Empowering Women Key to Controlling Global Population, Says UN

The UN Population Fund emphasizes the crucial role of empowering women with healthcare, education, and equal opportunities in managing the global population. On World Population Day, the agency highlights the need for women to have decision-making power over their bodies to reduce unplanned pregnancies.

The UN argues that better population control is necessary to effectively tackle poverty and ensure access to basic services for all. However, despite representing nearly half of the global population, women's opinions are often ignored in discussions on demographics and population policies.

This injustice restricts their ability to make decisions about their health and reproductive lives, leaving them vulnerable to preventable maternal deaths. The UNFPA reports that a significant percentage of women worldwide cannot make decisions about their own health, say no to sex, or make decisions about contraception.

The situation is not much different in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where poor census-taking and cultural norms hinder efforts to control population growth. Iraq, for example, has faced challenges in conducting a comprehensive census due to sanctions and conflicts, resulting in outdated population figures.

In Egypt, concerns are raised about the growing population as an obstacle to poverty reduction. However, critics argue that with appropriate investment in education, a larger population could be advantageous. Furthermore, there is a need to ensure family planning schemes promote gender equality rather than solely focusing on women.

Empowering women and enabling them to make decisions about their bodies is not only a matter of basic human rights but also crucial for managing population growth effectively. By providing women with healthcare, education, and equal opportunities, we can work towards achieving sustainable development and a more equitable future.