It's long been on our agenda to launch a campaign that tackles issues around overconsumption, so this month we were delighted to announce We Don't Buy It!

Looking at consumption habits, largely in the Global North, it covers issues around personal responsibility (do I really need this new shiny thing?) as well as the roles of big business and the wider economic system, and our first target is Apple. A central pillar of their marketing model is built around perceived obsolescence and people are constantly encouraged to covet the latest, barely updated model. We're calling for that to change and we need your help! 

This month, BBC Future published an article looking at the worldwide population issue in advance of reaching 8 billion, a milestone we'll pass on 15 November this year. 

How many people can Earth handle? is a comprehensive and (for the most part) balanced look at the issue, and while we don't agree with everything said, it's encouraging that media outlets such as the BBC are at least engaging with the conversation of population growth. We were pleased to see Population Matters featured in the article, along with our director, Robin Maynard. 

The Awakening was established in 2011 with the mission of empowering vulnerable and disenfranchised women in rural areas of Pakistan. Recently, its work has involved helping those affected by the terrible floods.

It has proven to be challenging work, helping people who have lost everything with winter fast approaching. The organisation's Director, Erfaan Hussein Babak, is no stranger to demanding situations, as he explains to Empower to Plan coordinator Catriona Spaven-Donn.  

The Zambia All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (ZAPPD) was founded in '97, one of the first of its kind in the region of Eastern and Southern Africa.

They recently met in Lusaka to discuss progress around their Vision 2030 goal of becoming a prosperous middle-income country. MPs were encouraged to take the initiative on population matters, discussing issues such as unemployment, gender-based violence and an unmet need for family planning, which impacts at least 1 out of 5 women. 

Full gender equality will not be reached until the year 2108, according to a new UN report released in September. The lack of progress is attributed to a myriad of global factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, and a concerted global effort is required to get things back on track.  

Meanwhile, another UN report has found that Human Development is "falling behind" in 90% of countries, with women and girls disproportionately affected. Factor in the worrying trends we are seeing around the world against SRHR, it's more important than ever to remain vigilant and call out any further threats to women's rights where we see them.  

International Abortion Day fell on 28 September, so we thought it right to celebrate our partner organisations around the world that are extending access to family planning and reproductive healthcare in their local communities.

Here we have highlighted a new project from our upcoming partner in Pakistan, The Awakening, which demystifies the stigmas around abortion and women’s bodily autonomy, offering a safe abortion hotline called Saheli, or ‘female friend.’ Saheli will serve as a 24-hour resource for girls and women seeking help regarding abortion, family planning and reproductive health.