ADVOCACY: Policy Agenda

At Pathfinder, we believe that access to quality family planning and reproductive health services has a tremendous impact on the much broader social, economic, and development needs of a developing country. Because reproductive health is interwoven with many development issues, our advocacy program addresses the wide array of areas outlined below.

Reproductive Rights

Our advocacy efforts are grounded in the belief that reproductive rights are human rights. We believe in the right of each person to control his or her own sexuality, fertility, health, and well-being. While all women should have access to safe abortion services, the key to reducing reliance on abortion whether legal or illegal is providing women with the means to safely control their fertility.

Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality

We believe that women’s empowerment and equality are key to developing healthy families and communities, as well as to creating stable, equitable democracies. In many countries, the lack of gender equity, especially when combined with poverty, makes women particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and unwanted pregnancies. Pathfinder promotes gender equity in international population and health policy through our support of such instruments as the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

HIV/AIDS Prevention, Family Planning, and Condom Use

We believe that HIV/AIDS prevention efforts that are closely linked to family planning services are the best way to prevent HIV infection and the spread of other sexually transmitted diseases. Studies have proven that comprehensive prevention programs that use the "ABC" approach (Abstinence, Be faithful, Condom use) are best at reducing the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. We support the dissemination of comprehensive and medically accurate information regarding all prevention methods, including condom use, in US family planning and global AIDS programs.

International Support for Family Planning and Reproductive Health Programs

We believe that donor nations, including the United States, should live up to the commitments made at the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 to improve reproductive health and access to family planning services worldwide. Population programs are one of the great development success stories of US foreign assisatnce programs, but the need for family planning remains urgent. In addition, donor nations should fulfill their commitments to multilateral efforts such as the United Nations Population Fund and the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Reducing Restrictions on International Family Planning Programs

International family planning programs funded by the United States are subject to a number of programmatic and operational restrictions, such as the Global Gag Rule. We support efforts to remove these restrictions and to enable US organizations like Pathfinder to conduct programs and provide technical assistance in the most effective and efficient manner, reaching as many of those in need as possible.

Adolescent Reproductive Health

We believe that adolescents around the world have unique reproductive health needs that must be addressed. At the beginning of the last century, there were 1.6 billion humans on earth; the last century ended with 6.1 billion and currently, more than 3 billion are under 25 years of age. There are more people entering their reproductive years than there were people on the planet 100 years ago. That is why our advocacy efforts support policies that address the unique emotional and physical needs of adolescents around the world.

The Environment

We believe that good family planning practice can contribute to environmental protection. Use of family planning enables later childbearing and helps to slow population growth, which requires that family planning services be available to all who seek them. It also helps girls to attend school and remain there longer, and assists women in achieving equal access to economic opportunities.
 

Back to top