About 11 per cent of women and girls from 68 countries across the world are unable to make decisions specifically on contraception and seeking healthcare, the State of World Population shows.
The report, State of World Population 8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), also shows 24 per cent of women and girls are unable to say no to sex. And about 257 million women worldwide have an unmet need for safe, reliable contraception.
Speaking during the release of the report, UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem said the demographics call for the need to realise “bodily autonomy” and support sexual and reproductive health and rights for everyone.
“Women’s bodies should not be held captive to population targets. As women are empowered to make choices about their bodies and lives, they and their families thrive.To build thriving inclusive societies, regardless of population size, we must radically rethink how we talk about and plan population change,” said Dr Kanem.
She added that the demographics paint a more nuanced picture, with the findings showing two-thirds of people in the world now live in “low fertility contexts”, while just eight countries will account for half the projected growth in population by 2050.
Thwarted goals
Too often, the reproductive goals of individuals are being thwarted, due to unplanned pregnancies, lack of access to contraception, or quality obstetric care, infertility, and economic instability,” she said.
The UNFPA boss said the report has exposed how young people still need basic information about their bodies and rights.
“It is evident how women and men struggle with limited contraceptive choice, or cannot access contraception at all. We know from our work with survivors of sexual violence, that the most violent expressions of gender inequality remain ubiquitous.”
To reverse the current situation, the report recommends that governments institute policies that promote gender equality in the workplace, and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Such policies, the report says, offer a proven formula that will reap economic dividends and lead to resilient societies able to thrive no matter how populations change.
The report indicates that despite many countries having rolled out programmes to engineer larger families by offering financial incentives and rewards to women and their partners, they continue to see birth rates below two children per woman.
According to the report, eight countries will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania will rank among the world’s most populous countries.
