LAUNCH OF THE STATE OF WORLD AND STATE OF KENYA POPULATION REPORT DURING THE WPD 2020
The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning Amb. Ukur Yatani led various stakeholders in launching 2020 State of Kenya Population and State of World Population Reports in Nairobi. This was during this years’ celebrations for the World Population Day in Nairobi. Kenya, through the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), publishes the State of Kenya Population Report each year to domesticate the global theme of the State of World Population Report. The report affords readers an overview of the Kenyan situation within the context of the annual global theme.
While launching the report, CS Yatani noted that child marriage has negative outcomes for both boys and girls, but girls are more adversely affected by this practice because in most cases, they have to leave school and begin motherhood when they are not mentally and physically ready for motherhood experience. The CS marked that the lives of these young mothers may be threatened with disease and death resulting from pregnancy and child birth adding that this harmful practice is a threat to the development prospects because it prevents many girls from achieving their full potential and participating in social and economic activities that can improve their wellbeing.
The Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs and Gender Prof. Margret Kobia speaking at the function highlighted the plight of women and girls emphasising that ending discrimination against women and girls is not only an inalienable human right, but the key to social progress and economic development of Kenya. She noted that GBV and harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage are hindrances to achieving gender equality. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 5 on Gender Equality, cannot be realised if progress is not made in this area.
On his part the Principal Secretary for State Department of Planning Mr. Torome Saitoti noted that the propagation of harmful practices stands to prevent Kenya from achieving a demographic dividend and the noble goals set in the Kenya Vision 2030, Big 4 Agenda, and Population Policy for National Development, and the ICPD25 Kenya country commitments, among others.
The theme for the state of Kenya population report 2020 was ‘Zero Harmful Practices- Accelerating the Promise of ICPD25’.
