This chapter examines how an “unplanned life”—characterized by early marriage, limited education, constrained career paths, and restricted reproductive autonomy—has curtailed women’s empowerment and national development across South Asia. Utilizing the historical census data and policy analysis, it traces the evolution of marriage and fertility laws from the 1929 Sarda Act in colonial India to recent reforms in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, assessing how each shaped gender norms and demographic behavior. Despite incremental progress, the persistence of child marriage and unmet family planning needs continues to undermine women’s health, education, and labor participation. Case studies from Iran and India reveal contrasting trajectories of policy success and cultural resistance, while evidence from Pakistan highlights how political ideology and governance failures deepened gender inequities. The chapter also honors pioneering women—such as Rukhmabai Raut and Muthulakshmi Reddy—whose activism advanced reproductive rights and maternal health. Ultimately, it argues that without full agency over marriage and fertility decisions, women’s potential remains structurally constrained, with profound social and economic costs.