June 29, 2012

VIDEO: Islamic Perspective on Women’s Health and Rights

Faith and family planning
ICPD Beyond 2014

The ICPD Programme of Action recognised that realising every woman’s potential is fundamental to achieving equitable and sustainable development. The family, community and wider world misses out on the massive contribution she could make to creating a world fit for every one of us to live in. If a woman doesn’t have the decision-making power or resources to control her fertility, her opportunity to contribute her skills and resources to her family and community is likely to be significantly reduced.

Maternal and child mortality, the biggest loss of potential in any community, could be significantly decreased through access to voluntary family family planning. Such access would reduce unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths and disabilities and save the lives of millions of women. Delivered within a human rights framework, access to family planning would help us move towards a world where every pregnancy is wanted and every childbirth safe. It would also help to build a world where the potential of every young person can be fulfilled.

Where a mother dies in childbirth, statistics show that the chances of her child surviving until her second birthday are reduced. If that child reaches their second birthday, their life chances are still affected by a reduced likelihood of immunisation and a lowered chance of school attendance.

Reasons of religion and culture are sometimes put forward to limit discussion and restrict access to family planning. Faith leaders are nevertheless joining together to speak out about family planning speak out about family planning. Many are revisiting religious law and edict to highlight consistency between faith and support for family planning and advocate for family planning. They see no conflict between faith and family planning, rather it is a way to ensure decent lives for children, women and families, and to secure human dignity.

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