The theme of this year’s World Population Day, i.e., ‘Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality: Raising the Voices of Women and Girls to Unlock the Infinite Potential of Our World’, could not be more apt for India. When we unleash the full potential of women and girls, encourage and nurture their desires for their families and themselves, we inspire half the leadership, ideas, innovation and creativity available to society. In India, the world’s most populous nation, the blueprint for women-led development, whether in science, technology, agriculture, education or healthcare, must also include reproductive autonomy at its core.
For too long the world has been confused about population numbers and goals. Instead of ensuring reproductive autonomy for each woman, we are obsessed with the total fertility rate; Instead of making sure family planning services reach everyone who needs them, we focus on what the ideal population size should be for a family, a community, a country, and even the world. It is important to understand that there are no ideal numbers or figures.
Population sustainability occurs when reproductive and sexual health decisions are free from discrimination, coercion and violence, reproductive and sexual health services are affordable, acceptable, accessible and of high quality, and women and couples are empowered to have the children they want is supported for. , when they want them.
a lot of progress
On World Population Day (July 11), India deserves appreciation for its family planning initiative, where despite several challenges, the goal is to provide a comprehensive package of reproductive health services to every potential beneficiary – with a focus on the provision of modern Services including short- and long-acting reversible contraceptives, permanent methods, information, counseling and emergency contraception.
India’s commitment to the Family Planning 2030 partnership includes expanding its contraceptive basket. The inclusion of new contraceptive options promotes women’s rights and autonomy, leading to an increase in modern contraceptive practices. Access to timely, quality and affordable family planning services is critical because un-spaced pregnancies can have deleterious effects on the health of the newborn as well as a large impact on maternal mortality, morbidity and health care expenditure.
The health, population and development programs of the Government of India have shown steady progress over the years. There has been a significant increase in life expectancy at birth in the country over the years. Compared to the 1990s, Indians are currently living a decade longer. India has made impressive progress in maternal health. The current rate of maternal mortality is 97 (per 100,000 live births in a year), down from 254 in 2004. Another victory of these programs is gender empowerment. Since the beginning of 2000, the number of child marriages in India has halved. Teen pregnancies have also decreased dramatically. Access to vital services has also improved, including health, education and nutrition.
no physical autonomy
However, there is also a good impression of this progress. Many women lack bodily autonomy. According to the most recent National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), only 10% of women in India are able to independently make decisions about their health, and 11% believe that if a woman denies If so, marital violence is acceptable. Sex with my husband. About half of pregnancies in India are unplanned, as is the case globally.
Advancing gender equality is not just about women, but about entire populations. In aging societies that are concerned about labor productivity, achieving gender equality in the workforce is the most effective way to improve output and income growth. And in countries experiencing rapid population growth, women’s empowerment through education and family planning can bring enormous benefits through increased human capital and inclusive economic growth. More importantly, the focus on gender equality helps shift the focus from the notion of ‘population stabilization’ to ‘population dynamics’ based on people’s reproductive choices.
India has a significant opportunity to advance gender equality and grow its economy. In fact, increasing female labor force participation by even 10 percentage points could account for more than 70% of the potential GDP growth opportunity ($770 billion in additional GDP by 2025).
need investment
The way to such a bright future is clear. Gender equality-centred development, focusing on rights and choices will help everyone achieve their aspirations. Gender equality can be ensured by investing in every stage of a woman’s life, from childbearing to adolescence and maturity. Engaging with women, girls and other marginalized people and creating laws and policies that empower them to claim their rights and make life-changing personal decisions is the first step in this direction.
This year, World Population Day is an occasion to reaffirm our commitment to placing individual rights, especially women’s rights and well-being, at the center of population and development discussions. Gender-equitable approaches and solutions are the fundamental building blocks of a more prosperous India and indeed the world.
Andrea M. Wojnar is the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India Representative, part of Team UN in India, and Country Director, Bhutan