Empowering women is the key to control population growth

Empowerment refers to measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities in order to enable them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. 

Women empowerment will help in tackling population growth: 

• Political Empowerment: This would result in increase in women’s participation in the political processes, structures, institutions. This would enhance the voice of women at different platforms. Hence, women will be able to raise awareness about need of small families and birth control and the associated benefits. 

• Economic Empowerment: This will lead to the participation of women in the economic activities. It will increase the family income and also improve the situation of women in making financial decisions. Thus, there will be fewer requirement of income generating options which led to giving birth to more children. Thus, this would check the population growth. 

• Social Empowerment: This would result in the improved status and boost confidence of the women. This confidence would ultimately affect the decision making ability of the women. They would be able to take decisions regarding number of children they want. 

• Constitutional Empowerment: This would result in rise in awareness of the women about their constitutional rights including right to life and liberty, freedom, and equality. Hence, women will be able to make choices in the family planning and number of children they want to have. 

• Technological Empowerment: If women are able to use technology like mobile phones, etc., they would be able to receive the information about the advantages of small families and right age of having children. Also, this would lead to the improved reproductive and general health of women as the women would be aware of the options of various birth control measures like pills, tablets, etc. 

“If you educate a man, you educate only a man, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole generation”. This is the kind of effect women have and hence, population control can be achieved by the empowerment of women in various spheres. This would have multiplier effect on other institutions of the society and economy and lead to sustainable development