Luanda, 03 July 2019 – As part of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 50th Anniversary and the 25th Anniversary of the historical International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) celebrations, UNFPA Angola launched the World Population Report 2019 with the participation of Members of the Government, Members of the National Assembly, Diplomatic Corps, United Nations Agencies Representatives, Civil Society, Academia, Private Sector partners, and Angolan youth.
The event had two moments: Launching of the report and “What’s Change” with the participation of three generations of Angolan women about the "scope, challenges and opportunities in the exercise of choices and rights".
During the opening speech, UNFPA Representative in Angola, Florbela Fernandes, reinforced the fact that despite the remarkable gains, there is still a long way to go. Many people are still left behind. The struggle will continue until all women and girls, everywhere, are healthy, exercise choices and have control over their futures.
The Representative finalized with a call for urgent action, so that rights and choice become a reality for all - If not now, when?.
Emphasizing that it is with this ambition that the governments of Kenya, Denmark and UNFPA will organize the Nairobi Summit from 12-14 November in which all countries, donors, civil society organizations and even the private sector are invited, to strengthen commitments to the principles and objectives of the ICPD Program of Action (PoA).
The State of the World population report 2019 conveys messages showing that choices and rights are still a challenge for many women, and that there are still barriers to their rights full exercise.
The global reproductive rights movement, which began in the 1960s, transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of women so they could have the information and the means to decide on their own bodies as well as their future. However, despite the progress of the last 50 years since the creation of the United Nations agency specialized in sexual and reproductive health, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), there is still a long way to go until all people in the world can claim their rights and freedom to decide.
On the road to rights and freedom to decide, women and girls encounter social and economic obstacles at every step. Progress and challenges are highlighted in two key milestones: the launch of UNFPA (1969), the first United Nations agency devoted to population growth and reproductive health needs, and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, when 179 governments committed to development, recognizing that gender equality and meeting needs in education and health, including reproductive health, are prerequisites for achieving long-term sustainable development.
To talk about the progress made over the years, we were honored to receive on the “What’s Change” - scope, challenges and opportunities in the exercise of choices and rights", three generations of Angolan women who have had opportunities, reached important milestones, faced challenges and made every effort to ensure that the exercise of their rights of choice was a reality and could fulfill their dreams.
Strong Angolan women with a history of overcoming and constant struggle for their dreams, without leaving aside the family and contributing to the development of society. Mrs. Maria Otília Andrade, who is over 60 years old, is an example of overcoming and strength. Angolan, married, mother of two children and grandmother of five. She graduated in Administration, but since 1998 she has been working as a fisherwoman, which is her great passion. She is the only Angolan woman to command a deep-sea fishing vessel. In her testimony, she stressed the importance of Sexual Education, so that the girl can make the best choices for life:
“I was raised by my parents and my godparents, when my first menstruation came in the age of 14, my godfather offered me a book titled - Everything the woman should know from adolescence to childbirth - this book was my life, everything I know and taught to my children, I learned from this book.”
AMs. Anica António Filho, is another example of perseverance, formed in Clinical Psychology and Nursing, she found many obstacles to achieve her training:
“There were several obstacles to get a degree, I volunteered and it was through dedication and commitment that I became a professional. My goal and desire to learn has always been greater and my desire has always been to save lives.”
Ela deixou um conselho às meninas e jovens mulheres para seguirem os seus sonhos, traçar prioridades e caso já tenham iniciado a vida sexual activa, aconselhava-as a fazer o Planeamento Familiar para evitar a gravidez não planeada.
She advised girls and young women to follow their dreams, set priorities and if they have already started active sex life, she advised them to do Family Planning to avoid unplanned pregnancy.
Young woman, Silvia Rodrigues, 25 years old, graduated in Portuguese Language and Literature, chose not to be unemployed, since she did not get a job in her academic area. She set her sights on entrepreneurship and in 2017, created her own design studio, and today she helps other young people in her community.
At the end of the conversation, our guests received a certificate of recognition for perseverance and for inspiring other women, youth and adolescents with their life choices.
The event ended with congratulations to UNFPA, cutting the custom cake for UNFPA's 50th anniversary and 25th anniversary of the ICPD.
To download the report: http://bit.ly/Relatório_EstadodaPopulaçãoMundial2019
To see more pictures: http://bit.ly/30kQwDf
