Controlling the birth rate is crucial for stabilizing the world’s population. While some countries have benefited from a high birth rate in the past, enjoying a demographic dividend with a growing workforce and fewer dependents, others are grappling with an ageing population and labour shortages due to a decline in population growth.
This pervasive injustice disproportionately affects women and girls, who are kept out of school, the workforce, and leadership positions. It limits their agency and ability to make decisions about their health, sexuality, and reproduction. It also increases their vulnerability to violence, harmful practices, and preventable maternal deaths, with a woman dying every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.
In alignment with the theme for the 2023 World Population Day, “Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities,” global citizens must foster a sense of family and recognize the sustainability of each country and its population without disrupting one another. By promoting gender equality, people can unleash their potential to overcome demographic and other challenges.
Over the years, there have been significant changes in fertility rates and life expectancy. In the early 1970s, women, on average, had 4.5 children each. However, by 2015, the global total fertility rate had dropped below 2.5 children per woman. At the same time, average global lifespans have increased from 64.6 years in the early 1990s to 72.6 years in 2019.
The world’s population took hundreds of thousands of years to reach 1 billion, but it grew sevenfold in just another 200 years. In 2011, the global population surpassed seven billion; as of 2021, it stands at almost 7.9 billion. Projections suggest that it will reach around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100.
Emphasizing gender equality is crucial for creating a more just, resilient, and sustainable world. Women and girls possess the creativity, ingenuity, resources, and power necessary to address demographic challenges, climate change, and conflicts that threaten the future of nations.
In Myanmar, the female population exceeds the male population by two million out of a total population of over 55.5 million. If each woman gives birth to two children, Myanmar’s birth rate will reach replacement-level fertility. The country is projected to benefit from the demographic dividend around 2060. However, it is essential to prepare for the labour shortage resulting from an ageing population by establishing a robust social protection system through collaborative efforts among relevant ministries.
In alignment with the theme for the 2023 World Population Day, “Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities,” global citizens must foster a sense of family and recognize the sustainability of each country and its population without disrupting one another. By promoting gender equality, people can unleash their potential to overcome demographic and other challenges.
