By Charmaine Boois
Windhoek, July 12. On World Population Day, July 11, Gift Malunga, a representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), emphasized the organization’s unwavering commitment to supporting women and girls in exercising their rights, making decisions, and fully participating in society. During the launch of the World Population Report, Malunga underscored UNFPA’s dedication to assisting the government of the Republic of Namibia in improving the lives of its citizens.
The report unveiled alarming statistics that shed light on the challenges faced by Namibian women. Disturbingly, 32% of Namibian women between the ages of 15 and 49 reported experiencing physical abuse from an intimate partner, 6% of pregnant women suffered violence, 15% of abuse victims never sought help or disclosed their abuse, 18.4% of children were victims of child marriages, and the maternal mortality rate stood at 215 per 100,000.
Furthermore, with women constituting 51% of Namibia’s population, the teenage pregnancy rate remained high at 19%. These figures underscore the pressing need for concerted efforts to address the structural injustices faced by women within Namibian society. Malunga called on the country to recognize Namibia’s commendable achievements in addressing population challenges and promoting the rights and choices of its people while acknowledging the need to amplify the voices of women and girls.
In the absence of Dr. Natalia Kanem, the executive director of UNFPA, she sent words of support and encouragement on this commemorative day. Dr. Kanem emphasized, “This World Population Day is a reminder that we can achieve the prosperous, peaceful, and sustainable future envisioned by the International Conference on Population and Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development if we harness the power of every human being on the planet. When we unlock the full potential of women and girls—encouraging and nurturing their aspirations for their lives, families, and careers—we mobilize half of the leadership, ideas, innovation, and creativity needed to build a better society. Let us unite once more to imagine a world in which everyone has equal opportunities to thrive, and let us join forces to ensure that a nation’s true wealth—regardless of its size or stage of development—is its people, and that means all people, not just half.”
The governor pledged support for efforts to prevent gender-based violence and stressed that addressing this issue is not solely the responsibility of the government or a single government agency like the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare. All stakeholders must actively participate. “Therefore, I implore all of us to act as agents of change and promote women’s empowerment and gender equality at the national level,” added April.
Malunga also highlighted the crucial role that population dynamics play in determining a country’s development priorities. The promotion of gender equality has the power to dismantle barriers, amplify voices, and create numerous opportunities for future generations. UNFPA’s drive for gender equality in Namibia is focused on building a future that is brimming with possibilities for all.- Namibia Daily News
