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Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?
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Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?
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Melinda Gates is the latest supporter of the Save the Children 'givegirlspower' campaign. Have a a look at the (interactive) website here: http://givegirlspower.savethechildren.org.uk/?utm_campaign=FF
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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

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Forums  »  Open clinical  »  General clinical  »  Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 6/7/2012 12:04 PM BST on bmj.com
JJA
Posts: 48
First: 21/5/2012
Last: 17/1/2013
Melinda Gates is the latest supporter of the Save the Children 'givegirlspower' campaign. Have a a look at the (interactive) website here:

http://givegirlspower.savethechildren.org.uk/?utm_campaign=FFPJl12&utm_medium=email&utm_source=FFPjl12email040712re&utm_content=texthy

I'm always interested in hearing your thoughts on the issue itself...but also on the use of interactive media such as this to disseminate health messages.

Do you think the question and answer nature of the campaign's site makes visitors more likely to interrogate themselves about the issue and engage with it?

Or is it no more than a gimic?

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 6/7/2012 2:11 PM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 1266
First: 13/4/2010
Last: 21/5/2013
I undoubtedly feel that contraception has empowered women and those that oppose it actually oppose the empowerment of women. Why should women in the 21st century not have control over their fertility and reproductive capacity?

I am still astonished and disgusted by the level of misogyny that still exists in the world. Indeed, there are some nations and regimes that seem to be almost devoted to it. Very, very sad.

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 6/7/2012 2:56 PM BST on bmj.com
JJA
Posts: 48
First: 21/5/2012
Last: 17/1/2013
And what about the use of the interactive website?

In Response to Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?:
I undoubtedly feel that contraception has empowered women and those that oppose it actually oppose the empowerment of women. Why should women in the 21st century not have control over their fertility and reproductive capacity? I am still astonished and disgusted by the level of misogyny that still exists in the world. Indeed, there are some nations and regimes that seem to be almost devoted to it. Very, very sad.
Posted by skyesteve

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 6/7/2012 3:40 PM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 1266
First: 13/4/2010
Last: 21/5/2013
I thnk the web tool is useful but how many of those who actually need it will be able to access it?

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 6/7/2012 4:36 PM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 1283
First: 9/12/2011
Last: 21/5/2013
I think contraceptives give Girls Rights!   power is a skewed word.   Men who have condoms do not have power,  they have decision making rights.    Rights are a neutral ability,  power connotates action with leveraged intent.   DuaneF

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 6/7/2012 5:07 PM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 1266
First: 13/4/2010
Last: 21/5/2013
Hi Duane - a bit pedantic I now but there is a big difference between power and empowerment (which is another word for enablement)

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 7/7/2012 5:06 AM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 1283
First: 9/12/2011
Last: 21/5/2013
Hi Steve,  Yes of course empowerment is different.   I guess I just dislike the word Power.  I can distinctly remember as a Police Officer,  many Liberal Politicians said we had Guns to give us power!   No,  Police carry Guns to defend themselves and society against Predators,  and be able to shoot back.  And as a former Military Policeman I can attest to the sound of a Bullet Whizzing by your head!   Thats power!  Not a fun type either.    I guess it is all semantics anyway.   Point taken.   DuaneF

In Response to Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?:
Hi Duane - a bit pedantic I now but there is a big difference between power and empowerment (which is another word for enablement)
Posted by skyesteve

Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 8/7/2012 7:35 AM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 311
First: 7/5/2009
Last: 2/4/2013
Another flight of fancy ideas from somebody who poses to care.

While I admire the work done by Melinda and Gates foundation but sometimes it hurts ( and frustrates) to see the level of ignorance displayed by these fat billionaires from another planet.

They tend to think that while sitting comfortably in their centrally conditioned homes, sippin away coffee, watching TV on their 60 Inch LCDs and being connected to the internet 24/7 and having every thing under the sun they can somehow solve the world's problem by launcing an interactive website or signing online petitions. 

Let us be honest. 
  • These same 222 Million women have NO access to internet or these fancy petitions and it wouldn't change any thing for them. 
  • While i do not support marriage at 16-18 years but let's face the ground reality. In most of the Africa, Middle East  and South Asia girls do get married before 20 years and NOT all of them end up dead, malnourished or destitutes. So why to generalise things? Will this fancy online presentation and interactive website change anything for them? 
  • It is not good  to get married before 20 years. Agreed. What about hundreds of thousands of girls in the West who have their first sexual encounters before they are 16? How many of them end up with unwanted pregnancies, legal and illegal abortions, STDs and depression? But i guess that's not an issue with Mrs Gates. ( http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html) and ( http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-statistics.html). There are more single mothers in the West than any other part of the World. Is that empowerment too?
  • And here comes the most bitter part. if People are REALLY concerned about improving the lives of the less fortunates in other parts of the world they should ask their Govt to stop wasting trillions on illegal wars and the military complex and divert a tiny fraction of that money towards improving the quality of lives for these less fortunates.


Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?

posted at 8/7/2012 7:36 AM BST on bmj.com
Posts: 311
First: 7/5/2009
Last: 2/4/2013
In Response to Re: Do you agree with Melinda Gates that contraceptives give girls power?:
I thnk the web tool is useful but how many of those who actually need it will be able to access it?
Posted by skyesteve


Exactly my point Steve. I doubt if any of these 220 Million women will be able to access and benefit from this website in an alien language

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