The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) joins the United Nations Population Fund and the world community in observing the World Population Day (July 11).
World Population day was established upon recommendation by the governing council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989 to recognize the population issues facing the global community. This year’s theme “Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations”.
Extreme poverty, climate change, hunger, wars, conflicts, divide, oppression, torture, human-trafficking, hate crimes, terrorism, violence, injustices, natural disaster and other global emergencies disproportionately impact millions of people across the globe, especially young girls.
The unfortunate reality is that women in general and teenage girls in particular often face violence in their homes and communities and early child marriage continue to be a true challenge within certain societies. On another note, many teenage girls are deprived of the basic right to education. They are not able to attend school to improve their lives, as they are often confined and limited to run the household chores and caring for younger siblings. Young girls are especially vulnerable to being kidnapped and coerced into a life of slavery in the sex industry.
“Investing in teenage girls’ wellbeing, due to the important role women play in the family, ends up helping whole communities,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “Ending child marriage and providing for family planning will go a long way in improving the lives of girls and women,” added Mr. Hamad.
To learn more about World Population Day and the work of the United Nations Population Fund please visit www.unfpa.org