At the London Summit on Family Planning held on July 11th, global leaders pledged their commitment to provide voluntary family planning service to an additional 120 million women and girls by 2020. The summit was co-hosted by  the UK Government’s Department for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation has made access to family  planning and contraception a priority.

Melinda Gates has said “When I travel and talk to women around the world they tell me that access to contraceptives can often be the difference between life and death. Today is about listening to their voices, about meeting their aspirations, and giving them the power to create a better life for themselves and their families.”

Jane Roberts, the founder of 34 Million Friends, speaks to Worldview about how the renewed commitement to family planning is expected to impact women’s health and gender equality, particularly for women and girls in developing nations.