Giving Compass' Take:

• Seema Jalan explains how reproductive health and rights are essential to progress for women and communities. 

• How can funders work in culturally sensitive ways to increase access to reproductive healthcare and rights? 

• Learn about a global approach to reproductive health. 

In Worlds Apart, the bottom line is that economic inequalities reflect and are reinforced by inequalities in realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights. It is a vicious cycle with compounding problems: A woman or girl whose health and rights are not fulfilled is more likely to face inequalities in education, economic stability, and health outcomes; and, a woman or girl in poverty is likely to have less access to reproductive health information and services that can help her break the pattern. Some, if not all, of the disparities she faces will be passed to her children, and her children’s children.

These effects ripple out to impact not just her rights, her health, her job prospects, and her economic potential, but that of her family, her community, and her country. She is trapped in a cycle of poverty and marginalization.

This is not a woman’s issue; it’s the world’s issue. According to the report, 68 countries had larger gender gaps in 2016 than in 2015 – a significant step backward as we inch closer to the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals. The ripple effects of a healthy, empowered woman or girl tie into each and every one of the goals, which are based on a foundation of equality and inclusiveness. These goals will remain out of our reach unless we can reach those who are left the furthest behind – those for whom basic human rights are still not fulfilled.

Read the full article about reproductive health by Seema Jalan at United Nations Foundation.