In collaboration with our partners World Vasectomy Day and ProAves, Women for Conservation carried out its fourth vasectomy day in Medellín, Colombia over two days. For this event, 17 men with and without children chose to undergo simple and safe vasectomies, an important step for family planning in the region and the conservation of our planet. The 17 participants are from the municipality of El Carmen de Atrato, which is within the buffer zone of the ProAves Las Tangaras Reserve in Chocó. Unfortunately, rural communities like theirs lack access to reproductive health services such as vasectomies, requiring them to travel to major cities, which hinders men from exercising their right to decide and make reproductive healthcare choices.
An Act of Love for Women
To date, we have been able to provide 63 men from our waitlist with free and accessible reproductive healthcare in El Carmen de Atrato, a rural town in which residents would not have access otherwise. At Women for Conservation, we remain committed to family planning, gender equity, and environmental conservation. We continue to break down stigmas and barriers to family planning through our partnership with ProFamilia, who carry out these medical procedures and provide all pre-and post-treatment. Click here to read more about the global importance of our vasectomy campaigns and our annual participation in World Vasectomy Day.
Due to the success of our women’s reproductive healthcare campaigns, men across our partner communities were eager to have access as well. Our first family planning campaign was in February 2022, where we provided healthcare access for 93 women and men. Due to the success, we launched our second vasectomy day providing 24 men, and our third vasectomy day providing 14 men with reproductive healthcare as an act of love for women and the environment.
An Act of Love for Nature
Recognizing the vital role of our “Healthy Communities for Healthy Habitats” program, we provide participants with comprehensive support, covering all medical costs, food, transportation, logistics, and accommodation. This allows people from our partner communities near the buffer zones of highly diverse protected areas to access these services.
There is a direct connection between overpopulation and pressure on natural resources. Access to family planning benefits wildlife and key ecosystems in areas like El Carmen de Atrato, Chocó, where the the ProAves Las Tangaras Nature Reserve is located. We lead many community programs, including environmental education, conservation, and research activities. This protected area is part of the Chocó Biogeographic Region along the Pacific Coast of Colombia, and was recently declared the First Regional Park of Chocó. It is one of the five richest bird sites in Colombia, according to eBird, with 557 species, including endemic birds and/or those classified as threatened with extinction.
Vasectomy is a safe method of family planning that provides men with the opportunity to take a leading role in decision-making regarding reproduction and the overpopulation affecting the planet. Participants are actively contributing to the well-being and quality of life for their families and their community and environmental stewardship for the planet.
We are so thrilled about the success of our vasectomy programming, which has provided 63 men from our waitlist with free reproductive healthcare to date. This program is made possible thanks to the support of Women for Conservation and World Vasectomy Day and generous donors like you.
Click the video below to watch a recap of how we break taboos and barriers!
