MONROVIA, June 2 (LINA) – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has celebrated 50 years of existence empowering women around the globe to make their own decisions about when, how often, whether or not and for whom to become pregnant.
According to the Country Director of UNFPA Bannet Ndyanabangi, the right to decide freely and responsively on the timing and spacing of children was acknowledged in Cairo, Egypt in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) where 179 governments endorsed a global program of action that linked women’s empowerment, rights and sexual and reproductive health to sustainable development.
Dr. Ndyanabangi made the statement at a program marking the 50th Anniversary of the UNFPA held at the Monrovia City Hall recently.
He asserted that the Cairo agenda has yet to be realized for all in all places, including Liberia, which still has 31 percent of women who want to prevent pregnancy, but are not using a modern method of contraception.
But the UNFPA official noted that only 21 percent of women of reproductive ages between 15-49 have access to modern methods of family planning.
“Every day more than four women die from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth while some of those who survive are left with infections and injuries, including obstetric fistula,” Dr. Ndyanabangi added.
He stressed that most of them could have been saved by the care of well-trained midwives within the framework of strong health systems.
He indicated that teenage pregnancy remains alarming at 31 percent and one in three of adolescent pregnancy ends in abortion.
Dr. Ndyanabangi maintained that violation of the rights and physical integrity of women and girls continues in the form of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation.
He disclosed that much more must be done to tear down the barriers that prevent women, men, and couples from fully exercising their reproductive rights.
