'Focusing only on the issue of population growth can disenfranchise women in the global south and further widen the gap between the north and south. Instead let us encourage a discourse where we examine population growth and consumption patterns in tandem. Both place great pressures on natural resources and adversely affect the health of our planet, but when we only talk about population growth, we unfairly shift the burden onto a specific subset of already vulnerable women instead of looking at the problem more holistically.

 

Perhaps we can start to remedy the situation and even out the playing field by empowering all women and girls. We must create an enabling environment for women to take back control over their own bodies and lives, with the freedom to choose and the ability to make decisions regarding education, careers, health, and family planning.'