As the global population gradually advances towards 8.3 billion issues placed on the discussion table ought not be one centred exclusively on population growth but sustainable development, production and consumption patterns, unemployment, education, resource exploration and exploitation, sanitation, inequality and health among others. For how population trends are managed determines quality of life of the people and generations unborn. On the background of this is the importance, reminder and urgency of celebrating World Population Day on 11 July each year. This day was instituted by the United Nations to highlight significance of demographic change and its impact on development.
The global theme for the celebration is “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World”. In Ghana the celebration is organized by the National Population Council (NPC) and partners. The national theme is “Empowering the Youth to Create Quality Families in an Inclusive Society”. This stresses on empowering and integrating the youth into all decision-making processes on matters that concern them. Equipping the youth with evidence-based information, access to quality healthcare as well as shaping their future families, communities and aspirations, including voluntarily choosing the timing and spacing of birth. This is because their actions and decisions have consequences on one or combinations of political, social, economic and environment.
In the Western region of Ghana, the celebration takes extraordinary significance. As it is marked by a series of activities not limited to dialogue sessions, radio and television discussions using multi-channel approach in various languages, dramatization, inter-school debate, fun games and public sensitization. This year’s celebration is about self-determination, inclusiveness and the autonomy in re-defining family particularly among the youth. Fundamentally, the youth of any nation is a representation of its development tripod as they are potential drivers of economic growth, social development and innovation. In Ghana the youth forms substantial proportion of the population. According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC), the youth constituted 38.2% of the nation’s total population and is expected to increase further than it is today. Despite huge potential for growth and development, these cohort of the population are hindered by multicomplex factors. It is estimated that more than 1.1 million youth are unemployed (PHC, 2021) and about 14 percent of adolescent girls aged 15-19 years have commenced childbearing (GDHS, 2022).
As part of the celebration, the Western Regional office of the National Population Council in the next three months will be the voice of youth inclusiveness on government policies that support diverse family structures. This will be done through radio and television discussion and comprehensively educate the youth on relationships, reproductive health and parenting as well as making informed decisions for building stronger and healthy families. Also, priority will be given to initiatives that promote leadership, financial literacy and skills development.
The writer, FRANK OFOSU-ASANTE is a Senior Policy Analyst and a Population scientist at the National Population Council- Ghana (Western Region).
