State of the Nations Report 2016 launched
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched the 2016 State of the Nations Report with a call on governments in developing countries to invest in the future of the youth, especially girls from the age of 10.
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“What the world will look like in 15 years will depend on the investments we make in our girls today, especially from the age of 10,” the report said.
The report, which is on the theme: “How our future depends on a girl at this decisive age of 10”, advances the fact that when a girl reaches age 10, her world changes.
The State of the World’s Population report, a flagship report of the UNFPA, is published annually to guide research, policy making, programming, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Life-changing events
The report said at the age of 10, a flurry of life-changing events pulled a girl in many directions, adding that where she ended up depended on the support she received and the power she had to shape her own future.
It said in some parts of the world, a 10-year-old girl, on the verge of adolescence, saw limitless possibilities ahead and started making choices that would influence her education and, later, her work and life.
However, in other parts of the world, a 10-year-old girl’s horizons were limited. As she reaches puberty, a formidable combination of relatives, figures in her community, social and cultural norms, institutions and discriminatory laws block her path.
According to the UNFPA, when the right policies and institutions are in place to build young people’s human capital, a developing country can see dramatic economic growth.
Agenda
The UNFPA Country Representative, Dr Babatunde Ahonsi, in an address to launch the report, said the report showed how 10-year-old girls, who were about 60 million across the world, were the face of the world’s future.
He said they were the starting point for achieving the globally agreed 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063, saying the time to act to realise their human rights and unleash their potential was now.
“Investments in health and education, especially for adolescents and youth, are powerful vehicles for promoting economic growth and human well-being,” he added.
Ten essential actions
The report gives 10 essential actions required for the 10-year-old girl to realise her human rights and unleash her potential and these actions address six key areas that underpin development.
They are laws, service, policy, investments, data and norms.
On laws, the report called for the stipulation of legal equality for girls, backed by consistent legal practice.
It also called for the ban of all harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child marriages and also called for the minimum age of marriage to be pegged at 18.
On services, the report called for the provision of safe, high quality education that would fully uphold gender equality in curricula, teaching standards and co-curricular activities.
It also called for the mobilisation of new funds for mental health, protection and reduction of unpaid work that constrain options for girls.
On data, it called for the use of the 2030 Agenda data revolution to better track progress of girls, including sexual and reproductive health.
The report further stressed the need for girls, boys and everybody around to challenge and change gender discriminatory norms.