Africa-Press – Eswatini. The Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, in partnership with UNFPA, marked World Population Day with the launch of the 2025 State of World Population Report, placing youth empowerment, reproductive choice, and inclusive development at the heart of Eswatini’s future.
Held at the George Hotel in Manzini, the event brought together high-level dignitaries including Minister Dr Thambo Gina, Manzini RA Chief Gija (represented by RS Arnold Dlamini), UNFPA officials, youth advocates, and development partners.
In his remarks, RS Arnold Dlamini proudly highlighted that Manzini continues to lead not only in population size, but also in political representation, producing the highest number of parliamentarians in the country.
UNFPA Strategic Information Specialist Lucas Jele presented highlights from the 2025 State of World Population Report. He stressed that the fertility crisis is not simply about declining birth rates, but about the inability of people, especially youth, to make empowered, informed reproductive choices. “This is about dignity, access, and long-term solutions,” he said.
YOUTH VOICES LEAD THE CONVERSATION
The panel discussion, themed Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want, gave youth leaders the mic to speak their truth. Moderated by Thamsanqa “KrTC” Sibandze, the panel featured Lwazi Mamba (ENYC), Nomcebo Mavuso (Ministry of Commerce), Siphesihle Mkhonta (JA Eswatini), Nondumiso Shongwe (FODSWA), and young advocate Xolile Dlamini.
Lwazi Mamba pulled no punches. He highlighted how systemic barriers, including rising teenage pregnancies, declining higher education outcomes, unemployment, and growing divorce rates, are dimming prospects for the country’s youth. “We are starting families later, in a more unstable environment, and many still lack the power to choose when and how to start a family,” he said.
Nondumiso Shongwe from FODSWA added that youth with disabilities also face compounded barriers. However, she noted progress: through partnerships with JA Eswatini, UNFPA, and Young Heroes, FODSWA is equipping young people with disabilities with entrepreneurship training, life skills, and startup kits to launch their own businesses. “Disability is not inability. We build our own,” she said.
THE REAL COST OF TEEN PREGNANCY
UNICEF Deputy Representative Afshin Parsi used the Q&A session to raise a critical point: “Teen pregnancy is not just a reproductive health issue, it has deep developmental consequences.” He noted that the education level of mothers strongly correlates with child poverty in Eswatini, warning that girls who drop out due to early pregnancy increase the risk of multidimensional poverty across generations.
MINISTER, UNFPA CALL FOR ACTION
UNFPA Head of Office Margaret Thwala-Tembe commended the country’s efforts but called for sustained investment in youth and reproductive health rights. She emphasised the need to involve both women and men in reshaping the narrative around fertility and family planning.
In her keynote address, PS Thabsile Mlangeni of the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development reflected on long-term fertility trends in Eswatini, declining from 7.8 children per woman in 1966 to 3.2 in 2017. She stressed that family planning is more than contraceptives; it’s about agency, access, and equity.
Recent national data shows a drop in contraceptive prevalence, from 65% in 2014 to 57% in 2021, yet also a decline in women reporting unmet family planning needs, from 20% to 15%.
“This year’s theme reminds us that every young person has the right to choose their future,” said Mlangeni. “Our duty is to remove the barriers that stand in their way, through education, healthcare, opportunity, and respect.”
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