According to population alarmists, our world is overrun and close to bursting at the seams. Politicians, media pundits and even some academics have asserted that global challenges like economic instability, climate change and resource wars can be pinned on overpopulation – on too much demand and not enough supply. They paint a picture of out-of-control, unstoppable birth rates, usually pointing the finger at poor and marginalized communities who have long been portrayed as reproducing recklessly and prolifically despite making the smallest contributions to issues such as environmental destruction. This narrative oversimplifiescomplex issues and causes real harm.

WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

Perhaps the most alarming outcome of the “too many” narrative is that when we blame global issues on a growing population, we imply that some of us are worthier of life than others. That some of us deserve to survive and reproduce, while others do not. History has shown that this thinking leads us down a dark path. It also deters us from political action, leaving us to lament the ‘inevitability’ of catastrophic overpopulation and to abandon the optimism necessary for change.

We don’t have to buy into the narrative that women’s bodies and reproductive choices are the problem and solution to ‘overpopulation’. Instead, we can insist that our individual choices are key, and take a sexual and reproductive justice approach to supporting all forms of human progress.

This means focusing on investments in education, health care, clean and affordable energy and working towards gender equality, rather than trying to reduce the number of people on our planet.

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE