PUBLICATIONS
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International migration and development
Item Type: Newsletter
Editor:
Year: 00/07/2006
Abstract: The Government of Malaysia acknowledges the positive elements of international migration in economic development. International migration, inter-alia, helps to ensure labour market rigidity. At the same time, it must also be acknowledged that the impact of international migration, particularly low skilled foreign workers, on the receiving country's economy and society can be both positive and negative.
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The 39th session of the Commission on Population and Development on agenda item 4: general debate on national experience in population matters: international migration and development, New York, 5 April 2006
Item Type: Country Statement
Editor:
Year: 05/04/2006
Abstract: International migration, inter-alia, helps to ensure labour market flexibility and reduce labour market rigidity. At the same time, it must also be acknowledged that the impact of international migration, particularly low skilled foreign workers, on the receiving country's economy and society can be both positive and negative.
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Fertility decline due to late marriages
Item Type: Newsletter
Editor:
Year: 00/01/2006
Abstract: Rising education, delayed and non-marriage will become more prevalent. Marriage postponement shortens childbearing span, and it will result in further fertility decline. Changes in marital structure have significant implications on the family system and the care of older persons. With rising age at marriage and consequently delayed childbearing , many retirees are still supporting children who are studying in institutions of higher learning.
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SMARTSTART module
Item Type: Module
Editor:
Year: 00/00/2006
Abstract: Couples planning to get married must be well prepared in order to create a harmonious marriage. Hence, the National Population and Family Development Board organises the SMARTSTART Premarital Programme for couples who are planning to get married and those who have recently married (not more than five years) in four languages, i.e. Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
This module has been developed to provide newly married couples and those who are planning to get married with knowledge and skills on the various aspects of marriage and parenting so as to support them psychologically and prepare them for a harmonious marriage life.
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Tingkah laku seks di kalangan warga 45 tahun dan ke atas
Item Type: Research Report
Editor:
Year: 00/00/2006
Abstract: An opinion survey on 'Sexual Behavior Among Citizens 45 Years and Above' which was first conducted by the Human Reproduction Division (BRM) was conducted in the Klang Valley area from February to June 2003. The 'Convenience Sampling' sampling method was used where respondents who meet certain criteria fill in the questionnaire themselves. A total of 473 respondents consisting of 50.1% Malays, Indians (26.6%) and Chinese (23.3%) where men (53.5%) outnumber than women (46.5%). The majority of respondents comprised the age group of 50-59 years (41.25%). From the 220 female respondents, only 7.3% took hormone replacement therapy. The results of the study found that the importance and satisfaction of sex decreases with age where it is more pronounced among women than men. The frequency of sexual intercourse is performed in the range of 4-8 times a month (46.3%). Although only 16.7% of respondents had sex-related problems, 70.9% of them did not know the source of help and treatment for their problems. Among those who received treatment, 56.4% chose to seek modern treatment. 55.7% of respondents with sexual problems have at least one chronic disease. A total of 85.6% disagreed and looked for another partner as a way out of sex -related problems. Expectations for better sex in the future are still high at 69.1%. In conclusion, for middle-aged and above despite the declining importance of sexual intercourse, their right to access to knowledge and services related to sexual problems needs to be addressed immediately, especially by medical practitioners, especially the Human Reproduction Division and LPPKN in general. A systematic and ‘gender-sensitive’ approach can help overcome the problem of family institutional breakdown and problems related to incest.
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"Helping the husband, maintaining harmony" : the share of Indonesian women in family decision making
Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
Editor:
Year: 00/00/2006
Abstract: The perceived role of women in the family is to be a good wife, mother, housekeeper, manager of family resources and household activities. Men are to provide financial support. But in many occasions, especially under poverty condition, women are compelled to work outside the house for additional family income. Women see this as helping the husband, even though many women are the sole breadwinner of the family. However, work outside the house does not reduce the expected role of women. In the meantime, women carry double burden of taking care of the family matters and family income. Further, due to culture and religious believe, women are also expected to maintain harmony, related to husband-wife relationship. In conflict situation, it is the women who should give in and follow husband's wishes and need. This kind of belief/principle is a potential for domestic violence. This paper aims at presenting quantitative and qualitative findings on husband-wife's relationship, women's household autonomy, perception about domestic violence and refusal to have sex with husband. Data are derived from author's research finding in 1996 and the recent 2002/3 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey. The paper also provide ways to protect women through the provision of NGO services, integrated medical centers, police women's desk, and the Law on Anti-Domestic Violence number 23 of 2004.
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Indicators on Family Well-Being
Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
Editor:
Year: 00/00/2006
Abstract: With globalization, challenges facing the Filipino families have become more complex. Families try to cope with these challenges the best way they can, and, in the process, endangers the cohesiveness of families with children the hardest hit victims of such conditions. Governments try to provide programs and interventions to help families but oftentimes, these interventions are not sufficient since the problems are more deeply-rooted in the family system and is something that mere provision of services cannot simply address. And yet, the family remains to be an enduring institution in Philippine society. It is for these reasons that a study on possible indicators on the well-being of the Filipino family was conducted to track changes on family life over time. Family stability, parenting effectiveness, social responsibility, and rights perspective were the four major rights initially identified and discussed. This study is expected to lead towards the development of a score card for the Filipino Family Well-Being which can be done on a periodic basis.
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Protecting and strengthening families: challenges and strategies - Malaysian perspective
Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
Editor:
Year: 00/00/2006
Abstract: Over the past decade rapid transitions in Malaysian family structure and family life have occurred due to globalization, industrialization and socio-economic development. Education, economic activities, infusion of cultures, religion, migration, urbanization plus improvements in living standards all tend to have an impact on families and loosen the traditional structure. Some of the key changes that have reshaped Malaysian families include a smaller family size due to declining birth rate, increase in nuclear families, rise in marital break-up and single parent households and increased participation of women in the labour force by women. The traditional picture of a male breadwinner and female homemaker characterizes a smaller proportion of Malaysian families today. This paper focuses on the profile, issues and challenges confronting Malaysian Families, marriage, family relationships, need for balancing work and family life, role of father and impact of technology on the family. The role of the family in Malaysia is very crucial as the development of the human potential is a key component of the nine challenges as promulgated in Vision 2020. Various promotive, preventive and advocacy programmes and activities have been initiatives undertaken together with NG0s, the private and public sector as well as education and training institutions to ensure the strengthening of the family unit as well as helping families cope with the demands of contemporary living.
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Recent changes in Korean families: demographic, social and cultural perspective
Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
Editor:
Year: 00/00/2006
Abstract: This paper deals with recent changes in Korean families from diverse perspectives. Demographic conditions affecting family structure and family life in contemporary Korean society can be characterized as lowest-low fertility and speeding aging. Fertility in Korea drastically dropped to 1.08 of total fertility rate in 2005, one of the lowest records in the world. On the other hand, as a result of lowering fertility in part, aging has been proceeding too rapidly to adapt to new social environment. If aging continues with the current speed, it is easily predicted that Korean people will face financially unprecedented burden to support elderly within a short time. Lowest-low fertility and rapid aging have been clearly observed since the 1997 economic crisis in Korean society. In my view, Korean society has become an absolutely different society from that before the economic crisis. Not only social structure but also individual attitudes and behaviors and familial life had to be under restructuration right after the economic crisis. Thus, the economic crisis has to be regarded as a critical factor in recent family changes in Korea. Educational attainment for female has been expanded and comparable works for women have been increased. Thus, women had to have difficulties in finding marriageable men after the economic crisis. This has led to increasing age at first birth for both men and women, in other word delay marriage and family formation. Korean family has shown several new features in the late 1990s and early 2000s. One is the decreasing family formation. Another is increasing remarriage in Korea. Remarriage, in particular women's remarriage was negatively stigmatized according to a Confucian legacy to prohibit women's remarriage in traditional times. This custom has been remained for a long time. However, increasing divorce not only at younger ages but at middle and older ages has widened the possibility of remarriage for both men and women. Tolerance toward remarriage at the societal level has also greatly increased according to various family surveys. Even first-time marriage by men has been made with divorced or bereaved women. Another feature in contemporary marriage in Korea is a soaring international or interracial marriage, especially for Korean men. Single men in rural area have had so many difficulties in finding marriage partner because Korean women would not like to marry farmers or men residing in rural area. Under the shortage of marriageable women, rural men began to seek foreign bride, firstly from China and then Vietnam these day. Thus, more than one to ten marriages are now an interracial marriage in Korea. Changing demographic and familial conditions results in small size of family in Korea. The average number of household members is now less than three. On the other hand, one-person household is remarkably increasing in both urban and rural areas because of increasing divorce, deepening aging and increasing number of the female bereaved, and wide pursuit of independent life by younger generation. Also, with this trend, the proportion of female head of household is steadily increasing. However, female household heads are more suffering from poverty than male counterparts because of sex-discriminatory labor market, lack of women-friendly welfare policy and dual burden by the traditional patriarchal family system.
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