Breaking poverty cycle: Quality family planning crucial for financial stability
SHAH ALAM - The socioeconomic consequences of inadequate family planning in situations where families struggle financially can be dire.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun said the relationship between family planning and poverty was intertwined to break the cycle of destitution.
The economist said to escape the clutches of poverty, families should be able to afford quality education and healthcare for their children.
“Family and financial planning should go hand in hand, such that families could afford to provide their kids with quality education and healthcare. Or else the poverty cycle could never be broken.
“The socioeconomic consequences could be dire, with children sometimes dropping out of schools to help with family income, or worse joining gangs or engaging in risky behaviours like ‘rempits’,” he said.
He said poor family planning could perpetuate poverty in multiple ways by increasing financial burdens in families, limiting educational opportunities and hindering economic growth, among others.
“And often society has to bear the burden, both in financial and public-safety terms,” he added.
Oh said emphasis must be on having quality rather than quantity when it comes to family planning.
He said it was essential to ensure that children receive a proper upbringing and become productive citizens.
However, the economist acknowledged that cultural and religious reasons often led the government to take a less proactive role in encouraging family planning and instead, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) often undertook this crucial task.
He said family planning was a delicate balance and too strict population control measures could lead to a decline in the population or an older demographic, which will bring its own set of challenges.
However, on the other hand, having a large number of children in a family with limited financial means was not conducive to reducing poverty, he added.
