End ‘alarming statements’ on population growth and recognize women’s rights: UNFPA
In its State of the World Population 2023 report, UNFPA said that while reaching the milestone of eight billion people on Earth is a reminder of “unprecedented opportunities”, concerns over the number are “causing anxiety, and driving more governments to try to influence fertility rates.”
However, the agency notes that progressive and inclusive societies can be meaningful, regardless of population size, if countries are prepared to rethink how we talk about, and plan for, population change.
“The relationship between reproductive innovation and healthy lives is an indisputable fact”, UNFPA Executive Director, Natalia Kanem, said in her foreword to the report.
Empowerment provides dividends
“Like women empowered to make choices about their bodies and lives, they and their families thrive – and their societies also thrive. “
Yet that was not the message most received in the news of the eight billion milestone last November. “Instead, many titles warn of a growing world“, leaving the rights and power of individuals, to “fade easily into the background”
“Occasionally, we see birth rates identified as a problem – and a solution – with little acceptance representative of people giving birth“, Ms. Kanem added.
World population growth rate, 1950–2021.
Telling the facts
Key statistics, clearly show the lack of agency experienced by millions of women worldwide. Around 24 percent of women and girls, are unable to say no to sexwhile 11 percent were unable to make decisions on contraception.
A study of eight countries for the report, shows that people who are exposed to the media or communications on population growth, are more likely to be seen as “too high”.
Demographics paint a more nuanced picture, UNFPA says. Two out of three people now live in “low fertility conditions”, while only eight countries will account for half of the predicted growth in population by 2050.
In many cases, the reproductive goals of individuals are hindered, due to unplanned pregnancies, lack of access to contraception, or quality obstetric care, infertility, and economic instability, UNFPA said.
Also, blaming fertility rates for climate change, it will completely fail to take the biggest carbon emitters into account. Of the eight billion, 5.5 billion simply do not have enough money to influence carbon emission increases.
Views on the global fertility rate held by survey respondents.
Gender equality topic
The best solution for managing population change and for building resilient societies, UNFPA argues, is to improve gender equality.
Doing so, “is often an overlooked solution,” Ms. Kanem said: “In old age, low fertility countries, with labor productivity concerns, succeeding Gender equality in the workforce is considered the most effective way to improve performance and income growth.
“In countries with high fertility, empowerment through education and family planningare known to yield huge dividends in the form of economic growth and human capital development,” he added.
Start with physical freedom
The UNFPA chief said this is the main reason the agency is calling for “extensive efforts to realize the unity of the body“and support sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
This right, he added, “should be the starting point for all conversations about the population.”
Process strategy
UNFPA in the report, calls on all governments to support human rights, strengthen pension and health systems, promote active and healthy aging, protect the rights of migrants, and seek to reduce the damaging impact of change the weather.
