Africa-Press – Lesotho. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) virtually launched the State of the World Population 2021 report yesterday. UNFPA Country Representative Dr.
Marc Derveeuw presented the report to the Minister of Development Planning Hon. Selibe Mochoboroane who declared the report officially opened. Titled, ‘My body is My
Own: Claiming the Right to Autonomy and Self-Determination’ the report measures the women and girls power to make an independent decisions about their bodies.
The UNFPA says that “bodily autonomy is a fundamental right”. The violations of women body include: rape, virginity testing and forced sterilization amongst
others. The report indicates that nearly half the population of women in the world are denied fundamental right to make decisions over their bodies and about their future plans.
It also says nearly half the women are denied right to say no to sex. “A woman’s power to control her own body is linked to how much control she has in other spheres of
her life,” the UNFPA has said. The report indicates that 75 percent of women enjoy the legal rights of men. It shows that the power to make decisions about sexuality and reproduction is “fundamental” to
the general women’s empowerment. According to the report, 55 percent of women are able to make decisions in the dimensions of bodily autonomy. Those include the power to decide whether and when to seek
health care. The Minister congratulated the UNFPA for “consistently and relentlessly providing the State of World Population Reports on annual basis that relay important messages about the
State of World Populations”. Mochoboroane said body autonomy is the universal right that should be enshrined. He further mentioned how women and girls were vulnerable during the COVID-19.
He reflected: “It shows how critical many of the shortfalls in bodily autonomy are; many have worsened under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, record
shows an increased number of women and girls at risk of gender-based violence and harmful practices such as early marriage. ” The Minister went on to point that: “We should note that national development agenda cannot be
achieved until women, girls and young people are able to make their own choice in reproductive health issues. The government of Lesotho respects bodily autonomy and strives to achieve sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all through education, and laws and policies made.”
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