Africa-Press – Angola. The Secretary of State for the Family and Women’s Promotion, Alcina Kindanda, said this Tuesday in Luanda that the country’s development largely depends on achieving gender equality.
In this regard, the head of MASFAMU said it was necessary for the Government to continue working with churches, NGOs and civil society so that men and women could enjoy the same rights and duties, benefiting under equal circumstances.
Alcina Kindanda, who was speaking during the presentation of the World Population Situation Report 2023, referred that the Government of Angola is party to several legal instruments in terms of women’s human rights, based on the principle of equality.
According to Alcina Kindanda, the importance of women in sustainable development is an objective and urgent fact that unites communities and institutions to raise awareness of their role, where no one is left behind.
“This task will be achieved with the support of social partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for the implementation of national and international agendas, whose purpose is to provide the population with a better quality of life”, he explained.
In turn, UNFPA resident representative, Mady Biaye, referred that in countries with rapid population growth, such as Angola, with a current rate of 3%, empowering women through education and family planning can bring enormous benefits through human capital and inclusive economic growth.
According to Mady Biaye, Angola has made progress in terms of empowering women, however, it must accelerate the advancement of gender equality, through access to sexual and reproductive health, as well as developing labor policies and equitable standards in the workplace and at home , which will result in healthier families, a stronger economy and a resilient society.
As an example, Mady Biaye said that the prevalence rate of modern contraceptives in Angola is one of the lowest in the region, with 12.5% and 38% of married women having an unmet need for family planning.
Covering half of these needs by 2030, according to Mady Biaye, would prevent around 1,300 maternal deaths per year, 99,000 unsafe abortions and 517,000 unwanted pregnancies.
The presentation ceremony of the State of World Population Report 2023 was held as part of the celebrations of World Population Day, which is celebrated, the 11th, and had as its theme “Unleashing the power of gender equality – raising the voices of women and girls to discover the infinite possibilities of our world”.
This year, the event focuses on unlocking the power of gender equality.
According to UNFPA, gender-based discrimination harms everyone – women, girls, men and boys and that investing in women benefits all people, communities and countries.
Promoting gender equality, improving maternal health and empowering women to make their own reproductive choices are, in themselves, essential and fundamental to achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals, according to the UNFPA.
According to projections, the world’s population reached 8 billion people on November 15, 2022, signaling major improvements in public health that reduced the risk of dying and increased life expectancy.
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