Kampala, 11 May 2023 – Uganda launched The State of World Population Report (SWOP) on 11 May at UNFPA Country Office. The report was initially launched globally on 29 April 2023 by the UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem.
UNFPA Uganda launched the SWOP Report 2023 titled “8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: the case for rights and choices”. It calls for a radical approach on how population numbers are framed. The approach requires investing in data collection that looks beyond population sums and fertility rates and asking the right questions in support of sustainable development and human rights.
The Report further calls for actions, including advancing gender equality as the best tool for managing population change and building resilient societies. The SWOP report appeals to governments to abandon overblown narratives about population sizes for example, that efforts to influence fertility rates (for having too few or too many), are often ineffective and corrode women’s rights.
In her remarks, during the panel discussion at the UNFPA Country Office, Dr. Mary Otieno highlighted the opportunities and possibilities accompanying the historic milestone and appealed for more publicity in ensuring that the message cascades to the lowest levels.
“To build thriving and inclusive societies, irrespective of population size, we must rethink how we talk about, and plan for population change, shifting the conversation to rights and choices; how population numbers are framed...” she said. She added that instead of asking how fast people are reproducing, leaders should ask whether individuals, especially women, are capable of freely making their own reproductive choices.
In his statement, Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, the Director General of Uganda's National Population Council (NPC), underscored the need for investing in the rights of young people for improved health outcomes and more remarkable economic growth in Uganda's economy. Dr. Musinguzi remarked that the government of Uganda will take initiative in addressing gender inequality, improving access to education, providing skills for young people as well as improving job opportunities for the unemployed youth so that they can increase their income.
UNFPA Uganda Coutry Representative Dr. Mary Otieno unveils the SWOP Report 2023
Ms. Ruth Van Zorge, the first Secretary Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights at the Netherlands Embassy Uganda, affirmed that the benefits of improved sexual and reproductive health and rights are many and that they lead to better health outcomes, promote gender equality and improve the social and economic well-being of individuals, families, communities, countries and the world as a whole. In her remarks, Ms. Ruth urgued people to diverge away from thinking of the world as a population of 8 billion, and start thinking about the uniqueness of each individual and the wealth and opportunities that uniqueness can provide.
The SWOP Report 2023 strongly commends governments institute policies that promote gender equality in the workplace and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights that will realize economic dividends and lead to resilient societies that are able to thrive, no matter how populations change.
- Written by Emmanete Nabwire
