Words by Cheyanne Bryan
Do you know why World Population Day is important?
If you’re like me and thought it was just to celebrate the Earth’s residents, then keep on reading.
World Population Day serves as a crucial reminder to address population-related challenges, promote reproductive health, and ensure sustainable development for a balanced future. It highlights the significance of family planning, gender equality, and access to healthcare for all individuals worldwide. By raising awareness and fostering dialogue, this day contributes to creating a more equitable and prosperous world for present and future generations.
To commemorate such a day, Smiley News spoke with Carole Sekimpi, the Senior Africa Director at MSI Reproductive Choices, a global organisation that provides reproductive health services such as contraception, safe abortion care, and maternal health services, to delve into the work they do and the significance of family planning, reproductive wellbeing and educating young girls and women.
What is the link between sufficiently educating young people/ women about family planning and poverty?
In many of the countries where MSI works, teenage pregnancy continues to rob girls of their education and futures, often forcing them to drop out of school or in some cases, resort to an unsafe abortion. This impacts girls, their families, and their communities, as women’s opportunities and potential earnings are stifled and their engagement in the workforce and society is limited. Analysis from MSI has estimated that up to four million girls in sub-Saharan Africa are forced out of school every year due to unintended pregnancy. When girls can access reproductive choice, they are better able to remain in school, pursue a career, create opportunities in their communities and help build a more equal world for all.
What are some ways that can lead women and girls to having more access to choices over their body autonomy?
Every year, across the world, nearly one in three pregnancies end in abortion. It is one of the world’s most safe and common medical procedures. But millions of people are unable to access the services they need to end their pregnancies safely.
Many women don’t know where to turn for support, don’t know what the laws allow, or are too worried about the stigma associated with abortion to ask for help. This lack of knowledge and fear of judgement is putting lives at risk, and that’s what we’re working to change.
How do you work to ensure that women and girls are knowledgeable about their sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing?
At MSI, we use a variety of approaches to reach as many people as possible with accurate, non-judgmental information about their sexual and reproductive health.
Our providers counsel people on a range of different methods of contraception so they can make informed decisions for themselves. We’ve also invested in digital ways to reach people with quality, accurate information on contraception. “Choice” our online contraception counsellor is available in 21 countries including the UK, Mexico and South Africa. And for those who prefer to speak to a person over the phone, our 33 contact centres dotted around the world answer calls and messages daily to provide compassionate and confidential advice and information. Our local advocacy teams also work with community and religious leaders to counter harmful beliefs and attitudes and cascade accurate information on sexual and reproductive health and rights. By combatting stigma and shifting the conversation, we create a more supportive environment for people to confidently access reproductive choice.
Is poverty or low financial security a main reason for women and girls to have abortions?
The reasons why women get abortions are varied and personal. The fact is that whatever their reasons, women will always need abortions. No form of contraception is 100% effective and across the world millions of people make the decision to have one every year.
However, without money your choices rapidly diminish. Marginalised and low-income communities are less likely to be able to access private healthcare or travel to places where they can access the contraception they need or where abortion care is safe and legal.
Denying someone reproductive choice can also create lasting economic hardship and continue cycles of poverty. Research has found that women who were unable to access an abortion in the US were more likely to face bankruptcy and eviction and had increased household poverty and debt.
Gender equality isn’t possible without abortion and contraception and that’s why I’ve dedicated my career to expanding reproductive choice, helping women and girls make informed decisions about their bodies and futures on their own terms.
To find out more and support the work of MSI Reproductive Choices, head over to their website here.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
MSI Reproductive Choices. This is a world-leading provider of contraception and abortion. Their services are available in 37 countries around the world. Find out more.
Action Aid. This is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty, They aim for women and girls o have a future without violence and with equal rights. Find out more here.
Global Fund for Women. This is one of the world’s leading foundations for gender equality and they work to give funding and resources to feminist activists to drive change. Support them here.
