A feminist analysis on women’s empowerment in the context of FamilyPlanning2020

Abstract

Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) is a global initiative that originated in 2012, dedicated to bring contraceptive access in rural areas in the 69 poorest countries, promoting a target to reach 120 million women by 2020. The thesis assesses the impact of the FP2020 initiative on women’s empowerment, as conceptualized in feminist literature, in a three-fold framework that identifies: previous disempowerment; the creation favourable conditions; and agency.

The analysis reveals that FP2020 recognizes disempowerment due to contraception unavailability, but lacks clarity in their choice of metric that distinguishes between non-users and those with unmet needs. They have correctly identified a group that potentially could be empowered. The initiative inconsistently creates favourable conditions for empowerment, especially due to its narrow focus on Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC), insufficient services to remove hormonal implants and the results-based approach that potentially leads to competition and coercive incentives for personnel that executes the policy. Women’s agency can be compromised due to these unfavourable conditions. Consequently, women's agency in family planning decisions is context-dependent.

Despite transformative outcomes for some, FP2020's positive impact on empowerment is not guaranteed; sometimes the possibility for empowerment is completely obstructed. This thesis underscores the importance of recognizing and correcting future policy shortcomings in FP2030, the initiative's successor, and advocates for a thorough reshaping of underpinning philosophies.