View family planning through a gender lens

In recent times, there has been a lot of focus on how China’s population will age before the economic dividends of its fertility decline will kick in. Adopting modern family planning methods and reducing unmet needs are important factors, but again the focus has been largely on women. The ministry of health and family welfare’s Mission Parivar Vikas is aimed at accelerating quality family planning and reducing TFR to the replacement level of 2.1 by the year 2025. A critical component is involving and encouraging men to recognise how important it is that they and their partners use modern contraception and that there are reversible methods that women can use.” Andrea M Wojnar, UNFPA India Representative says, “Recalibrating family planning through the expansion of reversible and long-acting contraceptive methods, improved counselling, empowering women and engaging men are crucial for harnessing India’s demographic dividend.” There is a notable link between family planning and broader economic objectives. Building capacity among health workers, addressing intersectionality, and implementing innovative solutions through effective public and private partnerships and advocacy initiatives can significantly improve access to family planning services and the overall health of our younger population.