The United Nations have decreed access to family planning products and information as an inalienable human right that women should be able to access.

In 1968, the United Nations International Conference on Human Rights in Tehran declared that “parents have a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and the spacing of their children”.

Family planning is not only a matter of human rights; it is also central to women’s empowerment, reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development.

Use of contraception prevents pregnancy-related health risks for women, especially for adolescent girls. By reducing rates of unintended pregnancies, family planning also reduces the need for unsafe abortion.

Family planning can prevent closely spaced and ill-timed pregnancies and births, which contribute to some of the worlds highest infant mortality rates. Infants of mothers who die as a result of giving birth also have a greater risk of death and poor health.

Family planning reduces the risk of unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV, resulting in fewer infected babies and orphans.

Family planning represents an opportunity for women to pursue additional education and participate in public life, including paid employment in non-family organisations.

Access to family planning products and information is especially important for adolescent girls that are still in schooling. Delaying pregnancy and child-bearing have direct effects on their schooling years and projected life earnings

On the national level, a higher level of female education and female participation in the workforce results in improvement of the national economy and reduction in poverty levels.