New York, March 23rd, 1992 (ips) -- women attending crucial environment and development talks here are concerned that northern and southern states are compromising on matters of population and reproduction and other women's issues in order to gain leverage in financial negotiations.

but according to a high-ranking u.n. official, unless women are given the freedom and means to manage their fertility, their effective participation in all spheres of life will be limited.

dr. nafis sadik, executive director of the united nations population fund (unfpa), said here that a "woman's control over her own fertility is basic to her freedom. it is the source from which other freedoms flow".

sadik and other u.n. officials addressed a group of non-governmental organisations (ngos) attending the final negotiating round before the up-coming june 'earth summit' in rio de janeiro, brazil.

the weekend meeting, organised by bella abzug, chairman of the women's caucus at the on-going 'earth summit' preparatory talks, was convened to discuss "women and the environment and the politics of reproduction."

at the 'earth summit', or u.n. conference on environment and development (unced), governments are expected to adopt a programme of action&emdash;'agenda 21'&emdash;as a blueprint for sustainable development to guide countries into the 21st century.

earlier in the week, abzug had said that she was "gravely concerned" that several government delegations had proposed that women's concerns, including those on population and reproduction issues, be dropped in order to advance negotiations on financial and other isues.

responding to this claim, sadik said it was critical that all u.n. delegates and ngo representatives participating in the 'earth summit' talks include recommendations for women and effective reproductive health care in the unced documents.

she added that "all international fora must respond to this challenge, and address the central role which women have in any system of sustainable development."

according to abzug, among those guilty of deleting references to women from unced documents, are delegates of the 128-member 'group of 77' developing countries.

jamsheed marker, chairman of the 'group of 77' admitted that references to women had been deleted -- "not because they weren't supported, but because certain delegates had difficulties with certain phrases", and that "unanimity had to be the rule" among the group's members.

in making the deletions, marker said that the group was aiming for "the lowest common denominator" in its proposal papers.

but abzug responded: "nobody wants to be part of the lowest common denominator".

sadik said she found it disturbing that "when speaking of women's status these days, the discussion all too frequently focuses on their economic role, almost to the exclusion of their reproductive role."

she said that any "talk about empowering women will remain merely talk if women are not, at the same time, provided with the freedom and means to manage their fertility, and if their health needs are not adequately addressed".

sadik said that while population growth and distribution, poverty, consumption patterns, and the state of the environment could be addressed at a global level, it was important to recognise that "population issues are a matter of welfare and health and the right to make informed life choices."

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