Barbara had a long break from writing after this to set up  her own businesses but has always felt that there was much more to say on the subject of women’s most important issue: being able to decide when to have children. She therefore returned to research on this, discovering that the topic, although apparently straightforward, is extremely controversial. 

Entrenched “pro-life” positions coincide with a taboo on discussion internationally. This means that the advances in contraception methods available, and in innovative projects and programmes, are little known outside the specialist family planning organisations – who themselves have retreated from public debate. Her new book, “Children by Choice?” is intended to break through the stalemate and to reach out to women’s and environmental organisations as well as health and economic development practitioners. Only by integrating choice programmes into all these areas, she argues, can the women living in poverty be given the help they need.