Parliamentarians Urged To Champion Women's Rights In Reproductive Health

Sumaira FH Published August 22, 2024 | 07:20 PM

A high-level seminar on reproductive health and family planning on Thursday called for increased access to contraceptives and family planning services, emphasizing the importance of women's rights and empowerment

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Aug, 2024) A high-level seminar on reproductive health and family planning on Thursday called for increased access to contraceptives and family planning services, emphasizing the importance of women's rights and empowerment.

The event, organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), brought together Sindh parliamentarians, government officials, and experts to discuss strategies for improving sexual reproductive health (SRH) and family planning (FP) in the province.

Key speakers, including Dr. Rubina Ali, Assistant Country Representative for UNFPA, and Shaheena Sher Ali, Sindh Minister for Women Development, stressed the need for a rights-based approach to family planning, highlighting the link between population management and sustainable economic growth.

The seminar highlighted alarming statistics, with less than one-third of women in Pakistan having autonomy over their sexual and reproductive health, resulting in 4.2 million unplanned pregnancies and 2.2 million abortions annually.

Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director of SDPI, emphasized the crucial role of parliamentarians in policy-making, while Dr. Jamil Ahmad Chaudhry, Program Specialist at UNFPA, stressed the urgent need for parliamentary engagement to achieve national goals.

The event concluded with a consensus on the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to achieve the SRH and FP goals outlined in the FP2030 agenda, with a focus on increased investments, advocacy efforts, and girls' education.