In a statement read on his behalf by the Minister for Planning, Honorable Professor George Gyan Baffour at the 2020 World Population Day Celebration, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia applauds female front-line workers for working relentlessly in hospitals and at homes.
He said the Government of Ghana is working tirelessly to address the diverse effects of the pandemic on various aspects of the country’s development. He further reminded Ghanaians that, “It is time to better appreciate the synergistic and internal relationship between reproductive health, gender equality and inclusive growth for sustainable development.”
The National Population Council (NPC) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana and Marie Stopes Ghana organised this year’s World Population Day (WPD) on the theme “Putting the brakes on COVID-19: how to safeguard the rights of women and girls now” on 17th July,2020.
At the virtual celebration was the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Charles Abani who called on stakeholders to not just address the COVID-19 pandemic but utilize this period to recover and build back better as a country. Mr. Abani further underscored the disruptions the pandemic is having on sexual and reproductive health services such as family planning services which unfortunately have been sidelined. The UN Resident Coordinator assured the government of UN’s commitment to ensuring that the three zeros-zero maternal mortality, zero unmet need for family planning and zero Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Harmful Practices - are achieved in Ghana. He ended his statement by reminding all that “recovering from the pandemic must be inclusive and women and girls must be at the center of that.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Oko Boye applauded UNFPA Ghana and Marie Stopes Ghana for exhibiting the importance of SDG 17 –partnerships for the goals- in protecting the rights of women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister for Gender, Children & Social Protection, Hon. Cynthia Morrison mentioned that her ministry has been creating awareness on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence(SGBV) in the public sphere via various means such as the media with the generous support of UNFPA Ghana.The Board Chair of NPC, Dr. Gladys Norley Ashitey called on the government to formulate policies and programs with a gender lens.
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s WPD was broadcast live on Ghana Television and on social media. WPD is an annual observance which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues. However, due to the unprecedented times the world is in, UNFPA’s goal on WPD 2020 is to raise awareness of women’s and girls’ needs for sexual and reproductive health and vulnerabilities during the pandemic.
