Pakistan – Autonomy to plan

By Dr Hadia Aziz
September 26, 2025

Two years ago, in a government healthcare setting at the periphery, I encountered a 29-year-old mother of three who had been driven to a life-threatening, unsafe abortion by an untrained practitioner because she had no access to contraception.

Her story is not an anomaly in Pakistan. It is a chilling microcosm of a far wider national crisis. Her tragic experience highlights a fundamental failure of our state and society to safeguard the most basic right of its women: bodily autonomy.

Continued: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1346380-autonomy-to-plan

26.09.2025

Commentary

Dr Hadia Aziz

Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey

United Nations Population Fund

World Contraception Day

World Contraception Day reminds us that access to contraception is a human right

Sustainable Population Australia
26 September 2025

World Contraception Day (WCD) is a day of observation recognised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP). The central focus of WCD is ‘a world where every pregnancy is desired’.

Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) upholds the rights of women to control their bodies. As a result of the withdrawal of USAID, SPA calls on the Australian Government to step up and provide additional assistance for family planning in its aid budget. In Australia, women should not be denied access to contraception by health professionals.

Continued; https://newshub.medianet.com.au/2025/09/expert-alert-world-contraception-day-reminds-us-that-access-to-contraception-is-a-human-right/120426/

26.09.2025

News

Michael Bayliss

Peter Strachan

Sustainable Population Australia

USAID

World Contraception Day

KENYA / RWANDA – Rwanda offers good lesson on how to address teenage pregnancy crisis

by Kavutha Mutua
Sep 25, 2025

World Contraception Day will be marked tomorrow. The day highlights one of the most important yet neglected issues in public health: The right of every individual to access safe, affordable, and informed contraception. This year’s theme, ‘A Choice for All-Agency, Intention, Access,’ reminds us that contraception is not just about preventing pregnancy. It is about agency over one’s body, the ability to plan one’s life with intention, and access to choices without discrimination, barriers, or stigma.

Continued: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/opinion/article/2001530288/rwanda-offers-good-lesson-on-how-to-address-teenage-pregnancy-crisis

25.09.2025

comprehensive sex education

Kavutha Mutua

World Contraception Day

World Health Organization

Empowering women, involving husbands: Engaging men in family planning in Indonesia 

September 24, 2025
Sabar Artiyono

In a village in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, 27-year-old Mama Odiana Nuban was surprised to learn she was pregnant again just five months after having her first baby. The pregnancy was unplanned because she had to wait for her husband’s approval to use contraception. By the time the decision was made, it was too late. 

Mama Odiana’s story is not unique. In many parts of eastern Indonesia, deeply rooted patriarchal norms mean that women must seek permission from their husband, and sometimes even their in-laws, before accessing reproductive health services. The same pattern was also found in Ipas Indonesia’s baseline assessment conducted in 2023.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/empowering-women-involving-husbands-engaging-men-in-family-planning-in-indonesia/

FG Moves to Decriminalise Abortion in Nigeria

Federal Government Moves to Decriminalize Abortion Amid Concerns Over Maternal Deaths Linked to Unsafe Procedures in Nigeria

October 4, 2024

The federal government is taking steps to decriminalise abortion in the country, according to Dr. Binyerem Ukaire, Director of the Family Health Department at the Federal Ministry of Health.

Speaking during the SRHR Summit 1.0 in Abuja, held to mark World Contraception Day, Dr. Ukaire, represented by Barrister Nma Ogbonna, noted that sections 288 to 290 of the Criminal Code currently make abortion illegal. However, the government, in partnership with health advocates, recognises the need to protect the lives of women and girls of reproductive age by reforming these laws.

Continued: https://www.withinnigeria.com/news/2024/10/04/fg-moves-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-nigeria/

Kenya – How community dialogue is increasing demand for family planning products

Thursday, September 26, 2024
By Angeline Ochieng

It’s a hot afternoon and the fields of Bugar in Elgeyo Marakwet, usually abuzz with activity as farmers prepare for the approaching maize harvesting season, are quiet.

Instead of tending to their crops, a group of 30 residents, men and women, have gathered at Bugar market. They are listening to Alice Kibet, a Community Health Promoter (CHP) from Kapsaisi village in Keiyo North. Her voice is firm as the attentive audience hangs onto her words. Today, the market is serving as a classroom.

Continued: https://nation.africa/kenya/health/how-community-dialogue-is-increasing-demand-for-family-planning-products-4776324#google_vignette

26.09.2024

Commentary

Alice Kebit

Community Health Promoter

Everlyne Kangongo

Jonathan Tanui

Kenya Demographic Health Survey

UNFPA

World Contraception Day

Africa

Kenya

Contraception

India – World Contraception Day : A Choice For All, Freedom To Plan & Power To Choose

World Contraception Day was launched in 2007 as a global campaign to raise awareness about contraception and to empower young people to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

By ETV Bharat English Team
Sep 26, 2024

Hyderabad: World Contraception Day takes place on September 26th every year. The annual worldwide campaign centres around a vision where every pregnancy is wanted. Launched in 2007, WCD’s mission is to improve awareness of contraception and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.

History of the Event
World Contraception Day was launched in 2007 as a global campaign to raise awareness about contraception and to empower young people to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. The initiative is supported by a coalition of international organizations, including governments, NGOs, and health professionals, all working together to reduce unintended pregnancies and improve access to contraceptive methods worldwide.

Continued: https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!international/get-informed-get-empowered-world-contraception-day-enn24092505475

26.09.2024

Commentary

World Contraception Day

World Contraception Day: Access Is Human Right

Sept 25, 2024
Sustainable Population Australia

To mark World Contraception Day on 26 September, Sustainable Population Australia says access to contraception is a human right, yet 257 million women globally are trying to avoid pregnancy without access to any form of modern contraception. This makes them vulnerable to unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion and preventable maternal death.

SPA national president Peter Strachan says meeting the unmet need for contraception could avert more than half of maternal deaths. "Too many women die during pregnancy or during childbirth," says Mr Strachan. "Access to contraception would reduce the number of higher-risk pregnancies by increasing the spacing between births and by decreasing the likelihood of unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://www.miragenews.com/world-contraception-day-access-is-human-right-1323874/

25.09.2024

Commentary

Peter Strachan

Sustainable Population Australia

World Contraception Day

Uganda – Abortion-associated stigma affecting access to Post-Abortion Care – MOH

The Independent
September 30, 2023

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | While the government has put in place medical care services to support mothers who need post-abortion care in all healthcare centers, the Ministry of Health reveals that many of them still die due to complications without seeking help.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Dr. Charles Olaro, the Director of Curative Services in the Health Ministry revealed that despite awareness efforts about the availability of such services that help women battling complications post-abortion, many still end up in the medical ward even when they turn up to hospitals because they provide wrong information to health workers.

Continued: https://www.independent.co.ug/abortion-associated-stigma-affecting-access-to-post-abortion-care-moh/

30.09.2023

News

abortion stigma

Dr. Charles Olaro

Penal Code Act of Uganda Cap 120

post-abortion care

Rose Wakikona

Uganda Health Ministry

Women’s Link Worldwide

World Contraception Day

Nigeria: #ThePowerOfOptions – Improving Maternal Health Through Increased Access to Contraception

26 SEPTEMBER 2023
Nigeria Health Watch (Abuja)
By Onyedikachi Ewe

Contraceptive choices are crucial in empowering women and couples to take control of their reproductive health. In addition to protecting women and girls from unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions, contraceptive use promotes the overall well-being of the mother, child, and family. However, despite awareness of family planning, there is still a high unmet need at 48% for sexually active unmarried women and 19% for married women. In addition, the modern contraceptive prevalence rate is still low at 12% among married women (15-49 years) which is at a negative variance with the national target of 27% by the year 2024.

The Power of Options in improving the quality of a woman's life cannot be overemphasised. It resonates with the wide range of contraceptive choices that should be made available to women and girls to help them make an informed choice. The power and autonomy of a woman to have children when she desires, at what interval and the number exemplifies gender equality.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202309270022.html

26.09.2023