Pakistani problem: A lack of access to family planning and the low social status of women are keeping Pakistan from addressing its rapid population growth, says Shanti Conly, (director of policy research at Population Action International. "Women are valued only for their role in bearing sons," says Conly, who co-authored the organization's report, "Pakistan's Population Program: The Challenge Ahead." "Men are more likely to want big families, so it's difficult for women to make their own decisions, such as using contraceptives." Conly says that after years of inconsistent commitment to family-planning initiatives, the Pakistani government has begun implementing such programs. But with an average of 6 children a family, Pakistan has a long way to go before hitting the 3.4-children-a-family mark of its neighbors, India and Bangladesh.