Unpacking the Twists and Turns of Family Planning in the Past 30 Years

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in 1994, marked a turning point in how we think about reproductive rights. It was meant to put an end to population control and pave the way for better family planning. But, like many big deals, it had its compromises. Three decades later, it's a good time to look back at those compromises and see how they've shaped family planning programs. A thinking person might not be so sure that things have improved if they're looking at the real-world impact of these programs. Before ICPD, contraceptives were promoted for population control. After ICPD, the push to use contraceptives often wrapped itself in the language of feminism and women's rights. Yet, the goals were often the same: to control population growth. If you take a step back and look at the big picture, you'll see that the world after ICPD is complicated. There are many different points of view.Some people want to make sure everyone has the right to choose when and how to have kids. Others are worried about population growth and its impact on resources. Then, there are folks who think contraceptives and abortion are wrong. This messy mix of ideas needs to be untangled and talked about openly, especially as we mark the 30-year mark since ICPD. The struggle for reproductive justice is real, and it's important to talk about these issues in a nuanced way. When you dig into the history, you see that there are many different ways to look at family planning, and you find that these ideas aren't always aligned with each other. The ICPD+30 milestone offers a chance to look back and see how things have changed and how they haven't. It's a chance to talk about these issues in a thoughtful way and think about how we can move forward.