The aim of this paper is to explore how the Rwandan state has motivated its increased prioritization of family planning (FP). The paper seeks to understand whether the state’s increased promotion of FP is a result of Rwanda’s strong commitment to gender equality or part of a broader development agenda. By applying theories of substantive representation of women and smart economics, the paper investigates if the state considers enhancing women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as a goal in itself or as a means to reach their broader development goals. The method which has been selected is text analysis. The texts which are analyzed are government documents from the time of the emergence of the FP programme. The main findings of this paper suggest that the state’s main motive for the increased prioritization of FP is driven by the development agenda rather than a gender-sensitive approach. Nevertheless, there are statements in the texts which the paper connects to theories of substantive representation of women, however, the development rational corresponding with the idea of smart economics is more recurrent. The paper finds that the hypothesis building on the theory of smart economics finds the strongest support and therefore suggests that the Rwandan states consider FP to be a means to achieve broader development goals.

This study examines a chosen set of prominent actors within family planning initiatives aimed toward the global South to find out if there are traces of “smart economics” within the framings of the initiatives. The smart economic framework has received critique for instrumentalising women and using gender equality as a tool rather than a goal. Researchers have found similar arguments within the family planning discourse and emphasised the potential harm these arguments lead to. By looking at the websites of six family planning actors, a content analysis is the chosen method. By examining the texts from the websites through categories invented from key elements of the smart economic framework, certain themes or the lack of these themes can be used to find traces of smart economics within the framings of family planning initiatives. The material from the chosen organisations is argued to influence the family planning discourse and is relevant to review. The results show that there are traces of a smart economic narrative within the framings of family planning initiatives. As previous research has pointed out, there is a lack of focus on men’s role in family planning. By using a smart economic narrative, the organisations working with family planning contribute to the discourse as well as the overall development discourse. By addressing the problems of using the smart economic framework, hopefully, the discourse can transform into being rights-based and not instrumental.