Reproductive health is central to peace, stability, and growth.

Reproductive health underpins economic stability and growth in several ways. Access to contraception allows couples to choose if and when they have children. Uniformly, countries with higher levels of contraceptive use see individuals delay or space childbearing, allowing more women—who are often caretakers—to enter the workforce. Guttmacher Institute estimates that equalizing women’s workforce participation could boost the global gross domestic product by $28 trillion annually. But the results are not purely monetary. As more families have fewer dependents, resources are freed up at both the individual and national levels. Countries are able to invest more public resources in healthcare, education, and the economy. At the societal level, a virtuous cycle begins as each generation becomes a better-educated, healthier workforce with greater personal freedom and agency.

Research shows that violence, instability, and extremist threats tend to flourish in environments where reproductive health and rights are constrained. In settings marked by high levels of gender-based violence and limited access to essential healthcare—such as contraception, maternal care, and other reproductive health services—women are less able to participate fully in economic, civic, and political life. This reinforces gender inequality and weakens overall social cohesion. Evidence consistently shows that gender inequality is a powerful predictor of instability and armed conflict—outperforming measures like democracy or GDP in predicting a country’s peacefulness. In fact, 14 of the 17 countries with the highest levels of gender discrimination have experienced violent conflict in the past two decades.