Women as Agents of Change in Global Development

In her third article of The “Women As Agents of Change” series, Julie Potyraj delves into the issue of family planning.
Family Planning: An Accessible Option?
In my last article in the “Women as Agents of Change” series, I explored the realm of maternal health. High rates of maternal mortality are especially heartbreaking because of how many of those deaths could be prevented. Across the world, governments and organizations are experimenting with and implementing new strategies to reduce maternal mortality in their countries. But one effective strategy has been consistently underutilized, most likely because of the political barriers and cultural taboos associated with it.
In this article in the “Women as Agents of Change” series, we are discussing access to family planning methods. Contraception, or birth control, is intended to aid in family planning or prevent pregnancy. Birth control methods include diaphragms, condoms, oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, and hormonal injections. Some methods, like condoms, also offer protection against sexually transmitted diseases. According to USAID, increased access to family planning could prevent up to 30 percent of maternal deaths and save the lives of 1.4 million children. Yet, more than 200 million women still do not have access to family planning methods.
The United Nations Population Fund considers access to “safe and voluntary” family planning a human right. The World Health Organization says that family...

Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - October 5, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Empowerment Global Development Women Source Type: blogs