Coinciding with the commemoration of World Contraception Day 2023, Bayer Indonesia launched the "Bayer for Her" campaign, underscoring the imperative for Indonesian women to take proactive measures to enhance their reproductive health in pursuit of an improved quality of life. "Bayer For Her" strives to foster open dialogue on various topics of women's reproductive health and consult with medical professional comfortably. This initiative aims to provide women with access to information and education over the course of one year. 

Bayer together with the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) and the Indonesian Midwives Association (IBI) launched this campaign with a series of webinar activities for public and healthcare professionals. These webinars were streamed on the Bicara Kontrasepsi website (www.bicarakontrasepsi.com) and BKKBN's social media platforms.

The Central Statistics Agency recorded that the total population of Indonesia in 2022 amounted 274.20 million people. Among this population, women comprised 49.5% equivalent to 135.75 million people, with the largest segment falling within the productive age group of 15 - 64 years accounting for 69.08%^[1]. The ability of women to make informed choices regarding the timing and number of children play a crucial role in promoting women's empowerment and sustainable development. For this reason, Bayer in partnership with BKKBN actively collaborates in supporting nationwide seminar and webinars intended for general public, and medical professionals. 

It's worth noting that nearly 132 million women of childbearing age in Asia have an unmet need for modern contraception, indicating their desire to delay pregnancy but either not using contraception or relying on less effective traditional methods than modern methods^[2].

Kinshuk Kunwar, President Director of Bayer Indonesia said,"Aligned with Bayer's vision: Health for All, Hunger for None, key of our missions is to empower women's health by giving them access to family planning. Family planning plays an important role in poverty alleviation and hunger reduction, as it contributes to enhance overall health and well-being, promotes access to quality education and fosters economic growth while upholding principles of justice and equality. In Indonesia, our target is to reach one million women in urban and rural areas through our sustainability program Bayer for Indonesia (BISA) by the year 2030. To date, we have successfully implemented this program in Banten, West Java and East Nusa Tenggara. The implementation of BISA will persist as an ongoing, sustainable effort. All these efforts can be realized with the collaboration with BKKBN and IBI."

Myths Surrounding Modern Contraception

According to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), over half of women living in more than 50 countries worldwide are not able to make their own decisions about their reproductive rights. Myths and misinformation surrounding the use of contraception discourage women from using modern family planning methods^[3].  

As a leader in women's healthcare, Bayer is committed to increasing women's knowledge and awareness regarding contraception.

"This year we introduced "Bayer For Her" campaign aimed at promoting openness among Indonesia women in their quest for reliable information and engaging in #ConversationsofCare concerning their reproductive health matters. These topics encompass discussion on contraception, menstrual pain, or heavy menstrual bleeding. We encourage women to have these conversations not only with their family, friends but also with healthcare professionals. This campaign will run for 365 days,"said Jeff Lai, Country Division Head Pharmaceuticals Bayer Indonesia. Through this campaign, the aspiration is that Indonesian women will be empowered to make informed choices regarding their reproductive health.

Jeff added," Bayer For Her campaign will also extend its reach to include all employees of Bayer Indonesia through #EmpowerHer activities. This comprehensive program encompasses activities such as sports, the dissemination of the Bayer For Her campaign on social media, and healthy talks with specialist obstetricians and gynecologists concerning various topics of women's reproductive health".

The right to family planning transcends mere contraceptive use; it pertains to an individual's ability, especially women, to exercise their right over their own bodies and make well-informed decisions^[4]. Improving women's health, rights and economic status represents a significant stride toward achieving gender equality. When women take center stage in various spheres of society, including  leadership roles and decision making concerning family health, their capacity to address  health challenges and provide suitable solutions is also magnified.