News
New Study Shows Benefits of Family Planning to the Well-Being of Women, Families and Economies
- 21 March 2013
News
NEW YORK -- A new study by the Guttmacher Institute has confirmed that women’s ability to use contraceptives, and to determine whether and when to have children, enhances their education and employment chances. This, in turn, improves their income, family stability, mental health and happiness, as well as the well-being of their children.
Following a review of 66 studies conducted over the past 30 years, the Guttmacher experts concluded that contraceptive use would lead to:
This re-enforces a recent recommendation by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEDC) that, in order to promote growth, governments should focus on further narrowing the "gender gap" that continues to hold women back in education, employment and entrepreneurship. The OECD findings, released in December 2012, noted that women continued to earn less than men. The OECD declared that closing the gender gap must be a central part of any strategy to create more sustainable economies and inclusive societies.
The Guttmacher review, released on Thursday, also says that not all women have shared equally in the social and economic benefits of contraception. That’s why there should be more efforts to advance contraceptive access and help all women achieve their life goals if and when they decide to become mothers. Consequently, efforts to reduce unintended and teen pregnancy— alongside programmes that provide financial support, nutrition assistance and child care, and that prevent family violence and abuse—must remain a priority for national development strategies.