This brochure examines Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 5.6.1, which focuses on the proportion of women, aged 15-49 years, who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care. 

These decisions are pivotal to gender equality and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. By the measure of Indicator 5.6.1, women who make their own decisions in all three of these areas—seeking reproductive health care for themselves, contraceptive use, and consensual sexual relations—are considered empowered to exercise their reproductive rights.

This brochure explains the methodology and presents the global, regional, and national data (disaggregated by geographic location, age, level of education, household wealth, and place of residence) for SDG indicator 5.6.1.

More resources on women's decision-making over their bodies and health, and on the Sustainable Development Goal Indicators measuring this, can be found here.