Redefining role of men in family planning scenario

At a time when India is looking to improve labour force participation for women (sliding in recent years), it would be appropriate in light of the recent World Contraception Day to look at how access to quality, affordable health care and family planning methods affects women’s education, careers and economic empowerment potential. Planned and delayed pregnancies give couples the ability to build a stronger economic foundation before taking on the expenses, and in the case of women, restrictions, associated with raising a family. Fewer children means better allocation of resources and time for the woman to pursue a career outside home. A woman in control of her fertility can plan her professional growth and mobility much better. Frequent and unwanted pregnancies not only undermine the woman’s health but also adds costs in terms of health care and career advancement.
While it is no one’s case that population should be controlled, fewer unintended pregnancies are a great contributor to resource depletion and environmental well-being. The focus should be on not just a basket of contraceptives but awareness for a woman to understand what suits her best given her social circumstances and health parameters. Access to voluntary family planning should be considered an essential component of human rights and central to gender equality.
Sharmila Das, chairwoman, Purple Audacity, a method-neutral, insights and strategy consultancy firm says, “In my three decades of work, I have had the chance to witness individuals making the journey from lack of awareness and apprehension, to critically questioning the relevance of contraceptive use and onto beginning to identify the benefits of family planning and contraceptive use. As a greater choice of contraceptive methods has become available, the focus has shifted from population management to empowering individuals to choose methods that suit their needs; men and women have found value in using contraception to not only limit family size, but to prevent, and delay, and have space between pregnancies. The key outcome has been the increased agency we see among individuals and couples deciding to have a child when they are emotionally, physically, and financially equipped to provide the desired level of care, education, and comfort to their children. Though there is still much to be done, the ripple effect is that of an emerging generation of Indians who have greater access to the knowledge and means to make decisions that lead to better physical, social, sexual, and psychological well-being.”
What needs to be worked on is the involvement of men in the family planning scenario. Surveys show that even now, over a third of men believe that contraception is the woman’s responsibility with a fifth actually holding the view that contraception contributes to promiscuity. Studies show involving men in playing a supportive role in women’s health decisions reduce gender violence and encourage shared partnership in decision-making regarding reproductive choices.
Unfortunately, the participation of men in India continues to be low. A large proportion of men remain non-users of contraception due to a lack of awareness, fears and misconceptions, socio-cultural/familial beliefs, and patriarchal norms. Part of this is due to totally unfounded fears that male contraceptive methods (for example, vasectomy) could compromise masculinity and sexual performance.
In many cultures, men have the final say in family decisions, including those related to family planning, which can hinder women’s access to contraceptives if men are unsupportive. Lack of communication and joint decision-making about family planning can result in inconsistent contraceptive use.
Pranita Achyut, director, research and programmes, International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) says, “For contraception to be empowering, women and couples must have access to affordable quality services and space to make informed choices and decisions without fear of coercion. Promoting collaborative decision-making among partners that are informed by correct and comprehensive information is critical for gaining the socio-demographic dividends of family planning.”
The views expressed are personal