Kathmandu, November 14

More than three million women are presently using modern methods of contraception, almost 700,000 more than in 2012, according to the latest report.

Launched on the sidelines of the ongoing International Conference on Population and Development in Nairobi, the latest report — FP2020: Women at the Centre — was produced by Family Planning 2020, a global partnership that supports the rights of women and girls to decide whether, when, and how many children they want to have.

The report is part of the 25- year arc of progress that has uplifted hundreds of millions of women and girls since the Cairo Summit in 1994, according to a statement issued today by the FP2020.

Nepal has made several commitments to FP2020 since 2015, states the report. It estimates that as a result of modern contraceptive use in the country, over 1.2 million unintended pregnancies have been prevented and almost half-amillion unsafe abortions and 1,600 maternal deaths have been averted in the last year alone.

Nepal is committed to accelerating its progress in family planning and has committed to increasing the number of additional users of family planning by an estimated 1 million by 2020. FP2020’s Rapid Response Mechanism is supporting a project in Nepal to train young people with a variety of disabilities to serve as family planning advocates and health promoters, read the statement.

Beth Schlachter, executive director of FP2020, said in the statement: “The evidence is clear – when you invest in women and girls, the good deed never ends. Barriers are broken and opportunities open up that not only lift women out of poverty but can elevate society and bring about economic gains. No other single change can do more to improve the state of the world.”

She continued, “25 years on from the first ICPD, the family planning movement has gained huge momentum. Yet big challenges remain. With every day that passes, millions are denied the right to choose their own future. As we look ahead to 2030, we must continue to push for progress, build on what works well, and ensure that we leave no woman or girl behind.”

The report on family planning in the world’s 69 lowest-income countries shows more women and girls have access to family planning than ever before. It reveals that 314 million women and girls are now using modern contraception, with 53 million new users in the last seven years, and 9 million in the past year alone.

While progress has been significant, FP2020 approaches its deadline year and the initial numeric goal of reaching an additional 120 million women and girls is yet to be realised.

The challenge of putting women and girls at the centre of development remains critical, the report said.