Exploring the Role of Judicial-Led Reforms in Family Planning and Population Policies in Pakistan

Muhammad Wazir, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Yilma Alazar, United National Population Fund

Pakistan was among first countries which endorsed the ICPD commitments in 1994 that emphasizes the importance of universal access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and triggered a significant shift from a population control-focused programming to a rights-based approach. The first of its kind by combining quantitative and political economy analysis methodology, the paper has three aims: 1) To evaluate the major family planning reforms and assess how they were integrated/institutionalized in existing deficient health and PWD. 2) Analyze the progress and gaps in achieving ICPD priorities and evaluate the quantitative goals of fertility and contraceptive prevalence from right-based perspective including the impact of tempo effect on fertility goals. 3) Examine emerging demographic challenges ranging from demographic inequalities b/w the provinces, subnational governance and domestic finances. The findings suggested that 2018 major policy initiative is weak in relation to formulation process and implementation. We have discussed the six interlinked challenges for the 2018 policy reforms for more in-depth understanding of the policy making process, financing and implementation challenges. The analysis explains why the 5th most populus country in the world continues to follow ineffective policy without accounting for implementation (structural) challenges.

Keywords: Family Planning and Contraception, Population Policies, Data and Methods

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