It probably came in under most people’s radar screens and in case you missed it we’re here to remind you that Wednesday, July 11 was designated as World Population Day by the United Nations.
The special day’s main aim is to increase awareness on various populations issues such as the importance of family planning including gender equality, poverty, maternal health and basic human rights.
Basically, the day is set aside each year to reaffirm the human right to plan for a family.
While this right is taken for granted in Western and industrialized societies, it is neither a right nor a privilege for about 220 million women around the world who lack access to modern methods of contraception.
Many of that astronomical number of women don’t even have a voice in family planning due to primitive beliefs and outdated customs about a woman’s role in society.
So, why should a Canadian out having a barbecue on a nice summer’s day worry or be even slightly concerned about this World Population Day?
As Dick Nolan sang in that famous song, we don’t want to wreck your party but we’d better listen up and pay serious attention.
As of July 9, 2012 the world’s population was estimated to be over seven billion people.
We have to realize that the earth’s resources are finite or limited and resources such as good supplies of fresh water for instance are being depleted in many parts of the world.
If we don’t control the world’s every growing population we are all going to suffer the consequences.
We will have a reduced oxygen supply as our forests are being cut down at an alarming rate to make way for land development.
Our supply of reusable water is being reduced every day. Each year we’re losing more and more farmland to residential and commercial development. As we strive to feed an ever-burgeoning population we’re in danger of depleting the earth’s topsoil.
So, overpopulation is not just their problem, it’s our problem too, and we’d better help third world countries in this matter.
So, can anything be done? Is it too late to slow down population growth?
The good news is that yes, things can be done and are being done to help the situation. And some of the help is actually working in several third world countries.
A family planning strategy has been underway in Bangladesh for a number of years now that has shown that, with help in family planning, women are reducing the number of children being born.
So, programs like this can be extended to other poor countries in the world. And we should not be wasting any time in this matter.
Apparently, nearly 800 women die every day in the process of giving life. About 1.8 billion young people are entering their reproductive years, often without the knowledge, skills and services they need to protect themselves.
When women have access to family planning they live better in that they have access to more educational programs, they become members of a work force and productive members of society thus adding to the prosperity their families and communities. All of this, and more, happens simply because a woman has more time on her hands to improve her life and the lives of her immediate family members.
All we need to do to reduce the world’s population is to treat women equally, give them a chance for a good education which will lead to jobs, delayed marriages and the need for fewer and fewer children.
It would be a win-win situation for everyone and the planet.
We had better look at this overpopulation issue seriously and reduce our numbers or Mother Nature will do it for us through conflict, disease or starvation. We need to address the issue today.
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