Celebrating World Contraception Day 2024: Empowering Choices for a Healthier Future
26 September 2024 – Today, SAYWHAT observes World Contraception Day, a significant global campaign dedicated to raising awareness about contraception and empowering individuals to make informed choices regarding their reproductive health. This day serves as a vital reminder of the importance of access to contraceptive methods, education, and the empowerment of individuals—especially young people—worldwide.
The theme for this year, “A Choice for All. Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose” highlights a comprehensive approach to reproductive health, affirming that everyone deserves the right to make choices that influence their lives and futures.
Contraception plays an essential role in advancing reproductive health and rights. It empowers individuals to take control of their bodies and lives, enabling them to plan and make informed decisions. Access to contraceptive methods can significantly reduce unintended pregnancies, which, in turn, lowers rates of maternal and infant mortality. Nonetheless, many individuals, particularly young people, continue to face significant barriers to accessing contraception. These barriers often include lack of education, cultural stigmas, economic constraints, and limited availability of contraceptive options.
On the occasion of World Contraceptive Day, SAYWHAT reaffirms its commitment to raise awareness about contraceptives, to educate young people on their health rights, and play our role towards the FP2030 agenda. We acknowledge the commitments made by different stakeholders and we will continue complementing efforts towards FP2030 international framework to advance global health, support gender equality, and develop thriving communities. We take this opportunity to commend the commitments made by the Government of Zimbabwe:
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- To ensure the availability and access to quality, integrated, and affordable contraceptive services for all eligible women, regardless of sex, color, religion, creed, disability, or geography, with the aim of increasing the modern contraceptive prevalence rate for all women from 48% in 2021 to 54% by 2030.
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- To provide all adolescents and young people with access to comprehensive and age-appropriate information, while removing barriers to accessing voluntary contraceptive services, thereby protecting them from unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence, STIs, and HIV/AIDS.
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- To ensure commodity security by mobilizing domestic resources for the procurement of contraceptives, including engagement with the private sector.
SAYWHAT will work tirelessly promoting awareness and education about contraception. Through campaigns, workshops, and outreach programs, we will engage young people and encourage them to take charge of their reproductive health. Education about contraceptive options, sexual health, and rights is crucial for nurturing a generation that can advocate for itself and its future. By providing reproductive health education in schools and communities, we can dismantle the misconceptions and stigma surrounding contraception. We call upon development organizations to support these initiatives and help us advocate for inclusive education that caters to the diverse needs of all young people.
In addition, to create a meaningful impact on World Contraception Day, we must confront the barriers that hinder access to contraceptives. This includes advocating for policy changes that prioritize reproductive health, ensuring that access to contraceptive methods and education is available to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic status. Reproductive health education programs must be implemented in schools, focusing on consent and the importance of contraception.
SAYWHAT take this opportunity to remind governments to remove barriers and ensure adolescents and young people access reproductive health services when they need them. We look forward to the review and enactment of Medical Services and the Termination of Pregnancy Acts in Zimbabwe, thereby upholding the rights of young people to make informed choices about their reproductive health.
When we work together, civil society organizations, development partners, and governments, we can pave the way for a world where everyone has the information and resources necessary to make empowered choices about their bodies and lives. Let us celebrate World Contraception Day by spreading awareness, dismantling barriers, and championing the right to reproductive health for ALL!
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