Women journalists facing population policies.

PIP: Journalists who cover population issues search out information on official policies, demographic rates, scientific positions, and shocking trends. In the process, individuals vanish into the collective. A women's journalism project in Mexico, Women's Information and Communication Center (CIMAC), is endeavoring to change this pattern of reporting, especially in the area of reproductive rights. CIMAC journalists note that it is in discussion with individuals that the real effects of development policies can be understood, not through reliance on official statistics. In addition, CIMAC is stimulating public debate on issues such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, the effort toward decentralization through the creation of 100 new cities, labor migration, and environmental destruction. Another focus will be to large participants at the 1994 International Conferences on Population and Development to validate the rights of women.^ieng

Contraceptive social marketing and community-based distribution systems in Colombia.

Three operations research experiments were carried out in three provinces of Colombia to improve the cost-effectiveness of Profamilia's nonclinic-based programs. The experiments tested: (a) whether a contraceptive social marketing (CSM) strategy can replace a community-based distribution (CBD) program in a high contraceptive use area; (b) if wage incentives for salaried CBD instructors will increase contraceptive sales; and (c) whether a specially equipped information, education, and communication (IEC) team can replace a cadre of rural promoters to expand family planning coverage. All three strategies proved to be effective, but only the CSM system yielded a profit. Despite this, Profamilia discontinued its CSM program soon after the experiment was completed. Unexpected government controls regulating the price and sale of contraceptives in Colombia made the program unprofitable. As a result, family planning agencies are cautioned against replacing CBD programs with CSM. Instead, CBD programs might adopt a more commercial approach to become more efficient.