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Of all entrenched values, religion presents perhaps the greatest obstacle to population control. Roman Catholics have fought against national family- planning efforts in Mexico, Kenya and the Philippines, while Muslim fundamentalists have done the same in Iran, Egypt and Pakistan. Still, religious objections need not entirely thwart population planning. Where such resistance is encountered, vigorous campaigns should be mounted to promote natural birth-control techniques, including the rhythm method and fertility delay through breast feeding.
If there is a single key to population control in developing countries, experts agree, it lies in improving the social status of women. Third World women often have relatively few political or legal rights, and not many receive schooling that prepares them for roles outside the home. Said Robert Berg, president of the International Development Conference: "Expanding educational and employment opportunities for women is necessary for permanently addressing the population issue."
The effect of special programs for women has been demonstrated in Bangladesh. In 1975 the government launched a project in which associations of rural village women were provided with start-up loans for launching small businesses, such as making pottery, raising poultry and running grocery stores. About 123,000 women are currently enrolled in the cooperative. At weekly meetings, health-care and contraceptive information are distributed among members. An extraordinary 75% of the co-op members of childbearing age use contraceptives, while nationwide only 35% of married women practice birth control.
Ultimately, slowing the population juggernaut will depend on the ability of family-planning experts to create well-tailored programs for different societies and even for different segments of societies. But first, governments will have to raise public awareness and rally support for population control with a cohesive message about the dangers of rampant growth. India, one of the first countries to adopt a family-planning program, some 30 years ago, failed to forge a national will for the task, and the population is now growing at 2% a year.
In contrast, China has galvanized its people behind a huge population- plannin g effort. Still, its program demonstrates just how difficult -- and risky -- social tinkering can be. The nation launched its "one-family, one- child" policy in 1979. The aim: to contain population at 1.2 billion by the year 2000. In pursuit of that goal, local authorities have offered such incentives as a monthly stipend until the sole child turns 14 and better housing. Penalties for violating the policy have included dismissal from government jobs and fines of up to a year's wages for urban workers. China's effort has had some distressing consequences. Women have been coerced into having abortions, and there have been reports of female infanticide by parents determined that their one child should be a boy. Moreover, officials have acknowledged that exceptions to the one-child rule have been frequently condoned, especially in rural areas. In fact, only 19% of Chinese couples have one child. Beijing has announced that the nation will miss its target: the country's projected population in the year 2000 is 1.27 billion.