By: Nyima Sillah
The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has held a National stakeholder’s consultation on its 2022-2025 strategic plans.
The consultation forum was held at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center, Kololi and it aimed to guide the institution on its commitment to universal access to sexual and reproductive rights on women.
Speaking at the ceremony, UNFPA Representative Mr. Kunle Adeniyi said: “This strategic plan will be the second of three strategic plans that will lead to the sustainable development goal 2030. Therefore, our major objective is to ensure that we meet the three transformative results which are to end all preventable maternal death, to end unmet family planning which continues to grow rapidly around the world and to end all forms of gender-based violence across the world including all harmful practices.”
He said the new plan seeks to contribute cumulatively with other strategic plans to advance the realization of international conference on population and development program of Action and the sustainable development goals in decade of action.
“As we navigate the current Covid-19 pandemic, it is important to highlight within our plans and priorities that women, young people and person with disability are more likely to face gender-based violence and less likely to have full and equal access to prevention and response services,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rohie Bittaye Darboe, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare described the gathering as significant and developing such strategic plan needs consultation. “Collective participation is relevant in the development of any strategic plan,” she said.
However, Director of National Population Commission Secretariat, Mariama Fanneh, explained that the development of the strategy plan is timely for the progressive development that caters for all needs, aspirations and emerging issues.
She said “Consultation is a critical enabler of result-oriented development, therefore as stakeholders a forum of this nature provides for a systematic process and puts all stakeholders together to discuss the way forward,” Fanneh said.
She said family planning, gender-based violence and maternal mortality are issues that desire both attention and serious action.
The daylong consultative meeting brought together Government officials, policymakers, person with disabilities women and young people together to discuss the plan and the way forward.