The United Nations Population Fund declared family planning a universal right for the very first time in its annual report last week. To avoid the usual mad free-for-all that generally follows any discussion of reproductive rights, it is important to note the UN does not include abortion among methods of birth control.
Now, though the United Nations’ proclamation does little in the way of law-changing and may find obstacles to implementation, it is a candid show of solidarity in the fight for women’s rights. It is an obvious suggestion to countries that currently limit birth control access through legal or social constructions, a nudging reminder that family planning is crucial to the health and happiness of people everywhere.
The Population Fund’s executive director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin wrote in a statement, “Women who use contraception are generally healthier, better educated, more empowered in their households and communities and more economically productive. Women’s increased labor-force participation boosts nations’ economies.” And how can women work with morning sickness or a bulging belly, or with five or six children and no access to childcare? Without work, how can they become financially independent or pay for necessary health care? Restricted birth control is seminal to a variety of barriers women face. With the United Nations behind them, hopefully women will find it easier to achieve life goals and avoid unwanted pregnancy and premature motherhood.
The Population Fund, and the United Nations in general, survived a very close call this November when presidential candidate Mitt Romney promised to pull all U.S. funding from the United Nations Population Fund. Because the United States currently provides an astounding 22 percent of the United Nations’ budget, we are financially vital to most of the projects it takes on.
Some might balk at such a large donation when our national debt is climbing sky-high, but the Population Fund’s analyses show their suggested budget changes in family planning could save the organization over $11 billion annually. If family planning funding is increased by just over $4 billion, the amount of aid necessary for the survival of new mothers and infants will decrease significantly, therefore some $11.3 billion will be saved.
The plan is exceptional, and if its implementation goes well, not only will women’s quality of life increase dramatically, the United Nations be able to bolster efforts on other fronts. In our cozy college town where free condoms and increasingly cheap health care is available to students, it is too easy to forget the plight others face each day. It is time to put the debate behind us.
Clearly birth control is a key factor in women’s success, and an international effort to make a variety of contraceptives available to women across the globe can only be a good thing.
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