I posted the original article/request for information that I had read on a third world women list-serve, and it generated a lot of information flow, I'll include some at the end. There are some great websites that give lots of information on this distressing topic. The most surprising thing to me was finding out that articles began appearing in protest of the usage of the drug as far back as 1993, and now mainstream press seems to have picked up on it. Well, actually, I guess this wasn't REALLY surprising... I am more curious as to what spurned the interest/coverage now. To answer Stefanie's questions, or at least attempt to -- I think that this speaks to the larger issues surrounding women's access and information about "family planning" and reproductive choices/decisions in many areas of the world. There are many other people/factors influencing a woman's decision making about her body and the control she has of it. I worked in West Africa on a maternal and child health project and had the opportunity to spend time in rural health clinics. I certainly understand that these experiences differ all over the world, but some I am sure are universal. There the issues are ones of logistics, often -- how to get to the clinic (bad road access, no transportation, no support in terms of leaving your work or farm for the journey, or even knowledge of the existence of these clinics/options) and once there, how to communicate about these issues: most women in the vilages I lived in didn't speak French, and most staff at "dispensaires" didn't speak all the local languages. So once these barriers are overcome (if they are at all) -- then it moves to what information these staff have, and where it comes from. Some comes from the government, who dispenses the options (birth control pill, Norplant, etc.) to the clinics, but there are so many problems: availablity, expiration dates, etc. etc. Then the challenge of explaining the options, choices, etc. And this is for women that manage to make it to the clinics at all. In some marches -- open markets -- women would sell birth control pills -- not the series, or even a 30 day supply, but one or two pills at a time, for pennies apiece. There is so little information about how to use these, that women are taking them like aspirin, one or two at a time. I have also read countless reports about how expired/questionable pills and medications are funneled to the third world from the US and other industrialized countries. And none of this even begins to approach the issues of religion and cultural practices which further limit a woman's choice about planning a family. No decisions are made in a vacuum, they are inextricably linked to the other parts of women's lives. I don't know specifics about Quinacrine use, I am learning more -- but I am not at all surprised and can easily see how this can happen without a women's knowledge or consent. I am sure some of you have read the articles about the AIDS trials that have been conducted in Africa where women were not fully debriefed on what it meant to take part in them -- some women would get medication, others wouldn't. Many women were confused and thought they would be cured. It feels hopeless when I read all these articles, but I think as many women as possible should know that this happens. The information on Quinacrine from the third world women list-serve: The Population Research Institute has a good article at: http://www.pop.org/reports/ftc797.html Women at risk : Quinacrine sterilisation, a practice that defies accepted international norms, continues in India: NALINI VISVANATHAN AND MOHAN RAO (http://www.the-hindu.com/fline/fl1419/14190940.htm) Women are guinea pigs on contraceptive trails (Sunday Times, a Times of India news report) http://www.africa2000.com/GNDX/quinban.html http://www.obgyn.net/ENGLISH/PUBS/ARTICLES/kini_art.htm: Please write and let the editor of this publication know that this article has become outdated, and needs some revisions and supplementary information. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/Organizations/healthnet/contra/topic05.html#2 Dear Renske - Bol!, our mailing list on reproductive health and rights in South Asia, carried this posting a while back. Hope you find it useful - Sushma ______________ Quinacrine Sterilization: Quinacrine, a chemical with possible carcinogenic and other side effects, has been creating controversy in India as activists protest its use as a sterilization method for women by private medical practitioners and the NGO sector. Quinacrine is seen to be appropriate for areas where trained medical personnel and facilities are not widely available due to its quick and easy implementation. Quinacrine trails have taken place in 19 Third World countries - currently, it is in use in all countries in South Asia. The chemical is promoted by doctors like Elton Kessel and Stephen Mumford, both of which run NGOs based in North Carolina, US, and who have been known to equate the security of the First World with the population control of the Third World. They are also known to have ties to anti-immigration groups which have been criticized for their racist agenda. The lack of follow-up of the women involved in these trails make it difficult to get accurate statistics on the women's health after the sterilization. Ministries of health and ethical committees all over the world, including the Chilean ministry of Health and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), have come under fire for their involvement in these trials. The ICMR seemed to have turned a blind eye to the many medical practitioners who publicly claim to have sterilized thousands of women with this method. The Supreme Court of India has been approached by a public interest litigation brought by the All India Women's Democratic Forum and the faculty of Social Medicine in Jwaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In South Asia, more and more of the funding for the health sector are being re-allocated to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which are seen to be more efficient than government institutions. The sources of development funding in South Asia are diverse - these include donors from the North who are active advocates in the population control lobby. The heterogeneous nature of NGOs and their activities, and the present lack of monitoring of these activities make unethical medical trails and population control possible on a scale that can no longer be ignored. The move of the NGO sector to provide basic health services make it imperative to develop guidelines with which their activities can be monitored and made accountable to their 'target populations'. Quinacrine Sterilisation Trials: A scientific scandal? Mohan Rao, Economic and Political Weekly, March 28, 1998 Quinacrine Sterilization: Illegal and unethical Renske van Staveren International Forum on Food & Agriculture (IFA) c/o Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) 2105 First Avenue South Minneapolis, MN, USA 55404-2505 ph: 612-870-3423 fax: 612-870-4846 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.iffah.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mon Jul 13 15:09:53 1998 [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Tue, 14 Jul 1998 09:10:38 +1200 (NZS) 14 Jul 1998 09:10:09 +1200 Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 09:09:35 +1200 From: "STEFANIE S. RIXECKER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: (Fwd) Fwd: speakers, consultant, conference suggestions reques To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear All: This message was forwarded to me because it didn't get through the ether on its original uploading attempt. It looks very interesting! All the best, Stefanie Rixecker ECOFEM Coordinator ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 15:58:13 -0500 From: "Mark Denham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: speakers, consultant, conference suggestions requested Dear EcoFem folks, The University of Toledo has received funding from the US Department of Education to improve the internationalization of our undergraduate Women's Studies and Environmental Studies programs as well as create courses and provide faculty development at the intersection of International, Women's and Environmental issues. We were pleased that the Dept of Ed liked (and funded) our rather unorthodox proposal. The term of the grant just begun and we are beginning to organize a number of activities for the 1998 - 99 academic year. I am asking your help in identifying some persons who could help us in our work: First, we are looking for a "consultant" and workshop leader who can (1) provide a full-day faculty development workshop, primarily for faculty in the international, women's and environmental studies programs that will help them integrate material from the other two programs in their courses (for example, to help someone who normally teaches a "basic" environmental studies course with including material that relates to international and women's issues; or a women's studies faculty member to include more international and environmental material, etc.) and (2) provide consultation for faculty members who are developing courses in "International Women's Issues", "Women and the Environment" and "Experiential Seminar in "International Environmental and Women's Issues" This person would need to be someone who was familiar with all three issue areas as well as university-level curriculum issues. We have money for both travel expenses and honorarium. Second, we are sponsoring a series during the year where we will host three different persons to campus for a day. This person will give a public "lecture/presentation" as well as be involved in a few other kind of campus activities. We would like one or more of these speakers to have some degree of "name recognition" in the community. We have travel funds and honoraria for these persons also. Could you suggest some appropriate persons that we could consider approaching for these activities? (You should even feel free to nominate yourself.) Feel free to respond to me directly, although if the information you have might be more generally of interest to EcoFem subscribers, you could post it to the list. I hesitate to promise to post a compilation of the suggestions that I receive since I think I would need their approval before listing their name publically in such a list. Third, I find the announcement of conferences and meetings very helpful (thanks Stefanie for keeping us informed!!). Do any of you have specific suggestions of events that would be especially appropriate for university educators? Especially any that deal with curriculum? My sincere thanks to all of you for tolerating this long post, and for any suggestions you can give us. Mark _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._ Mark E. Denham The University of Toledo Department of Political Science Toledo, OH 43606-3390 U.S.A. voice: 419.530.4062 fax: 419.530.4199 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************ Dr. Stefanie S. Rixecker Division of Environmental Management & Design Lincoln University, Canterbury PO Box 56 Aotearoa New Zealand E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax: 64-03-325-3841 ************************************
