Support can be provided to citizens' associations and support groups, as well as to youth clubs and centres, to deal with all reproductive health issues. In particular, encouragement should be given to women's responsible parenthood groups in neighbourhoods with a view to ensuring women's rights, such as adequate nutrition and care during pregnancy and after childbirth, work load adapted to pregnancy and leave with pay for working women before and after childbirth, as well as ensuring that their voice is heard in all matters relating to reproductive health. Information, counselling and services on all aspects of reproductive health have to be provided not only widely, but also openly, in line with universally adopted human rights instruments. At the same time they have to ensure individual privacy and confidentiality, more important than ever in the context of urban overcrowding. These principles guide IPPF's national Family Planning Associations.
Child spacing The first element in safe motherhood is adequate spacing between pregnancies.
That may be taken for granted in the social environment in which this Conference is taking place, but in many social environments in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America that is not the case. In too many societies, men all too often enforce their sexual urges on their female partners, either rejecting contraception or both being ignorant of it. Influencing that kind of ingrained social climate is more difficult than influencing the reduction in the use of aerosols through international legislation to prevent further damage to the ozone layer. Even if we had aerosols that could prevent too frequent pregnancies, international legislation to increase their use would be ineffective in the face of cultural custom. This is a challenge that we must face intelligently.