What about choice!

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JUNE 2022

Dear John,

In this month's update, we share the positive stories of two young
activists, both of whom are also Choice Ambassadors for Population Matters.
Their determined and clear-sighted campaigning on behalf of the planet and
vulnerable people is an inspiration to us all. And while our new Empower to
Plan partners in Uganda are delivering vital services to communities where
they are desperately needed, we also cover the terrible news that the US
Supreme Court has taken away the right to safe abortion from millions of
women in the USA. With World Population Day coming up in a matter of days,
developments this month have reminded us how critical these issues of
choice and empowerment are.

- The PM Team

NEWS FROM POPULATION MATTERS

Our new E2P partners

The Women and Children's Empowerment Network in Africa (WACENA) works at
the intersection of environmental and sex education, delivering sexual and
reproductive health education focused on wellbeing and human rights. With
Empower to Plan support, WACENA will deliver weekly workshops in 20
schools, addressing important and life-saving topics largely left out of
the Ugandan Ministry of Education's curriculum - topics such as safe
abortion access, contraceptive counselling, menstrual care and gender-based
violence.

Read more [3]

World Population Day: the awards are back

To mark World Population Day in 2021, we shone a light on nine inspiring
change-makers, all working in different ways to promote choice, protect our
planet and empower people - especially women and girls. We'll be announcing
this year's winners on 11th July. Each will receive our unique Change
Champion award, and a £500 donation to the charity or cause of their
choice. For now, have a look back at the amazing people we were privileged
to be able to recognise and support last year.

Read more [4]

Preparing for the projections

This World Population Day, the United Nations will be releasing its
projections for global population growth over the rest of the century. The
last projections were released in 2019 and the new figures are sure to
generate news, discussion and opinion in the media and beyond. PM is
preparing to respond in a number of ways. Keep an eye on our social media,
and we'll update you on the projections, and what we're doing about them,
as soon as they appear.

Meanwhile, the first findings of the UK's 2021 census have just been
released. In England and Wales, there are now 3.5 million more people and
1.4 million more households than there were when the last census was taken
in 2011. Read our statement.

Read more [5]

POPULATION & ENVIRONMENT

Degrowth, the Steady State Economy and Population

Who really believes economies can just keep growing? Still far too many
economists and politicians. We asked Brian Czech, Executive Director of the
Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy, to explain what
degrowth is, why it matters, and what a better future looks like. In his
conclusion, he argues that when it comes to sustainability, nothing matters
more than population - of humans.

Read more [6]

One school, one tree at a time: climate campaigning in Uganda

_"With high populations everything is small, people are forced to build in
swamps, people are forced to do illegal mining, people look at everything
as a source of income and both humans and nature are exploited."_ Nyombi
Morris is a climate change activist from Uganda with a mission to educate
and inspire young people, and one of our Choice Ambassadors. Read his blog
about his story and work on our website.

Read more [7]

WOMEN'S RIGHTS & SEXUAL HEALTH

A terrible human cost: Roe v Wade overturned

In a tragic development for women's power over their own bodies, the US
Supreme Court has overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, which prevented
states banning abortion.

Nine of the 26 states expected to introduce bans have already done so,
which will have terrible consequences for the lives and freedom of
countless people in the US.

Read more [8]

Joan Kembabazi: girls' education is key

At the beginning of June, Sweden hosted the Stockholm+50 conference,
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the
Human Environment. Joan Kembabazi, one of our Choice Ambassadors, attended
in her capacity as a girls’ and women’s rights activist. In this guest
blog, she writes about the conference and the message she brought to it.

Read more [9]

TAKE ACTION

Fact: abortion is healthcare

DARK DAYS AHEAD FOR WOMEN IN THE US

Organisations, activists and campaigners in the US are already taking
urgent measures and formulating plans to help and defend those affected by
the Supreme Court decision. This will be a long haul campaign and we will
be sharing their action steps on our social media as the situation
develops. For now, if you want to take action, follow the link below for
some suggestions.

Learn More [10]

Quote of the month

_""Education and empowerment to enable women & girls to make choices about
their bodies...is at the heart of the real solution to all the complex
issues that feed into #climatechange." _

- Nyombi Morris (read his story on _PM News_ [7])

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