UNFPA in India

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

UNFPA has played a critical role in assisting India in redirecting its population efforts away from family planning targets and quotas and focusing instead on providing high-quality services within a comprehensive reproductive healthcare system.

UNFPA is helping India in supporting the strategy endorsed by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which emphasised the inseparability of population and development and focused on meeting individuals' needs rather than demographic targets. The key to this new approach is empowering women and expanding access to education, health services and employment opportunities.