Saskia Hüsken
Senior Advocacy Advisor, Rutgers, Dutch centre of knowledge and expertise on sexual health and well-being
Sexual and reproductive health and rights are fundamental to human dignity, wellbeing and societal progress. Yet, they are often overlooked despite their crucial role in economic and social development.
When women cannot access contraception, safe abortion care or evidence-based information on sexual health, they lose the ability to stay in school, enter the workforce and fully contribute to their communities.
Without these essential rights, they are denied the freedom to make their own choices about their lives, bodies and futures — to live healthy, safe and free. The ripple effects of restricting women’s rights are also felt in education systems, labour markets and national economies.
Supporting gender equality and challenging injustice
Across the world, young people are standing up for reproductive rights. In Benin, Nicaise, a 24-year-old youth leader is mobilising other men to support gender equality, challenging deeply ingrained norms and fighting against the violence and inequities that stem from gender injustice.
In Kenya, 28-year-old Lawreen joins hundreds of youth in a caravan moving across the country, gathering perspectives on reproductive rights, education and well-being. These young leaders are part of a global movement calling for justice, dignity and the fundamental right to control one’s own body and future.
Yet, today, people in power continue to strip away these rights, treating the autonomy of half the world’s population as negotiable. This is not just a human rights violation; it is a fundamental economic and social miscalculation.
The economic benefits of prioritising
reproductive rights are clear.
The cost of denying reproductive rights
Denial of reproductive rights doesn’t just affect individuals; it comes at a significant cost to national economies. Without adequate access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, countries lose out on the potential of women to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Adolescent pregnancies alone lead to significant economic and social consequences,1 with complications from pregnancy and childbirth being the leading cause of death for girls aged 15–19 in low and middle-income countries. This tragedy not only impacts their health but also limits their ability to finish their education and access work opportunities, further stifling economic potential.
Reproductive rights can benefit economies
The economic benefits of prioritising reproductive rights are clear. A McKinsey Global Institute report estimates that closing gender gaps in employment could boost global GDP by $28 trillion2 and countries that invest in reproductive healthcare and education prove higher productivity, reduced poverty and stronger economies.
[1] World Bank Group. 2022. The Social and Educational Consequences of Adolescent Childbearing.
[2] McKinsey Global Institute. 2015. The power of parity: How advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth.
