The role of traditional organization on family planning acceptance in Indonesia.

Abstract

The nature of and the reasons for the decline in Indonesian fertility and the utilization of the village traditional organization, banjar, in the family planning (FP) program are discussed. The total fertility rate computed from census data shows a decline in fertility from 5.6 in the mid-1960s to 4.1 for 1981-1984, a 28% decline in 15 years. A further 23% decline evidenced in the Contraceptive Prevalence Survey appeared as 4.3 children reproductive woman in 1981-83 and 3.3 between 1984-87. The success of the FP program in contributing a major impact on the decline is attributed to a strong political commitment to antinatalist policy which meant increased allocation to FP when government income was declining, effective organizational structure, and effective strategies such as the mobilization of traditional village organizations. The impact of FP can also be seen in the increase in the number of family acceptors. Another source of the fertility decline is due to the impact of development. 1) Improvement in education has contributed to fertility decline in the increase in the number graduating from elementary and secondary school, the increased value of children, the acceptance of new ideas, the postponement of marriage, and the increase in the never-married group. 2) The decline in the infant mortality rate from 142 in 1971 to 70.2/1000 births in 1982-87 due to the improvement in health facilities and service also contributed to fertility decline. 3) The growth in the number of women participating in the nonagricultural labor force has also contributed to fertility decline. To what extent each has contributed to the decline has not been empirically tested. Molyneaux' study is cited for demonstrating that both socioeconomic variables and contraceptive use, which are affected by socioeconomic variables and family planning, have influenced the fertility decline. Households with electricity, children engaged in the labor force, and frequency of mobile medical team visits had no effect. Another study found field worker and supervisor activities and community contraceptive distributors to be significant factors affecting contraceptive prevalence. The use of traditional organizations can be effective in other countries if the community conditions are the same. The following traditional organizations are described: simpan pinjam (savings and loan associations), arisan (rotating credit association), perkumpulan kematian (burial association), lumbung paceklik (emergency rice stores), kebatinan (mysticism group), pengajian (prayer group), and banjar (a residential group of 100 household heads). The banjar takes care of every aspect of a person's life and is compulsory and meets regularly. a 1976 study indicated the banjar as ideal for use in promoting FP, particularly if dynamic. Modern organizations at the village level, which were used to involve new acceptors, are also described. The Paguyuban KB (Family Planning Acceptors Group) promoted the program and was responsible for contraceptive distribution.