Demographers have long said that women in poor countries should have greater access to health and education programs in order to make better decisions about family size.
In most developing nations women on average have two children, but in some African countries the average is above five children per family - and demographers say that is all that's needed to reach overpopulation.
Peta-Jane Madam looks at the role women can play in stabilising the world's population growth, in the final instalment of our "Seven Billion" series.
