Formerly Minnesota International Health Volunteers

Improving the health of women, children and their communities around the world.

WellShare International uses the phrase “child spacing” in lieu of “family planning”. In the communities we work with, the term “family planning” is largely interpreted as proactively limiting the size of one’s family, which is culturally and religiously unacceptable. In Islam, Allah (God) determines the number of children you will have; attempts to limit children contradict the Islamic belief of reliance on and provision by Allah.

The phrase “child spacing” is more culturally appropriate and acceptable. Child spacing focuses on the health and wellness benefits of longer birth spacing instead of on limiting children. These benefits are usually listed in a specific order – mother, father, child, family, community. Longer birth spacing is healthier for mothers and their children, allows fathers to spend more time with their family, eases financial strain on families, and enables the community to raise healthier children. From the perspective of child spacing, contraception is a means to space children, not limit them.

The phrase and discussion framework of “child spacing” is widely accepted in WellShare International’s domestic and international work.