Advancing Gender Equality, Solution To Many Population Concerns
The Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Natalia Kanem, says advancing gender equality is the solution to many population concerns around the world.
She made this known in her speech to mark the 2023 World Population Day (WPD), a copy of which made available by the Fund’s Media Associate in Nigeria, Hajiya Kori Habib in Abuja on Tuesday.
WPD is an annual global observance celebrated on July 11 to raise awareness about global population issues, and to emphasise the significance of sustainable development.
The global observance has “Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality: Uplifting the Voice of Women and Girls to Unlock a World’s Infinite Possibilities’’ as the theme for 2023.
Habib, therefore, quoted Kanem as saying “in ageing societies that worry about labour productivity, achieving gender parity in the workforce is the most effective way to improve output and income growth.’’
She stressed the need for women empowerment through education and family planning in countries experiencing rapid population growth.
She recalled that 30 years ago at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), there was a vision to achieve a world in which people would live longer, healthier and enjoy more rights and choices.
She added that “30 years ago, the world united behind a shared vision of the future, one that recognised the rights of women and girls as central to global development through access to improved education, appropriate labour policies, and equitable norms in the workplace and home.
“The vision has become a reality for many; in fact, the human population is at its highest number ever – eight billion, thanks in large part to improvements in healthcare and increased longevity.
“Yet, as we celebrate the progress that has been made, we must also recognise that for millions, even billions, of others, this promise remains out of reach.’’
She added that the WPD is a reminder that the prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future envisioned by the ICPD and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is possible “if we harness the power of every human being on the planet.
“When we unlock the full potential of women and girls, encourage and nurture their desires,
their families and their careers, we can galvanise half of the leadership, ideas, innovation, and creativity to better society.’’
NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi
