Pakistan’s fertility rate is the highest in South Asia at 3.7 births per woman
TURBAT: History shows that a high population rate can create many problems for the economy of a country. Pakistan is one of the most heavily-populated countries in the world, ranking at number six. With poverty rising, the masses are deprived of basic facilities like water, hospitals, educational facilities, environmental issues and gender disparity. Gender inequality also impacts education of women and their economic independence, and hence their right to family planning. This leads to a high number of maternal deaths, unwanted pregnancies, malnutrition among women and children and early marriages.
According to a United Nations’ report, the population of Pakistan is estimated to exceed 403 million by 2050. Pakistan’s fertility rate is the highest in South Asia at 3.7 births per woman. This is because women are not given the option of family planning and autonomy over their own bodies. Despite knowing the impact of such a large population, the majority of people keep denying women their right to family planning. I hope the government and non-governmental organisations work together to enact laws in favour of family planning and female autonomy over their own bodies. Our country does not have the resources to deal with such a huge population.
Dildar Ghani
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2019.
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