WORLD POPULATION DAY - JULY 11 2016
2016 Theme: Investing in teenage girls.
In 1989, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development
Programme recommended that 11 July be observed by the international
community as World Population Day, a day to focus attention on the
urgency and importance of
population issues. This year's theme is 'Investing in teenage girls.'
Teenage girls around the world face enormous challenges. Many are considered by their communities or parents to be r
eady for marriage and
motherhood. Many are forced from school, damaging their future prospects. Even among girls who stay in school, access to basic
information about their health, human rights and reproductive rights
can be hard to come by, leaving them vulnerable to illness, injury and
exploitation. These challenges are exacerbated among marginalized girls,
such as members of ethnic minorities or those living in poverty or
remote areas.
Yet when teenage girls are empowered, when they know about their
rights and are given the tools to succeed, they become agents of
positive change in their communities.
UNFPA's programmes aim to end child marriage, curb adolescent
pregnancy, and to empower girls to make informed choices about their
health and lives. In 2015 alone, UNFPA programmes helped 11.2 million
girls between ages 10 and 19 gain access to sexual and reproductive
health services and information.
"Leaders and communities must focus on and stand up for the human
rights of the most marginalized teenage girls, particularly those who
are poor, out of school, exploited, or subjected to harmful traditional
practices, including child marriage," UNFPA Executive Director Dr.
Babatunde Osotimehin said. "Marginalized girls are vulnerable to poor
reproductive health and more likely to become mothers while still
children themselves. They have a right to understand and control their
own bodies and shape their own lives.
COURTESY -http://www.un.org
