
Monica Ito
4/10/2018 2:14 PM
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), there is an estimated 214 million women in developing nations who are unable to benefit from family planning for a number of reasons, such as not being able to access the information, or fear of being ostracized by her partner or community. Lack of bodily autonomy is incredibly degrading and harmful. The UNFPA page about family planning lays out a few reasons why family planning is important on a global scale. The first is that family planning saves lives. Understanding how their bodies work from a younger age can foster healthier lives in the future. The second is that family planning empowers women and also has economic benefits. For example, a women who is able to complete her education before having a baby, or at least being able to control when to have a baby at a time that works best for her can help boost a woman's earning power. In developing nations this could be vital, because it would essentially double the amount of people able to contribute to the economy.