Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest level of fertility and population growth in the world, and studies<\/a> have linked the fertility rate and lack of family planning in the region to the dire economic outlook and extreme poverty levels. Africa\u2019s population of 1.1 billion will likely double<\/a> by 2050. Africa\u2019s most populated city, Lagos, is predicted to grow by 77 people every hour over the next decade.\u00a0Nigeria\u2019s is not alone. Similar \u201cyouth explosions\u201d are already underway throughout Africa, where 70 percent of Africans are under age 30<\/a>. Exceedingly high rates of urbanization, weak economic growth and inadequate infrastructure, have caused the youth bulge to be labelled as a \u201cticking time bomb\u201d of unemployment and poverty.<\/p> At 1.6 births per woman, Europe currently has one of the lowest birth rates globally and its aging population and governments must contend with a very different set of concerns. On the one hand, research has shown<\/a> that the introduction of family planning not only reduces the population growth of a country, but also increases life expectancy as infant mortality decreases and women experience the risks of birth less frequently. Population.io expects that females born in Germany on the day family planning was declared a human right in 1968, had a life expectancy of 88.1 years. Today, on its 50th anniversary, women in Germany have a life expectancy of 92.9 years. On the other hand, while an aging population points to positive social developments, such as accountable family planning services and equal access to higher education and the labor market, it has also been described as \u201cdemographic suicide<\/a>,\u201d as the labor pool of working-age people shrinks, so could economic growth.<\/p> Of course, only imagining Africa\u2019s expanding young population as a recipe for chaos -- or Europe\u2019s low-fertility rate as a death knell for growth -- misses many other realities of other countries\u2019 and regions\u2019 experience in trying to manage population growth. For example, in Oman, the population has doubled over the past 25 years and fostered a healthy economy. \u00a0China\u2019s famous one-child policy, which drastically reduced the country\u2019s fertility rate<\/a>, also coincided with one of the greatest economic expansions in history<\/a>. Similarly \u2013 but also, conversely -- the famous \u201cBaby Boom\u201d of the United States post-war era also directly supported a massive expansion of middle class spending power<\/a>. From these examples alone, it is easy to see how demographic policies affect economies is highly contextual and necessary but also insufficient. Both an excess of young or old can act as a double-edged sword and have significant implications for policymakers. Family planning is therefore not a one-sided story, but a varied public policy balancing act.<\/p> You've taken a step toward giving with impact by learning about the role family planning plays in our world. Here are ways you can take action:<\/p> Asia is home to 60 percent of the world\u2019s population, so if we\u2019re going to make headway with any global challenges, we need to see positive change in the region.<\/p> To tackle gender equality, one of the UN\u2019s sustainable development goals, 18 influential Asian women banded together on\u00a0International Women\u2019s Day<\/a>\u00a0last year as founding members of the\u00a0Asia Gender Network<\/a>\u00a0(AGN). It\u2019s powered by AVPN, a social investment network, with operational costs covered by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.<\/p> \u201cThis is not just another women\u2019s network,\u201d says AVPN CEO Naina Subberwal Batra. \u201cThe Asian Gender Network will use its resources to amplify initiatives and scale solutions for some of the most neglected or underrepresented sectors that the region faces.\u201d<\/p> The members include prominent entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and leaders of family businesses, some of whom are\u00a0Asia\u2019s Most Influential<\/a>\u00a0honourees or\u00a0Gen.T<\/a>\u00a0honourees.<\/p> They\u2019re attracted by the chance to collaborate more widely with accomplished peers across the region and by the network\u2019s Asian identity, according to Patricia Mathias, head of the AVPN gender platform. \u201cWe\u2019ve all grown up here and understand the cultural nuances and the need to solve our problems our way\u2014for Asia by Asia,\u201d she says.<\/p> In 2021, AGN raised more than US$10 million to combat problems ranging from justice for survivors of violence to support for female entrepreneurs to eradicating modern slavery. Membership has grown to 32 women who hail from 15 Asian markets, among them,\u00a0Veronica Colondam<\/a>,\u00a0Mercedes Lopez-Vargas<\/a>, and\u00a0Grace Forrest<\/a>.<\/p> Members recently formed three themed impact circles to coordinate efforts around economic empowerment, education, and gender justice. Some will also contribute to pooled funds that are launching in 2022. The first has a goal of raising US$25 million over five years to support women\u2019s economic advancement in the region; two subsequent pooled funds will focus on maternal healthcare and STEM education.<\/p> AGN members will be meeting face-to-face in June 2022 at the AVPN global conference in Bali and are involved with the development of various initiatives in the run-up to the G20 Summit being held in Indonesia in October 2022.<\/p> \u201cWe need women in all places where decisions are being made and we need more women in leadership roles if we are to move forward towards gender equality,\u201d says Meiling Guo, chairman of Beijing Century Galaxy Technology Group.<\/p> Read the full article about the Asian gender network by Kate Appleton at Tatler Asia.Europe\u2019s Aging Population: Has the Pendulum Swung Too Far?<\/h5>
Finding Balance is the Key<\/h5>
How to Get Involved<\/h5>
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