The day allows decision makers the opportunity to reflect on some pressing population dynamics as well as trying to find solution to some of these problems that the world is facing.
The theme for this year's celebration is 'unleashing the power of gender equality; Uplifting the voice of women and girls to unlock our world infinite possibilities.'
The day also accords officials the opportunity to launch the 2023 State of the World Population Report.
Welcoming the gathering, Mariama Fanneh, director at the National Population Secretariat, described the day as significant in their collective drive
She encouraged all to share experience and best practices geared towards creating and ensuring gender equality.
Gender equality, she observed, lies at the heart of 'our collective aspirations' by uplifting the voices of women and girls, thereby unlocking infinite possibilities and pave a way for a brighter future for all.
She lamented the challenges faced by women and girls and urged all to work towards addressing it.
For her part, Ndey Rose Sarr, UNFPA representative in The Gambia, recalled that in November 2022, the world population eclipsed 8 billion people.
"Many people saw this as a milestone to be celebrated. It is evidence that we are living longer, healthier lives. But alongside this news, the UN also announced that two-thirds of people were residing in regions where fertility rates had declined below the so-called “replacement level” of 2.1 births per woman."
She noted that as people marks World Population Day, they are also launching UNFPA’s global flagship State of World Population Report 2023: “8 billion lives, infinite possibilities: the case for rights and choices”.
This report, she added, calls for focus to be on the rights and choices of the individual woman, rather than slipping into an anxious narrative which exaggerates and blames. "With little recognition of the agency of those giving birth, birth rates are often identified as a problem and a solution."
Fatou Kinteh, Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, described the theme of this year's celebration as quite apt, and coming at a time when the government of The Gambia and her Ministry are working at an advance stage working on strategies geared towards promoting gender equality.
She expressed her ministry’s resolve to continue creating awareness on gender based issues, saying this would help create a better understanding of how far we have come as a nation.
Minister Kinteh highlighted the bills promulgated designed to empower gender issues and that this is a testament of government unwavering commitment to gender empowerment in the country.
Delivering a keynote Address on behalf of the vice president, Claudiana Cole, minister of Basic and Secondary Education, described the event as a matter of utmost significance, saying the day in essence celebrate global efforts in addressing the challenges pose by ‘our ever-growing world’s population.’
“Today, we also unveil the findings of the State of the World’s Population Report 2023, a comprehensive study to bring to light dynamics and indications of this population growth.”
Minister Cole reminded that as people look around, we witness that is changing at an unprecedented level; a societies are becoming more interconnected and economies are expanding while technological advances are shaping our lives.
She however, noted that amid all these development people are faced with population growth, adding that posing serious threat to equally access to opportunities.
She thus observed the need to put in place mechanism to respond to this growing development so as to ensure socio-economic development.
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