Indranil Banerjie interviewed Poonam Muttreja, executive director of PFI, in Delhi. Excerpts:
What were the prime objectives for which the Family Planning Foundation — now the Population Foundation of India (PFI) — was established almost 50 years ago? How satisfied are you that these objectives have been achieved?
The erstwhile Family Planning Foundation was established in 1970 to complement the Central government’s programme to improve women’s reproductive and child health across the country. Over the years, PFI has adopted a rights-based and gender-sensitive approach to family planning which advocates that population isn’t only about counting people, but ensuring every person counts.
I believe that we have been successful in putting family planning and population stabilisation back on the social and political agenda of the country. Currently, together with PFI, the Union ministry of health and family welfare is taking active measures to improve the quality of family planning services and increase the number of contraceptive choices available in the public health system.
Since 1970, the population of the country has doubled. How do you explain this?
There has indeed been a large increase in absolute numbers of people since the 1970s. However, there has been a steady decline in the decadal rate of population growth. In 1981, the decadal growth rate was 24.66 percent, which reduced to 17.64 percent in 2011. Moreover, the TFR (total fertility rate) or the average number of live births a woman would have in her child bearing years, which was as high as 6 in 1951 has come down to 2.2 in 2015-16.
The overall growth in numbers still seems high because of what is known as ‘population momentum’. This is a powerful demographic force and will account for most of India’s population growth over the next 30-40 years. Past trends in fertility and mortality from 1951 to 1981 have shaped the population structure in such a way that India’s population has a high proportion — about 60 percent — of people in the reproductive age group.
Therefore, we will still see a significant increase in the population because of this demographic structure. It will be a while before the results of declining fertility rates start showing explicitly.
Optimists are inclined to interpret India’s huge 650 million population of child and youth as a demographic dividend. What’s your comment?
To reap the benefits of the demographic dividend, we need to invest in providing quality education at all levels to our children who will become our future workforce, and designing and imparting meaningful skills to them while taking advantage of technology innovations. Good health and nutrition together with providing children protection from infectious diseases will contribute to improving the quality of our future workforce.
Education is the most effective contraceptive, and especially urgent and necessary is investment in education and skill development programmes for girls and women to ensure equity and increased agency, which will yield good results.
Uniquely for an NGO, PFI has transformed into a television serials producer. How satisfied are you with this initiative?
Evidence from around the world argues for the use of entertainment-education as a means to influence and change deeply entrenched social and behavioural norms and attitudes. With Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon, we have used edutainment to initiate changes in people’s personal behaviour in matters related to sexual and reproductive health, women’s empowerment and male engagement. We challenge regressive socio-cultural norms and practices around family planning, early marriage, domestic violence and sex selection.
We have evidence of a significant decline in the number of women who believe domestic violence is acceptable — from 66 percent to 44 percent. We didn’t expect such success. We are thrilled the show has reached millions of people, is dubbed in 11 languages, telecast from 16 regional kendras of Doordarshan, aired on 239 radio stations, and has even caught the attention of private media groups.
How optimistic are you that the total fertility rate (TFR) can be reduced to 2.1 percent in the near future?
India is already on the verge of achieving replacement level of fertility of 2.1 — the total fertility rate at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next.
As per data from NFHS (National Family Health Survey) IV, barring high fertility states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, the other states have already achieved replacement level fertility. It is, therefore, quite likely that India will record a TFR of 2.1 by 2021-22 when we will have the results of NFHS V. That said, it’s important that we not only reach the unreached, but also those who have unmet family planning needs — currently 12.9 percent of the population of India.
Access to family planning services is a prerequisite of people’s sexual and reproductive rights. It will also reduce the burden of unplanned pregnancies and ensure that every child born is a wanted child.