Empowering Women as a Development Tool Empowering Women: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Female Condoms Lucie van Mens

Unmet need for contraception Worldwide 215 million women who like to plan or limit number of children have no access to contraception One-third of all pregnancies in developing countries are unintended Worldwide 21.6 million unsafe abortions cause 5 million women hospitalized each year, and account for 13 % of maternal deaths

HIV transmission and women and girls Worldwide women and girls account for slightly more than half of all HIV infections In sub-Saharan Africa 23 million people live with HIV/AIDS: over 12 million are women and nearly 2.5 million are children In sub-Saharan Africa women aged 15 – 24 years are eight times more likely than men to be HIV positive In some countries being married is risk factor

Consequences Stigma – gender based violence – girls miss out schooling – loss of income – over population – destabilization of families - decrease of quality of care and child raising - poverty trap also for the next generation

Why female condoms? Bigger variety in contraceptive methods has positive impact on use of contraceptives The female condom is the only women initiated method that provides double protection against STIs including HIV and against unwanted pregnancy Cost effective High acceptability

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