World Population Day: Investing in teenage girls

Prof RK Narendra Singh *

World population day is a global stage awareness campaign being celebrated everywhere in the world since 1990 to call individuals on stage to aware about the urgency and importance of population issues in the context of development plan and programmes, and aim to find a solution of the menace created by the massive mistake of entire human fraternity.

This great awareness occasion is to carry a population revolution globally through the involvement of every one of us and combat the population issues.

During early parts of 1990s and even much ahead, renowned demographers of all over the world had perceived the explosive growth of human population and its consequence. Thus in 1990, 36th Governing Council of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) adopted the birthday of Matej Gasper, the 11th July as World Population Day. From 1990 and onwards, with initiative of United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) & World Assembly of Youth (WAY) organize World Population Day worldwide.

This was exalted by the attention of the community when the worldwide population touched to 5 billion at 11th of July in the year 1987. The 5th billion child is none other than Matej Gasper (M), who was born in Jagreb of Yugoslavia.

History tells us that world population grew slowly at the very beginning and then at faster rate. It took millions of years to reach the level of 230 million at the beginning of the Christian era. It again touched 1 billion on Aug 1, 1804, the population rose from 1 billion to 2 billion in 123 years i.e., from 1804 to 1927 and in subsequent 33 years to 3 billion i.e., from 1927 to 1960 and another 14 years to 4 billion i.e., from 1960 to 1974. Exactly 5 billion was achieved on July 11, 1987 in only 13 years i.e., from 1974 to 1987. At present world population is 7,432,663,275 (2016 July) adding by another 83 million people to the volume of world population per year. In one sense, every hour, 10,000 children add to volume of the world.

The currently growing is at a rate of around 1.13% per year with the population density of 57 persons/sq km which is too high to make a stable population.

World population day is celebrated globally by organizing variety of activities and events to draw attention of mass people to work together on the growing population issues. On the different theme declared by the UNDP, every year the day is celebrated globally. Nevertheless, some countries celebrate the day on their own theme on the line of one of the objectives of the World Population Day.

Gender disparity against women starts even when she is in her mother’s womb and till her last breath. Right from her birth, she possesses inferior position in the society as well as in the family at all levels. All the time she fails to enjoy right and dignity. In her parent’s house she occupies inferior position as compared with her brother(s) in terms of rearing and care and after marriage as a house-wife she performs the subordinate role in her in-laws house. If she could not give birth or even give birth to a girl child her life turns to trauma. It entails female infanticide, domestic violence and torture.

Low status of women is attributed with denial of her fundamental rights and compels to indulge less food and care, early marriage, genital mutilation, domestic abuse, incest, sexual exploitation, discrimination, and especially less access to education. In our present society a girl child is not only neglected but also considered as social appendix. Women are socialized in patriarchal societies with a peculiar norm to inculcate them three distinctive qualities viz., submissiveness, tolerance and chastity.

Gender disparity at all levels and its adverse impact on women has become a fact of life. They were barred from education itself earlier on and finally allowed education but were barred entry to higher education. This is partly due to the biological role and responsibilities of women as mothers, but mostly due to the traditional mindsets, which visualize women as being child bearers and home-makers, and men as breadwinners. In fact, gender discrimination and inequity have denied women opportunities for education and employment on par with men. The women who seek higher professional course and carrier have to face the triple burden of professional work, domestic work (including child rearing) and resisting male chauvinism.

Keeping these man-made catastrophes on the marginalized section of the society, UNDP adopted theme of this year, 2016 of the World Population Day is investing in teenage girls with the following objectives:

- To end child marriage, curb adolescent pregnancy, and to empower girls to make informed choices about their health and lives.

- The people aware about the urgency & importance of population issues in the context of development plan & programmes.

- Need to find a solution.

The theme is very pertinent as teenage girls (between ages 10 and 19 years) around the world now face enormous challenges in terms of social, economic, education and health.

Many societies considered them as burden rather than liability due to several social taboos and stigmas. The parents are always ready for marriage and make them motherhood. And thus they are compelling to dropout from school and damaging their future prospects. A girl with little or no education has fewer skills and opportunities to find a job. This can also have an economic cost with a society losing out on the annual income a young woman would have earned over her lifetime, if she had not had an early pregnancy. Even among girls who stay in school, access to basic information about their health, human rights and reproductive rights can be hard to come by, leaving them vulnerable to illness, injury and exploitation. The situation is more pertinent among the marginalized girls, such as members of ethnic minorities or those living in poverty or remote areas.

There are 6.75% teenage girls worldwide while India has 10% to the total population. About 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 and some 1 million girls under 15 years of age give birth every year. Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the second cause of death for teenage girls globally. They are the vulnerable group especially their health and social stigma. It is world phenomenon that these marginal girls are having poor reproductive health and more likely to become mothers while they are not fit to become mothers. Therefore, they become the victim of several forms of maternal health hazards and allied problems.

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major contributor to maternal and child mortality, and to the cycle of ill-health and poverty. Risks of low birth weight, premature labour, anaemia, and pre-eclampsia are connected to the biological age itself, as it was observed in teen birth.

In contrast the time has come that teenage girls should have a right to understand and control their own bodies and shape their own lives. At the same time, if the teenage girls are empowered and make them aware their rights and duties, and provide them the tools to succeed, they become agents of optimistic transformation in the society.

Thus the objective of this year is to end child marriage, curb adolescent pregnancy, and to empower girls to make informed choices about their health and lives. Henceforth, the government, NGOs, and every one of us should focus on and stand up for the human rights of the most marginalized section of teenage girls, particularly those who are poor, out of school, exploited, or subjected to harmful traditional practices, including child marriage. This might be the only contribution from every one of us on this auspicious day.