United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Population Found (UNFPA) Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin in his message for World Population Day, 11 July 2015, pointed to a recent UN report on the rise in number of forcibly displaced people (almost 60 million at the end of 2014), adding “among these, most women and adolescent girls face particular threats as a result of the absence of health...reproductive health complications are a leading cause of death and illness among women of childbearing age.”
He further stressed that Women and adolescent girls face much greater risk of “abuse, sexual exploitation, violence and forced marriage during conflicts and natural disasters.”
“Many women who survive a crisis become heads of household, with the sole responsibility of caring for their children…as a result, they may neglect their own needs as they care for others. The complex emergencies we are responding to include protracted conflicts, made worse by poor or failed governance, the consequences of climate change, and the engagement of extremist groups claiming territory, resources and power,” he said in the message.
While referring to the theme of this World Population Day as “Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies”, the UNFPA chief urged more attention to be given to the special needs of women and adolescent girls during conflicts and humanitarian disasters.
According to Dr. Osotimehin, one of the priorities of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is to empower and safeguard the well-being of women and address their specific needs and concerns.
“UNFPA deploys hygiene kits, obstetric and contraceptive supplies, trained personnel and other support to vulnerable populations. It also works to ensure the needs of women, adolescent girls and young people are served through both an emergency and the reconstruction phase. Our aim is to ensure that women’s and adolescent girls’ right to sexual and reproductive health is protected and their safety is ensured,” the message read.
The UNFPA Executive Director further called on the international community to redouble efforts to protect the health and rights of women and girls, advocating the rights of women to play their full role in peace talks, peace building and recovery, and to ensure that governments comply with international law and bring perpetrators of sexual violence to justice.
“By prioritizing health, rights and the full participation of women, adolescent girls and young people in public life, we increase our prospects for a more just, stable and peaceful world,” the message concluded.
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