UN World Population Day: Invest in the future of women and girls

604 views · Published 9 July 2009 · 1:03 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: United Nations · 2009 · News & Politics

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United Nations, New York, 9 July 2009 - Noon briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. 

Marking World Population Day that will take place on Saturday, 11 July 2009, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the global financial and economic crisis threatens to reverse hard-won gains in education and health in developing countries. Among those hardest hit are women and girls. 

The theme of this years World Population Day focuses on investing in women. Even before the crisis, women and girls represented the majority of the worlds poor. Now they are falling deeper into poverty and face increased health risks, especially if they are pregnant.

According to Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director, complications of pregnancy and childbirth are leading killers of women in the developing world. And maternal mortality represents the largest health inequity in the world. This health gap will only deepen unless we increase social investments, maintain health gains and expand efforts to save more womens lives.

United Nations Population Fund Web site:
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

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