The Guardian: Sustainable development is only possible if women’s health is prioritized
Ann M. Starrs, president and chief executive of the Guttmacher Institute

“…In the months ahead, government negotiators and civil society will grapple with many competing priorities as they try to reach a consensus on a new global development agenda. And, undoubtedly, socially conservative countries and activists who are hostile to sexual and reproductive health rights will lobby against addressing these issues in the final goals. But these core principles must not be compromised or negotiated away. U.N. delegates need to pay attention to the evidence that clearly establishes how investing in sexual and reproductive health benefits women, their families, their communities, and their nations. If they don’t, half of humanity will continue to lag behind and true sustainable development will be impossible to achieve” (1/21).