London, July 11, 2017
Young people from five cities in Bulgaria were included in the global campaign for equal access of all girls and women to health care, contraception and services, connected with family planning. The Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) is supporting the efforts of the global initiative #IDecide #АЗрешавам, organizing and implementing focus groups with young people from different schools in the country. The aim of each group was to formulate three main key messages to be printed as ‘fortune slips’ and to disseminate them in cafes chosen by the young people. In the frame of the calendar year Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Pleven and Ruse – places where BFPA has its branches – will inform citizens or guests in this untraditional way about the importance of the goals the campaign has.
Some of the messages of the young people:
- Take the control over your life in your hands. Ensure a stable future for you, this ensures stable future for your kids.
- Early pregnancy hides risks for health, life choices and narrows the possibilities for professional and personal development. Children must not give birth to children!
- Free access to contraception gives you the right to make choice and makes society more responsible to the most vulnerable!
Part of the global efforts on the topic is the organized on World’s Population Day 11 July 2017 Family Planning Summit in London, where policymakers, donors, and advocates from around the world get together at the UK to unite efforts to reach Family Planning 2020 goals and ensure that more women and girls around the world are able to plan their future.
The poorest, low-educated and vulnerable in Bulgaria have the greatest need of support and we all need to reflect on the importance of the problem.