relevant to the work of nutrition educators. For example,

*This conference report is avatlable as the "Ftnal Report of the Internattonal Conference o n N u t r ~ t l o nRome, , 12/1992" (Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization, 1993) and can be found at:
Journal of Nutrition Education Volume 29 N u m b e r 5

paragraph 104 stresses the need to collect and analyze health statistics by age, sex, and socioeconomic status, and this applies just as well to nutrition-related statistics. Another area with implicit linkage to nutrition education work is found in paragraph 109 (k):"Develop mechanisms to evaluate and disseminate available data and research findings to researchers, policy makers, health professionals, and women's groups ..." This objective appears to describe the activities of many members of the Society of Nutrition Education. Also, Platform objectives related to micro, small-, and medium-scale enterprises of women (including interest in replication of the Grameen Bank prototype for the provision of credit facilities to rural women) may be especially relevant to colleagues in international nutrition education and development work. Finally, actions on the document's overall themes of gender equality, training of both women and men related to gender issues, women's participation at all levels in all sectors, and elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls, including that based on traditional practices, will help to confront other nutritional problems that are not specifically included in the document, such as misinformation related to traditional beliefs about food intake for pregnant and lactating mother^.'^^'^

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The Platform for Action is also available on the Internet2 including within these conferences: un.wcw.doc.english; un.wcw.doc.francais; un.wcw.doc.espano1. Country Commitments (Government's Commitments to Accomplish Portions of the Platform) A complete listing of the commitments, as well as linkages to other information, can also be found on the following sites: a n d . Other Resources

For further web addresses, e-mail lists, and contact information related to Beijing issues and follow-up, contact the author at [email protected] or PO. Box 626, Sudbury, MA 01776.

NOTES A N D REFERENCES 1. The Beijing Declaration 1s 38 paragraphs that repeat or summarize overall principles and issues contained in the lengthier Platform. The

CONCLUSION

Declaration does not substitute for the Platform and is not specifically addressed here because of a lack of nutrition-related specifics.

The Beijing Platform for Action from the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women is a remarkable document of consensus and a comprehensive resource for all individuals who want to be aware of the latest thinking about sustainable development from a gender point of view. With an awareness of where nutrition and food security fit into the vision and framework of the Platform, educators and activists can find it a strong catalyst for professional and personal actions to the year 2000 and beyond, and set about translating the words of the document into achievements. Nutritionists and nutrition educators, in particular, will find that a knowledge of the Platform's statements on nutrition, food, and hunger concerns can be a strategic tool for broadening advocacy efforts and developing further proposals and partnerships for nutrition education within sustainable development and health for all.Working along with country implementation efforts in the "Bringing Beijing Home" era, and combining with follow-up actions to the 1992 International Conference on Nutrition's Plan ofAction (see footnote), as well as the 1996 World Food Summit, leaders in nutrition education can help to develop powerful coalitions to work toward the common goal of the worldwide eradication of hunger and malnutrition.

2. Internet locations for the Platform for Action: < h t t p : / / w w w . un.org/dpcsd/daw/platform.htm>; ; and ;
177/95-11

/20>; and a summary at . 3. Thls sectlon, under Strategic Objective C.4, "Promote research and disseminate information on women's health," also calls for increasing support

for research on women's health, including "cardiovascular diseases and condition, cancers ...and health aspects of aging" (paragraph 109) and increasing budgetary allocations to primary health care (paragraph 110). 4. The addition of a separate area of concern on the environment is seen

as a victory for environmental activists, since the 1994 draft Platform did not include environmental concerns. 5. Kurz KM, Peplinsky NL, Johnson-Welch C. Investing in the future: six principles for promoting the nutritional status of adolescent glrls In developing countries. Washington, DC: International Center for Research o n Women. 6. AnandA.Anemia-a

major cause of maternal death. Indian MedTrib

1995;3(1):5,8.

7. Kusin JA, Kardjati S, Renqvist U, Goei K. Reproduction and maternal nutrition in Madura, 1ndonesia.Trop Geog Med 1992;44:248-55. 8. Saran S. Breaking the vicious cycle of deprivation. In: Conveying concerns: women write on reproductive health. Compiled by Population

F O R F U R T H E R INFORMATION

Reference Bureau [PRB].Washington, D C : PRB, 1994. 9. Poppitt SD, Prentice AM. Maternal nutritional deficiencies in devel-

Sources of Beijing Conference Platform for Action Division for the International Women's Advancement of Women Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza Room, DC2-1220 New York, NY 10017, USA United Nations, NewYork, NY 10017, USA

oping countries. In: Baum D, ed. Birth risks. New York: Raven Press, 1993: 71-82. 10. Arroyo P. Nutricion y salud reproductiva [Nutrition and reproductive health]. In: del Carmen Elu M, Langer A, eds. Maternldad sln riesgos en Mexico. Mexico City, Mexico: IMES, Comite Promotor de la Iniciativa por una Maternidad sin Riesgos en Mexico, 1994: 63-8.

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11. Ford K, Huffman S. Relationships between maternal nutrition and fer-

13. El-Hiday MM, Zumrawi FY.The effect of a nutrition education pro-

tility in developing countries. In: Goldscheider C, ed. Fertility transitions,

gramme on pregnant women attending Khartoum model clinic.Ahfad

family structure and population policy Boulder, CO/Oxford, England:

J 1992; 9(2):23-36.

Westview Press, 1992. 12. Gwarza MY, Sen KK,Atiku MK. Diet and serum iron status in preg-

14. Kirksey A, Harrison GG, Gala1 OM, et al.The human costs of moderate malnutrition in an Egyptian village. Egypt project: final report. Human

nant and lactating Hausa women in Kano State, Nigeria.AnnTrop Med

Nutrition Collaborative Research Support Program. Cairo, Egypt: Nutri-

Parasitol 1994; 88:673-6.

tion Institute, 1992.