Times Of Swaziland: BIRTHS PER WOMAN DOWN BY 48%

BIRTHS PER WOMAN DOWN BY 48%
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BY SITHEMBILE HLATSHWAYO on 15/03/2019 08:10:00


MANZINI – After 25 years, the promise of Cairo remains relevant as Eswatini
boasts a reduced number in births.
The above has been attributed to the endorsement of the landmark agreement of
the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) by 179
governments in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, which Eswatini was part of.
Speaking during the national launch of the double celebrations by the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini said an average
number of 3.3 births per woman compared with 6.4 births per woman during the
decade preceding the Cairo, Egypt conference have been met.
The celebrations were held at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre yesterday,
where UNFPA celebrated reaching 50 years of its formation and 25 years since the
milestone agreement of the ICPD.
Dlamini, who was the guest speaker, said with fewer children, women had more
time to focus on other productive activities as noted in the increase in labour
force participation rates from 32 per cent in 1997 to 47 per cent in 2016.
“The increase of 15 percentage points is very commendable,” he said.
The PM said among the notable achievements over the years worth highlighting was
the coming into effect of the Constitution in 2005, which provided for the
protection and promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms, through the
enshrined “Bill of Rights”.
Programmes
Dlamini said a rights-based approach had been adopted and guided the formulation
of development policies, plans and programmes across government.
In the same vein, he said the country was fully committed to gender equality and
the empowerment of women, and has ratified a number of regional, continental and
international instruments as a demonstration of the commitment.
On the legislative front, Dlamini said the country had enacted requisite laws to
protect the rights of the most vulnerable members of society.
Trafficking
He said these included the Girls and Women Protection Act, Maintenance Act, The
People Trafficking and People Smuggling (Prohibition) Act, The Children
Protection and Welfare Act, as well as the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence
Act.
Further, he said Eswatini had made commendable progress in the fight against HIV
and AIDS.
“Indications are that the HIV prevalence rate is gradually declining and the
country is steadfastly on the path to epidemic control,” the PM said.
He noted that significant progress had also been made towards the prevention of
mother to child transmission of HIV.
UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Dr Julitta Onabanjo said
Eswatini had made significant progress.
Onabanjo congratulated the country for the enactment of the Sexual Offences and
Domestic Violence Act of 2018.
She said now was the time to see it being implemented, including the
strengthening of the capacity of providers to deliver quality services for GBV
survivors.
She said the adoption of the conference outcome, the ICPD Programme of Action
marked the beginning of a new era of political commitments and willingness on
the part of governments, international community and civil society to integrate
population concerns.
Onabanjo said emphasis had been put where it should squarely be; on improving
lives of individuals and ensuring respect for their fundamental human rights,
agreeing that part and parcel of basic human rights were reproductive rights.