A new UN report says half of women and adolescent girls in developing countries are denied the right to autonomy over their bodies.
The My Body is My Own report found 45% of women were not fully empowered to make choices over healthcare, contraception, and whether or not to have sex. It also found educated women were more likely to have autonomy over their body.
The UN’s Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Dr Natalia Kame says the report shows hundreds of millions of women still do not own their bodies.
“The fact that nearly half of women still cannot make their own decisions about whether or not to have sex, use contraception or seek health care should outrage us all,” said Dr Kame.