Devex: Opinion: The economic case for reproductive rights
Vanessa Kerry, CEO and co-founder of Seed Global Health

“Good health is critical to advancing economic opportunities for women and the societies in which they live. … The risk to women’s health has effects that go far beyond an individual woman. … When women have access to the tools they need to control whether, when, and how often to have children, their families benefit too. … At the macrolevel, it’s about economic security. Existing studies show that prioritizing women’s health is tied to long-term productivity. It results in improved population health, better-educated societies, and increased household finances. … [I]f we cannot see the very basic and evident moral, ethical, and human argument for a women’s right to health, we should embrace the evidence of the impact of investing in women’s health. It will mean better community, country, global, economic, political, population, and climate security. There is a simple truth: Investing in women’s health creates a ripple effect that results in healthy societies on all levels…” (11/20).