Salman Khalid
As the world grapples with escalating regional and global crises, including economic disparities and instability, climate change, and social inequalities perplexed further by resistance to rights and rationalities, there is a greater urgency to prioritize sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and family planning. Unfortunately, if not, we risk reversing decades of progress.
SRHR and family planning should not be viewed solely as health services. These have overarching contributions to gender equality, economic development, resilience in the wake of environmental challenges, sustainable development, and a world where the pursuit of happiness for most marginalized groups of people could become a reality.
Despite overwhelming evidence of its transformative impact, family planning faces challenges, including political pushback and ever-shrinking spaces for advocacy and funding. Beyond the moral imperative of upholding rights—especially for women and girls—investing in family planning yields strategic dividends that directly and indirectly address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
The global inclusive agenda on family planning has emerged substantially over the past decade, moving from a narrow understanding of population control to a broader perspective of human rights, equality, freedom of choice, and sustainable development. This evolution faces threats from political resistance, restrictive policies, and reduced funding, which will cause damage, with ripple effects that will be felt in other connected sectors aimed at achieving the SDGs.
There is undeniable evidence in support of investment in SRHR and family planning. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), family planning alone could enable women to space pregnancies and avoid high-risk births, thus preventing approximately 30% of maternal deaths. Family planning provides women with a means to manage their reproductive choices in a way that allows them to pursue their dreams, get higher education, participate in the national mainstream, and provide the necessary (wo)man-power to contribute towards family, society, and state’s economic growth and prosperity.
A study by Canning and Schultz (2012) further proves that family planning in Low —and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) could raise per capita income to over 13% in a generation, reflecting the economic ripple effects of an investment in family planning interventions and access.
The low-hanging fruits of family planning could be yielded even beyond households and communities at the national and global levels. The Copenhagen Consensus has regularly marked family planning as one of the most cost-effective interventions, observing that every dollar spent on family planning saves six dollars for other development areas, including poverty reduction, education, and child survival
When women are free to plan their families, poverty reduces as economic growth increases. In the meantime, when women can do what they are best at, a more progressive, equitable, and robust society starts functioning. In Asia sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of Asia, where population growth surpasses economic development, family planning is the only tool to break the vicious cycle of poverty and foster long-term prosperity. The same phenomenon is true in countries with decreasing populations, as family planning can help plan a population that could meet the needs of economic growth.
The interconnection of family planning and SRHR space with climate change is another area where significant returns are possible. An unplanned population intensifies pressures on natural resources, leading to challenges like biodiversity loss and water scarcity. Family planning allows for the management of family size, thus helping communities reduce their environmental footprint and cope better with climate-induced disasters through resource utilization and resilience.
A study by O’Neill et al. (2012) found that managing population growth through access to family planning could reduce global carbon emissions by up to 30% by 2050. When families are better managed, women are healthier, and there will be better health, education, and environmental outcomes since families, communities, and states will be able to invest more in pressing needs rather than dealing with health and poverty issues.
Family Planning directly contributes to Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), and Goal 13 (Climate Action) of the Sustainable Development Goals. These have pouring effects on other goals, including poverty reduction (Goal 1), quality education (Goal 4), and decent work and economic growth (Goal 8). For example, when women have access to family planning services, they are healthier and more likely to educate their children, thus breaking the cycle of poverty. Similarly, empowered women are in a better position to engage in sustainable measures this advancing Goal 13.
Despite the evidence, significant barriers remain. Policy and regulatory constraints and recent political upheaval, which has caused funding space to shrink, have put a question mark on the provision of family planning services, particularly for young and unmarried individuals.
Many LMICs have weak and under-resourced health systems, with a shortage of supplies and inadequate infrastructure, which is halting the provision of family planning services (Darroch et al., 2016).
A multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, the private sector, donors, young people, and communities is essential to overcoming these barriers. With this method, FP2030 is already working to create an enabling environment and extend access to family planning reproductive health services to millions worldwide. There is also a need for intersectoral collaboration, linking family planning with universal health coverage, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability, which requires support from donors, partners, and stakeholders.
The future of our planet and the well-being of its people depend on the choices we make today. Investing in family planning is imperative for a better world. Donors, policymakers, and high-net-worth individuals must take decisive action to support this work. Such investments will generate benefits that extend far beyond health outcomes. It will shape an equitable, prosperous, and sustainable future for generations to come.
