Empty Handed: Responding to the Demand for Contraceptives

Produced by Population Action International, Empty Handed is an eight and a half minute short film accompanied by an advocacy guide that tells the story of women’s lack of access to reproductive health supplies in sub-Saharan Africa, and its impact on their lives. According to the producers, around the world, more than 200 million women lack access to basic contraception. Often, these women must travel far from their communities to reach a health facility, only to return home empty handed due to shortages and stock-outs. When women seeking family planning services are turned away, they are unable to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.

The film documents the challenges at each level of the supply chain and identifies key areas for improvement. It also shows that ongoing challenges in obtaining reproductive health supplies can have devastating consequences for family size, abortion, spacing and delaying pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other STIs. Empty Handed was produced to provoke discussion and mobilise support for reproductive health supplies. The accompanying advocacy guide includes background information on the issues and challenges, as well as ideas for the role that various stakeholders - donors, government, and civil society - can play in improving access to reproductive health supplies.