As women become more involved in public life and break patriarchal control in the process, they also deal with the backlash of cultural, traditional and religious reaction. Various interpretations of Muslim law are promoted by different groups in the struggle over women's rights.

Reproductive Health Matters has until this issue of the journal focused almost exclusively on secular threats to women’s reproductive rights.

The necessity of controlling the growth of population in Bangladesh was seriously recognized as early as 1965 when a large-scale national family planning program was initiated in erstwhile Pakistan A.