By Gabriela Baron
Nearly half of all pregnancies in the world are unintended, data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed.
In its report, UNFPA said an estimated 257 million women in developing regions who want to avoid pregnancy “are not using safe and effective family planning methods.”
UNFPA attributed this to the lack of access to information or services to the absence of support from their partners or communities.
“Access to safe, voluntary family planning is a human right. Family planning is central to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and it is a key factor in reducing poverty,” UNFPA noted.
In the Philippines, about 1.26 million Filipino women and girls induced abortion in 2020, according to the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network.
Abortion, meanwhile, is still illegal in the Philippines, however, criminalization of abortion has not prevented abortion but instead made the procedure unsafe and deadly for over half a million each year who try to terminate their pregnancies.
READ MORE: 1.26-M Filipino women, girls induced abortion in 2020 – group
UNFPA, a United Nations-attached agency, aims to support family planning through ensuring a steady and reliable supply of contraceptives as well as advocating for policies supportive of family planning.
