State of World Population 2012 - Country Page List - UNFPA

CHAPTER
THREE
Challenges in extending
access to everyone
A large and unsatisfied desire exists for family planning around the world among
people of many ages, ethnic groups and places of residence. Nations vary greatly
in their ability to help their populations fulfil this desire and uphold individuals’
rights. In many countries national legislation exists to translate international rights
commitments into reality (Robison and Ross, eds, 2007). But in far too many
settings, the rights of some—not all—are guaranteed only in principle.
t
Brenda, 16, (left)
and her older sister
Atupele, 18, (right)
had to drop out
of school because
their family could
not afford the fees.
Both are now young
mothers.
©Lindsay Mgbor/
UK Department
for International
Development
Despite a range of legal protections, barriers to
access—and to rights—persist. Some barriers
are related to costs and affordability. Others are
related to difficulties in making quality supplies
and services reliably available in remote
areas or to the distances individuals must travel
to obtain family planning. Other obstacles
are related to social norms, customs or gender
inequality. And still others are related to policy
or legislative environments.
Many groups, therefore, are not able to
exercise their right to decide whether, when
and under what conditions to have children.
The challenge is often related to direct and
indirect discrimination and the unequal
implementation of existing legislation, policies
and programming.
Worldwide, specific sub-populations face the
greatest challenges in accessing the information
and services they need to plan their families. As
a result, access to family planning is more akin
to a privilege enjoyed by some rather than a
universal right exercised by all.
Confronting social and economic
barriers to family planning
The United Nations Common Understanding
on a Human Rights-Based Approach
emphasizes the importance of building the
capacities of individuals to claim their rights
as well as of duty-bearers to meet their
obligations, including service provision.
Consequently increased access and use of
basic family planning services require the
development of capacities for empowerment,
in particular of marginalized and discriminated
rights-holders, and capacities for duty-bearers
responsiveness and accountability. Many varied
institutions can and do address these barriers to
the realization of the right to family planning.
Social, cultural and economic factors can
enable or impede the realization of rights
including access to and provision of family
planning information and services. These
factors may mean that ethnicity, age, marital
status, refugee status, sex, disability, poverty,
mental health and other characteristics are
THE STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2012
39