7 October 2024 : Daily Answer Writing

1. “Empowering women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss

 (150 words/10m)

ANS

“The empowerment of women is the most effective tool for development,” as said by Kofi Annan. One of the main issues facing our contemporary civilization is population growth. Indiscriminate population increase has both short-term and long-term effects. There are several ways to slow down population increase, but one of the most effective strategies is to empower women.

Empowering women is the key to Control Population Growth:  

Education: Expanding access to education is one of the best strategies to empower women. Women with higher levels of education are more likely to know about and utilize family planning techniques, as well as possess the abilities and know-how required to land well-paying professions and provide for their families. For instance, Kerala has women who read at a rate of over 90%, which raises knowledge and results in a low TFR (Total Fertility Rate) of 1.5.

Empowering population through socio-economic activities – Bangladesh’s success in lowering population increase through women’s empowerment projects. In the 1970s, Bangladesh established extensive initiatives focusing on female education, healthcare, and microfinance. Fertility rates significantly decreased as a result, going from an average of six children per woman in the 1970s to about two now. Women’s greater access to economic and educational possibilities, which enabled them to make well-informed decisions about family planning, was credited with this achievement.

Women can participate in family planning decisions thanks to economic empowerment, which also lessens the need for big families in order to maintain financial stability.

Making decisions on your own: Empowered Women have the courage to defy their families’ wishes. Smaller families are an option for them, which is appropriate for efficient population control. We provide them equal treatment and the final say in family planning decisions.
Her self-assurance and social standing will support her strong resolve to resist all social influences. Early marriage can result in high fecundity. Women’s empowerment is both a necessary and sufficient prerequisite to deal with this predicament.
Their ability to read and understand various birth control methods will be enhanced by their digital literacy. Educated women make informed decisions about reproductive health, resulting to reduced fertility rates.

Women who are empowered speak up in favor of smaller families, access to reproductive healthcare, and gender equality. For instance, successful population control was achieved in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tunisia through investments in women’s reproductive health services and access to contraception.
Empowering women leads to societal shifts that support long-term population control.