STATE OF WORLD POPULATION REPORT 2005
Call for Gender Equity
Nepal faces uphill task in controlling the population and making policies favorable towards gender equity
By A CORRESSPONDENT
Faced with violent insurgency, Nepal’s overall status in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is dismal. The lives, particularly of women, are still miserable and complicated.
Although one can see certain progress in terms of health and other related issues, women, who consists of almost half of the population, are still backward and victims of all kinds of discrimination.
From mortality rate to secondary enrolment and life expectancy, women are still in worse shape compared to men. According to the State of the World Population Report, maternal mortality ratio is still highest in Nepal as it stands at 740. Interestingly, only 11 percent of births are attended by skilled attendants while overwhelming majority of women rely on traditional ways risking their own lives.
“The situation is getting worse in many parts of Nepal where women do not get skilled attendants in pregnancy. We have been trying to train the people regarding reproductive health and its complications,” said Ms. Junko Sazaki, UNFPA representative in Nepal.
Although life expectancy of women improved little against male in the last few years, it is still lowest. The life expectancy of female is 62.9 against 62.0 of male. The fertility rates continue to decline as it now reaches 3.50. This will have significant impacts on overall population growth rate.
At a time when the world community is making efforts to reduce the poverty, the recently released report of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighted need to address the problems of women and young people in order to meet poverty reduction goals agreed to at the 2000 millennium summit.
As more than 40 percent of world’s population are still living below the poverty line, there remains serious problems including that of reproductive health, illness among women aged between 15-44 and more than 250 million years of productive life are lost worldwide as a result.
“The price for human dignity is modest. With under US$ 200 billion per year over the next decade, we can make poverty history,” said Junko Sazaki, UNFPA representative in Nepal. “ Nepal has made certain progress in certain areas but it is yet to bring substantial change,” said Junko Sazaki, releasing the report.
The theme of the report this year is the promise of Equality: Gender Equity, Reproductive Health and Millennium Development Goals. According to report, the World Population stands almost 6.5 billion now and it is expected to reach 9.1 billion in 2050.
The country like Nepal - which has been passing through a violent insurgency – has very difficult time ahead. Despite continuous violence, Nepal has made several progresses in certain areas. With a total population of 27.1 million, Nepal’s projected population by 2050 is expected to be 51.2 million.
Released by the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Durga Shrestha, the report calls on to make the poverty history. Addressing the program Dr. Bijaya Shrestha, member of National Planning Commission also disclosed that the government is working to bring a new program aiming at women.
Despite the efforts to curb maternal mortality rate, it is still highest in the world. According to report, Nepal’s maternal mortality rate is 740 per 10,000. Infant mortality rate per 1000,000 live births is 60 and under 5 mortality male rate is 78 and female is 83.
Nepal has been launching the programs to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate but it is still 39 percent. Secondary enrolment of male is 50 whereas that of female is 39.
