Let’s Plan a Family

An estimated 222 million women in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception.¹

222 million women don’t have a say over their bodies. Doesn’t that just amaze you? I know a lot of Pro-Choice / Pro Family Planning advocates always begin by talking about a woman’s right to take control over her personal health. I’m not going start any differently. There is an intrinsic right that seems to be missing from many developing nations and that is the right to freedom, the right to empower, and the right to equality.

Globally, an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010. Sub-Saharan Africa (56%) and Southern Asia (29%) accounted for 85% of the global burden.² Why? Why is there so much unnecessary death?

The key to stopping this is education, contraception and taking responsibility away from bureaucracy and enabling women the freedom to choose.

Family Planning is more than just a pretty word for abortion. It is actually about planning your family to when your health, finances and support are aligned to bring a child into the world. They are about education, contraception, and protection of a woman’s body. If we can institute this for developing nations, we can begin a change for the better. Allow women the opportunity to understand their bodies and offer them the resources to acquire contraception.

The time for change is now.

¹http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs351/en/index.html
²http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/2012/Trends_in_maternal_mortality_A4-1.pdf

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