Deciding when to have a child is a small, dignifying gift. A gift more nurturing than the bully of chance. Meet Marda and Alfred, a young couple from the country of Malawi who have experienced firsthand the power and the potential that come with being able to use family planning to decide how many children to have, and when to have them.
This film is the story of Malawi, a country struggling with the burdens of extreme poverty, resource scarcity, and a rapidly growing population that could triple in size in the next 35 years. A country in which people like Marda and Alfred are not the norm, and many are forced to leave the size of their families to chance. One quarter of women in developing countries like Malawi want to plan their families, but don’t have access to the commodities, services and information they need.
Access to family planning isn’t just about empowering individuals like Marda and Alfred. It’s also about the future of countries like Malawi, and the future of our planet. When women have access to voluntary family planning they choose to have smaller families, which reduces population growth and gives countries the chance to develop sustainably.
The Aspen Institute’s Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health is a group of world leaders committed to ensuring that all people have access to family planning and reproductive health.
You can help by sharing this video or by donating to support our work.
Learn more about the Global Leaders Council here. Stay up-to-date with our work by following us on Twitter @GLCRHresolve.
