by Janine Kossen, Director, Public Policy

This week, the world reached a new milestone as it welcomed the 7 billionth person to the planet. Nearly half of those seven billion people are under the age of 25 — and in many of the least developed countries, the under-25 population is closer to 60 or 70 percent.

The human toll on the environment has grown exponentially as the population has increased, with women and girls in the world's least developed countries disproportionately impacted by the effects of environmental and climate change. Limited access to family planning and education have helped contribute to these effects as more than 215 million women around the world want to limit or space their births, but are not currently using modern contraception. This unmet need for contraception is often twice as high among young women ages 15-19 in some regions of the world, compared to those over the age of 20.

Urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Global Democracy Promotion Act today!

Despite this incredible unmet need, attempts to further restrict access to international family planning and reproductive health programs are in full force in the U.S. Congress. In addition to proposing funding cuts, the House of Representatives also wants to reinstate the Global Gag Rule, a harmful ideological policy that prohibits foreign non-governmental organizations from receiving critical international family planning funds if they provide, counsel, refer, or otherwise advocate for abortion services with their own, non-U.S. funding. When in effect, the policy disqualifies some of the most effective and experienced providers of reproductive health care, often dismantling the only health services available in a community.

Fortunately, there is something we can do about that! The Global Democracy Promotion Act (GDPA) (H.R. 2639/S. 1585) would permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule and ensure that U.S.-funded organizations can continue to deliver life-saving information and services that meet the needs of women and young people around the world. The GDPA will ensure that women in developing countries have greater access to contraceptives, fewer unintended pregnancies, and reduced risk of dying from complications following unsafe abortion.


In addition to reaching out to US policymakers, it's also important to ask world leaders to recognize the connections between sexual and reproductive health rights and climate change. In November, youth advocates will deliver a petition to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary, Ms. Christiana Figueres, calling on her to encourage world leaders at the Durban Climate Change Conference to prioritize young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights within their climate change policy discussions and action plans. Please help us reach 1,000 signatures so we can send a powerful message to leaders assembled in Durban.

Sign our climate change petition!

The present and future direction of this planet will largely depend on how well we educate, empower, and engage the largest generation of young people in history. We need your help to ensure that congressional policymakers and world leaders understand that young people have a right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment. Ignoring the needs of half the world's population would not be wise in the new world of seven billion.