Almost every big problem humanity is watching come down the pike is exacerbated by, connected to, or directly attributable to the fact that our species is exploding. In large part, this is happening in the global south. Kenya, for example, is in the midst of a population explosion. With a high fertility rate–the average Kenyan woman has 4.5 children, compared with 2.3 worldwide–Kenya’s population of 44 million is projected to more than double to 97 million by 2050. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of Kenyan women are still unable to access the contraceptives they want. Despite over a century of family-planning aid work, it remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of international development. This is in large part because of Western efforts to apply a coercive form of population control under the guise of “family planning.” If we could get people to talk openly and honestly about the issue, and bring better family planning to women worldwide, we might simultaneously even the gender gap, improve women’s and children’s health across the globe, and stem the population explosion that is destroying the planet.
