By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As Nigeria commemorates the 2023 World Population Day, Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPopC, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra has said that Nigeria needs for renewal commitment to achieve gender equality for women and girls.
Kwarra made this known on Tuesday in Abuja in a welcome address to mark the WPD in Nigeria.
He explained that such renewed commitment would create and sustain platforms for engagements
that would elicit collective ideas, information that can change the narrative of the plight of women and girls, particularly for young people.
He stated, “When voices of women and girls are recognized and given deserved attention regarding their pertinent needs in terms of quality education, participation in the work force; good representation in political positions across all levels; access to quality health care services including family planning information and commodities.”
“Protection from harmful practices that impede their wellbeing and mar their future; protection from decisions that make them unequal across societies, then, and only then will Nigeria and the global community be able to secure a world of gender equality; a world where their Rights and Choices are respected and accorded the desired priority.”
Spokesperson of the Population Advisory Group , PGA, Ambassador Usman Sarki noted that ignoring the voices of women and girls in the world of 8 billion, would lead to limiting decisions that are critical to their wellbeing of women and girls in areas of health, education as well as employment and wealth creation.
The provision of access to reproductive health and other necessary commodities in the form of life saving care and services to women, also promote better and healthier societies as well as gender equality.
Absenting these services and products inevitably contribute to our rapid population growth, high maternal death, unintended pregnancies among adolescent girls, poverty, high rates of out-of-school girls and girls dropping out of schools., Sarki emphasized.
Daybreak reports that the theme for the 2023 World Population Day was, ” Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality: Uplifting the Voices of Women and Girls to Unlock Our World’s Infinite Possibilities”.
