Prioritising reproductive agency

We must build a future where Nepalis can make informed choices about their reproductive lives.

Each year, World Population Day prompts headlines about population growth, fertility decline and demographic ‘crises.’ But these narratives often miss a deeper truth: The real population challenge is not about how many people are born or how fast populations age. It is about whether individuals—especially women and young people—have the freedom, power and support to decide if, when, and how many children to have. This is what we mean by reproductive agency. However, it is now under threat.