The child too many : solving overpopulation: exploring the implications of governmental population control on the right to a family life. Case study on the Arab Republic of Egypt

Abstract

Overpopulation is a pressing matter that endangers the future resource availability and earth’s carrying capacity. Especially in third world countries, overpopulation causes specific human rights violations to the right to life, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to health, etc. To put an end to the population boom, governments create strategies to reduce the birth rate. These strategies might compromise the full enjoyment of the right to a family life. This right entails the right to family planning, which allows every individual to choose freely and responsibly on the formation of their family. This research focuses on the following measures of population control: contraceptive use, sterilisation, abortion, one-child policy and educational campaigns. Through a proportionality and necessity test, each individual policy is examined. In this way an answer is formulated to the following question: “When can governmental strategies for population control prevail over the right to a family life?” Additionally, this thesis presents general takeaways for States on admissible population control strategies. Examples are the alignment of the population’s cultural or religious values with the measure and the focus on voluntary programmes. When doing so, every person’s right to a family life can be guaranteed.