“Almost half of the population of the world lives in rural regions and mostly in a state of poverty. Such inequalities in human development have been one of the primary reasons for unrest and, in some parts of the world, even violence”. – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
World Population Day is an annual celebration of raising awareness about the global population status amongst people. It is celebrated on 11th of July every year. This event was first introduced in the year 1989 by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme inspired from the “Five Billion Day” which was celebrated on 11th July,1987. 2018 marked as the 50th anniversary of this celebration and the theme for that year was Family planning. The campaign of the World Population Day every year aids in spreading awareness and knowledge of the people worldwide towards their reproductive health, family planning and gender-based inequities.
The theme for 2021 is “Rights and choices are the answer: Whether baby boom or bust, the solution to shifting fertility rates lies in prioritizing the reproductive health and rights of all people”. The theme this year is based on safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls around the world especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the second year of global pandemic, there is a sense of vagueness with some nations battling through the various waves and other experiencing the aftereffects. We have been shown the reflection of our reality- the lack in resources and health care system. In such times, there has been a surge in gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage. With women leaving their labour jobs to provide and care for their family and children which have affected their finances. In such times, it is necessary they be given the authority and freedom of choice over their bodies and fertility. Policies contradicting this theme shall be distasteful and a grave violation of their rights. Policymakers should ensure that women, especially in the rural areas are educated about their rights, sexual wellness and other related health issues. Women should be aware about their reproductive choices and fertility rate.
India has already seen the problems that come with a population boom. Especially with the lockdown and unemployment, there have been lack of basic amenities and resources. Cities have faced deurbanization and lack of labour resources as it failed to provide people with their daily bread.
Apart from this, there are other objectives of this celebration which include:-
- Eliminating gender stereotypes from society
- Empowering the youth, irrespective of their gender
- Educating teens about unwanted pregnancies
- Spreading awareness about Sex education and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Ensuring easy access to reproductive health services and basic primary health worldwide
- Educating the youth about the risks of early pregnancy ensuring informed decision making
- Raising awareness about the various contraceptives.
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.
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