Accra: Ghana on Friday commemorated World Population Day (WPD) with a call for structural investments to empower the country's estimated 13 million youth. Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, emphasized that youth empowerment must transcend motivational speeches and focus on building systems that enable young people to take charge of their lives.
According to Ghana News Agency, during a ceremony in Accra under the theme 'Empowering the Youth to Create Quality Families in an Inclusive Society,' Madam Gomashie praised President John Mahama's dedication to integrating skills training at all educational levels and encouraged the youth to embrace entrepreneurship. She stressed the importance of nurturing the potential of the youth, equipping them with relevant skills, and guiding their passions to harness the transformative power they hold for society.
Madam Gomashie urged government, civil society, private sector, religious bodies, and traditional leaders to collaborate in creating sustainable jobs and decent work for the youth. She stated that it is not enough to inspire the youth to dream big, but necessary to create opportunities for those dreams to materialize.
The event, jointly organized by the National Population Council (NPC) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana, brought together stakeholders and young people to explore strategies for youth empowerment nationwide. Ms. Angelina Kodua Nyanor, Executive Director of the NPC, highlighted the need to empower the youth with knowledge and socio-economic stability, emphasizing often-overlooked tools such as sexual and reproductive health education, responsible adulthood values, technical and vocational skills, and mentorship programs.
She identified youth unemployment, moral decline, gender-based violence, drug abuse, and social exclusion as significant threats to Ghanaian families and called for prompt action to address these challenges.
Madam Emily Kamwendo-Naphambo, Deputy Country Representative of UNFPA, described WPD as an occasion for reflection and a catalyst for global action on urgent population and development issues. She noted that Ghana's greatest natural resource might be the ambition, creativity, and potential of its young people, rather than its gold or cocoa.
Ms. Kamwendo-Naphambo highlighted the 15 percent National Teenage Pregnancy rate as a development concern that affects girls' education, economic future, and their right to choose. She urged the government to prioritize youth needs, including comprehensive sexual education, reproductive health services, quality education, economic empowerment, and meaningful participation in decision-making. She also called on traditional leaders to oppose child marriage and gender-based violence and challenged the private sector to invest in potential, beyond profit.
World Population Day, observed annually on July 11, aims to raise awareness of global population issues, including family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health, and human rights. This year's global theme is 'Empowering young people to create the families they want in a fair and hopeful world.'
