Nearly half of all women are denied their bodily autonomy, according to data from 57 countries, UNFPA’s flagship report announced today. The 2021 State of World Population report, titled My Body is My Own, marks the first time a United Nations report focuses on the power and agency of individuals to make choices about their bodies without fear, violence or coercion.

Nearly half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek health care, according to UNFPA's 2021 flagship State of World Population report, released today. This lack of bodily autonomy has massive implications beyond the profound harms to individual women and girls.

On this World Health Day, we stand with the World Health Organization, which has declared this year’s theme as “Building a fairer, healthier world”. Thirteen months after COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, we h...