We need 1,000,000 people to tell Congress: Access to contraceptives and Reproductive Health Care is an ESSENTIAL RIGHT.
May 08, 2011
Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate mothers. This Mother’s Day thank your mom for all that she has done for you and tell us what you are thankful for (via Twitter (#mil4bil), Facebook, blog comments, or YouTube video). Read More »
May 07, 2011
Mother’s day is a time to celebrate your Mother, but it’s also a good time to reflect on the health of mothers around the world. Family planning and reproductive health care is essential for healthy mothers and healthy families. They are inseparable. As part of the 17 days of action linking Earth Day (April 22) to Mother’s Day (May 8), endorsers and supporters of the “Million for a Billion” petition campaign are taking this message to the blogosphere. Read More »
May 06, 2011
Providing family planning and maternal health services makes a world of difference. To women and their families in the developing world it can even be the difference between life and death. Find out more about the many good things that happen when women and young mothers receive the care they need. The United Nations Population Fund and the Guttmacher Institute have produced a compelling and enlightening report on this subject. Read More »
May 05, 2011
Access to contraceptives and reproductive health services produces enormous benefits. It’s a ‘win-win’ for women, their families, their communities and the world. There is no shortage of good reasons for supporting family planning. Yesterday’s action was to talk to your friends about why you think it’s so important. Today tell us what you talked about with your friends or tell us why you think family planning is important (via Twitter (#mil4bil), Facebook, blog comments, or YouTube video). Read More »
May 04, 2011
Access to contraceptives and reproductive health services produces enormous benefits. It’s a ‘win-win’ for women, their families, their communities and the world. There is no shortage of good reasons for supporting family planning, so take a moment sometime today to have a conversation with your friends about why you think it’s so important. Read More »
May 03, 2011
Need some help getting started? Here are some sample letters you can post: Read More »
May 02, 2011
The “Million for a Billion” campaign is a group effort. Nearly two dozen organizations supporting family planning and reproductive health have joined together in endorsing the petition. Many of these organizations are doing important work or offer valuable information. Take a moment today to check out the endorsers of this campaign by going to our endorsers’ page and clicking on an organization that interests you. Read More »
May 01, 2011
The United Nations has set 2015 target year for achieving universal access to family planning and reproductive health services. Thanks to the support of governments around the world, we have made notable gains toward making that target a reality, but in many nations today women and young people still lack access to the counseling and contraceptives they need to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. See what’s happening in South Africa. Read More »
April 30, 2011
If you have signed the “Million for a Billion” petition that’s great, but if you want to stay engaged, you need to stay informed. You need to know what’s the U.S. and other donor nations are doing about family planning and reproductive health. And you need to know what others are doing to build public support for the petition. The best way to do that is to receive automatic updates. Be sure to sign up http://www.twitter.com/million4billion. Read More »
April 29, 2011
The United Nations has set 2015 as the target year for achieving universal access to family planning and reproductive health services, but if that target is to be reached the U.S. and other donor nations need to boost their financial support. The U.S., for its part, needs to increase its annual commitment to $1 billion. We’re not there yet. This year, the U.S. is spending only $715 million. If you think family planning and reproductive health care is essential to the health and wellbeing of being women and their families in the developing world, it’s time to let your Representatives in Congress know how you feel. So write, tweet your Representatives or post on your Representatives Facebook pages. Let them know it's important! Read More »
April 28, 2011
If you have already signed the “Million for a Billion” petition campaign, which seeks to boost support for family planning and reproductive health care services, that’s great! But don’t stop there. The campaign’s goal of collecting one million signatures in 2011 is not going to be achieved unless you and others signers spread the word to your friends. So go ahead and let all your Facebook and Twitter friends know that you “One of a Million for a Billion” by changing your profile picture. You can post a picture of yourself holding a sign saying “One of a Million for a Billion” or use of the pictures below. It might just change the world. Read More »
April 27, 2011
If you believe that everyone should have access to contraceptives and reproductive health services you are not alone. More than 20 organizations advocating for international family planning assistance have joined together in an effort to collect a million signatures this year in support of a $1 billion U.S. appropriation for international family planning assistance. That’s the minimum investment that’s need if the world is going to achieve universal access of family planning and reproductive health services by 2015 (the target year set the U.N. as part of the Millennium Development Goals). Sign the petition and help us collect a million signatures this year. Read More »
April 26, 2011
The United Nations estimates that there are 215 million women in the development world who want to avoid a pregnancy, but who are not currently using a modern method of birth control. The reasons for this vary, but in some developing countries, women have to travel long distances to obtain family planning services, and when the clinic may be out of contraceptives supplies. Population Action International, with the support of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, last year produced a powerful and compelling video in Uganda that puts a very human face on this very serious problem. Watch the movie. Read More »
April 25, 2011
Preventing unwanted and unintended pregnancies is important to the health and welfare of women and their families, but it’s also important in many cases to the health of the environment. In some developing countries, for example, population pressures are contributing to deforestation. Tell us (via Twitter (#mil4bil), Facebook, blog comments, or YouTube video) why you think family planning is important to the future of the planet. Read More »
April 24, 2011
Every human on the planet has an ecological footprint (EF), but they are not all the same size. Environment impact is a product of both human numbers and the level of human consumption. People living in an industrialized country, like the United States, have a much larger EF than people living in the developed world. That’s because we consume on average a lot more of the world’s resources. The Global Footprint Network has developed a tool that allows you to measure your own footprint. Measuring your footprint is only one step, but an important step in assessing how human activity is affecting the planet. Read More »
April 23, 2011
Climate change and population dynamics interact in profound ways and will continue to do so over the next decades. Population Action International has created an amazing interactive mapping tool that will enable you to see how climate change will affect people and the environment, and how the projected population will change in both the short and long term. By looking at this tool you are able to gain an understanding as to the importance of including family planning and reproductive health care in any climate change response. As part of the 17 days of action linking Earth Day (April 22) to Mother’s Day (May 8), endorsers and supporters of the "Million for a Billion" are encouraging people to take the guided tour of the Population Action International population and climate change map. Read More »
April 22, 2011
Earth Day is a time to reflect on Mother Earth, but it’s also a good time to reflect on how the treatment of women, girls and mothers is inextricably linked to the environment. Family planning and reproductive health care is essential for healthy mothers, healthy families, and, ultimately, a healthy planet. They are inseparable. As part of the 17 days of action linking Earth Day (April 22) to Mother's Day (May 8), endorsers and supporters of the "Million for a Billion" petition campaign are taking this message to the blogosphere. Read More »
April 21, 2011
World leaders face some very tough choices. Deciding whether to expand family planning and reproductive health services is not one of them. It's a 'win-win' proposition for everyone, including mothers and Mother Earth. Read More »
April 20, 2011
The Congressional budget compromise approved earlier this month appropriates a total of $615 million for international family planning and reproductive health programs for current fiscal year (FY2011). Of that amount, $575 million is set aside for bilateral assistance; $40 million will be contributed to the United Nations Population Fund. The $615 million figure represents a 5% reduction from the FY2010 appropriation level ($648 million). Read More »
March 08, 2011
On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Gloria Feldt, a leading feminist and former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, lent her support to the "Million for a Billion" petition drive. Writing in her "9 Ways" blog, Ms. Feldt said, "The best way I can think of to celebrate IWD is to petition the U.S. Congress and other world leaders to make good on their commitments to fund international family planning." Emphasizing that "reproductive self-determination is essential for women," she also criticized efforts in Congress to slash funding for domestic and international family planning. Read More »
February 15, 2011
In his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012, President Obama requested $769 million for international family planning and reproductive health programs, a 19 percent increase in the $648 million appropriated level currently in effect. Read More »
December 22, 2010
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, today welcomed a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to extend the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) beyond 2014. Read More »
December 22, 2010
The U.S. Congress took final action today on a temporary funding measure that would fund the federal government through March 4, 2011. The stop gap funding measure was passed after the Senate failed to approve a House-passed omnibus appropriation bill that would have boosted U.S. international family planning assistance in 2011 to $710 million, an increase of $62 million above the 2010 funding level ($648 million). Read More »