Egypt's unemployment rate falls in Q2 '25 – CAPMAS    EGP swings vs. USD in early Sunday trade    EGX launches 1st phone app    Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



World Population Day: investing in women
Published in Daily News Egypt on 11 - 07 - 2016

The world's population is growing at the expense of women's health. With nearly one in five women already mothers by their 18th birthday, the UN has made women's rights the focus of this year's World Population Day.
The world's population grows by roughly 2.6 people per second. In 15 years, the number of people on earth will have increased from 7.3 billion to 8.5 billion, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). By 2100, that figure is expected to reach 11.2 billion.
Better living conditions for women and girls could change this trend, which is why "Investing in teenage girls" is the motto of this year's World Population Day. Many aid organizations have also taken on this slogan because they, too, see that improving women's opportunities is one of the keys to preventing overpopulation.
Since proclaiming a World Population Day in 1989, the UN has sought to bring attention problems tied to population growth and to strengthen the rights and health care of mothers.
Education key to curbing pregnancies
"Every year, roughly 74 million women and girls in developing countries experience an unwanted pregnancy primarily because there is a lack of sex education and a lack of contraception. It's also because women and girls aren't given equal rights," said Renate Bähr, the head of the German World Population Foundation (DSW).
That's also why more than 220 million women can't use contraception even though they want to, Bähr added.
Young women in these countries, in particular, have had little access to sex education and contraception up until now, resulting in a large number of teenage pregnancies worldwide. In Niger, for example, there are an estimated 205 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 16 and 19. This rate hasn't changed since 1960. In Somalia, the number of births has risen from 55 to 105 per 1,000 women in this age group.
Family planning a must
Complications during pregnancy and labor are the second leading cause of death among women between the ages of 15 and 19.
"Young girls haven't developed enough physically to carry out a pregnancy to term without complications," DSW's Leonie Müssig says.
The latest figures from the United Nations (UN) shows that small differences between the average number of children per woman can have a considerable impact on the world's population growth. Assuming that the current average of 2.5 children per woman remained the same through the end of the century, the world's population would increase by 26 billion people by 2100.
But using a more moderate calculation, the UN assumes that the international birth rate will sink to two children per women over the next 85 years, meaning that the world's population would increase to only 11.2 billion people. Statistically speaking, another half a child less would mean a world population 7.3 billion by 2100.
More money for girls
Given these calculations, development experts consider investments in education a top priority.
"Educated women and girls would be able to realize their rights to self-determination and voluntary family planning better," said Müssig. Better opportunities for women in the labor market would also mean a decline in birth rates.
"Plus, if more children survived thanks to better medical care, parents would decide against having more children," she said.
Aid organizations are calling on the German government to give more money to projects that strengthen the health and reproductive rights of women.
"Increasing the German development aid budget for 2017 is a step in the right direction," says Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, president of the German aid organization Bread for the World.
But, according to Füllkrug-Weitzel, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development's budgetary increase from 7.4 to 8 percent – while promising – it clearly too little.


Clic here to read the story from its source.