World Population Day 11th July 2021: Messages from Ayesha Leghari Country Director PSI Pakistan

TEXT: This year's theme for the World Population Day is ‘Rights and Choices'. We have always prioritized informed choices and firmly believe that it is our job to raise awareness amongst women along with their families about concepts like birth spacing and counselling for modern contraceptive methods of her choice.

It is when women know their rights, they have the liberty of making informed choices. Margaret Sanger once said, “No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.” When the COVID-19 pandemic hit us unexpectedly and unprepared last year, it also greatly increased the risks of unintended pregnancies. While the nation and our government were firefighting the pandemic, the health experts were also fearing for another crisis ahead and thus began the efforts to make reproductive health and birth spacing a part of essential service. PSI Pakistan along with its partner organizations, rolled up its sleeves to ensure that even during the strict lockdown the availability of contraceptives could be ensured; we realized that our interventions became even more important in these trying times than before.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021