The following is a summary of three blog posts addressing family planning as the International Conference on Family Planning continues in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week.

• Janet Fleischman and Alisha Kramer, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) blog: “Secretary of State John Kerry’s video message to the conference offers a unique opportunity for the United States to strategically reposition family planning as key to sustainable development, and to re-double U.S. commitment to national family planning programs,” Fleischman, a senior associate with the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, and Kramer, a research assistant and program coordinator with the center, write in the blog. They examine the role of family planning in global development, and state, “Despite the many challenges, Ethiopia exemplifies why access to family planning is inextricably intertwined with achieving broader health and development goals, and why this should be a strategic priority for the United States” (11/13).
• Jennifer James, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists” blog: “We read about the need for family planning services in the developing world all of the time, but hearing from women validates the numbers and puts a real face on those who desperately need the help of [non-governmental organizations (NGOs)] and local organizations that provide education and family planning to both men and women,” James, founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, writes in the blog (11/13).
• Jenni Lee, United Nations Foundation blog:  Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) on Wednesday released a progress report on its work, Lee, a senior communications officer at the foundation, writes in the blog. She highlights some of the report’s key findings and adds, “Increasing access to voluntary family planning services and information benefits women, families, communities, and the world” (11/13).