Population Policy-Progress Since Cairo
The importance of national population policies has long been a focus of discussion, but a collective global initiative only emerged following the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, in 1994. The goals emerging from this conference have shaped many national policies, but the question remains—are all groups equally represented in national population and development policies? Students need to think critically about the ways in which development is measured and the indicators used.
Objectives
- To survey the evolution of population policies
- To assess the presence of gender-bias in development statistics
- To evaluate the nexus of women, development, and population policy
Content Standards
AP Human Geography*: Unit II—Population Unit
B. Population growth and decline over time and space
5. Effects of population policies
Student Activities
Lesson Resources
"What Was Cairo? The Promise and Reality of ICPD" (Population Reference Bureau, 2004)
Transitions in World Population, pp. 20-31 (PDF: 320KB)
"Women's Rights and Status: Questions of Analysis and Measurement" (UNDP) - executive summary only
www.undp.org/gender/resources/mono_07.htm
State of the World Population 2004 Report
www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=197
State of the World 2000 Report
www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=40
[Note: The page numbers provided refer to the pages of the publication, not the pdf file.]
Central Concepts: Population policy; gender differences
Case Locations: Global; Africa
This lesson plan is part of a teaching package, Making Population Real: New Lesson Plans and Classroom Activities.
* AP and the Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of these lesson plans.