The UNFPA has observed World Population Day in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world.
The population agency of the UN in a statement on Sunday said they highlighted the health and rights of women and girls during COVID-19 on the day on Saturday.
Due to the pandemic, a virtual discussion took place with state minister for women and children affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, MP, as the chief guest.
Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof Md. Akhtaruzzaman, and UNFPA Bangladesh representative Dr Asa Torkelsson spoke at the discussion, among others.
This year, the theme for World Population Day was ‘putting the brakes on COVID-19 how to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls’.
During the discussion, UNFPA’s flagship annual publication – the State of World Population Report 2020 – was also highlighted.
The state minister highlighted in her speech the necessity of upholding human rights of women and girls during these unprecedented times.
She stated the importance of conducting comprehensive and cross-sectoral programming based on a proper assessment of preventive and protection needs of women and girls during COVID-19.
The UNFPA chief said “It is imperative for us to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls. Sexual and reproductive health and addressing gender-based violence, requires urgent and sustained attention and investment”.
She emphasised on UNFPA’s commitment to continue supporting Bangladesh “to achieve the triple zeros of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero incidents of gender-based violence and harmful practices, despite COVID-19”.
Keynote presentations that provided further insight into the need to defy harmful practices against women and girls and on how to safeguard the rights of women and girls were also presented by Prof Mohammad Mainul Islam and Prof Dr Mohammad Bellal, both from the Dhaka University’s Department of Population Sciences.