Hey,
Let’s cut right to the chase. This World Contraception Day 2025, the theme is “A Choice for All. Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose.” It’s a powerful statement and theme, but right now, it feels more like a cry than a celebration and here’s why.
If these contraceptives are destroyed, it will send a message, a message that our health, our futures, and our autonomy are disposable. It will imply a dangerous lie: that contraception is a luxury. It’s time we set the record straight. Contraception is not a luxury; it’s a fundamental necessity for women’s health, economic progress, and simple human dignity.
Approximately 77% of the supplies were earmarked for African nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mali, many of which are already facing contraceptive shortages due to the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID.
Why Destroying Contraceptives is an Attack on Us All
Burning $10 million in contraceptives isn’t just about wasting money. It’s about denying healthcare, and it threatens SRHR across the many countries that need them. Contraceptives are medicine. They are used to manage debilitating conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and severe menstrual pain. Destroying them is denying life-changing medical treatment.
Don’t forget that access to contraception is directly linked to educational attainment and economic mobility. It enables individuals to complete their education, pursue careers, and achieve financial stability before starting a family. Destroying contraceptives is an attempt to limit those opportunities, especially for young women. Destroying contraceptives is sabotaging the future of millions of women.
This move is a stark reminder that there are forces actively working to strip away our “Power to Choose.” It’s a blatant and shameless attempt to replace personal freedom with political control over our bodies.
Beyond Pregnancy Prevention: Contraception as a Cornerstone of Health
We need to change the narrative, and fast. Framing contraception as just “birth control” minimises its profound importance and fuels the audacity of powerful political systems trying to take it away from us. It is a pillar of public health.
For countless people, contraception is essential healthcare. It manages chronic conditions, reduces the risk of certain cancers, and gives individuals control over their physical and mental well-being. When people can plan their families, they can fully participate in society. They innovate, lead companies, create art, and drive economies forward. Contraception is quite literally fuel for social and economic progress. Treating it as anything less is a step backwards for everyone.
Our Power is Non-Negotiable
The destruction of $10 million in contraceptives is a stark warning. It shows us that the “Freedom to Plan” is fragile and that the “Power to Choose” is under direct attack.
This World Contraception Day, let’s honour the theme by refusing to be silent. Let’s redefine the conversation, not as a debate about luxury, but as a non-negotiable demand for health, equality, and autonomy.
We urge global leaders to protect contraceptive access, invest in comprehensive SRHR services, and ensure that no person is denied their right to plan their future. Civil Society Organisations must remain vigilant, united, and relentless in holding systems accountable. The world cannot afford silence.
Furthermore, as we gear up for the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) in Bogotá, Colombia, world leaders and CSOs must reaffirm their commitment to reproductive justice by safeguarding access to contraception everywhere. The threat of the destruction of contraceptives is a stark reminder that progress can be undone unless we stand firm, speak out, and collaborate across borders.
If they burn the supplies, they cannot burn our resolve, our futures, our choices and our voices.
Our freedom is essential. Our health is necessary. Our power is ours to keep.