Sunday Times 2
A world of 8 billion and what it means for Sri Lanka’s 21.5 million
View(s):Commemorating World Population Day
By Kunle Adeniyi, UNFPA Representative for Sri Lanka and Country Director for the Maldives
Monday, 11 July, is World Population Day and brings a significant milestone with it. This year the global population will reach 8 billion people.
Collectively, the human race has made significant progress over time. Remarkable advancements have been achieved in science, medicine and technological innovations resulting in better quality of life and longer, healthier lives for the world’s populations. In the beginning of the 19th century, life expectancy was less than 40 years and today it has increased to over 70 years. But progress hasn’t been universal; inequality is still widespread and is likely to worsen due to the impact of COVID-19-related lockdowns and war which has led to disruptions of supply chains, elevated inflation, global food and energy shortages and debt crises in developing countries.
The 21.5 million of 8 billion
While the World Bank has warned of a likely global recession, Sri Lanka is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent history. But Sri Lanka will not be left to weather this challenging time alone. The global community has stepped up with many countries already pledging support for the people of Sri Lanka. The United Nations System has launched a global appeal and is working on the ground through its agencies and development partners to ensure the food security, health and protection needs of the most vulnerable are met. As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA is prioritising and delivering lifesaving services for the health and protection needs of women and girls.
Sri Lankans themselves have revived hope for humanity with their determination to lift each other up under the most trying circumstances. In recent weeks, as government services came under increasing strain, I’ve seen countless instances of ordinary citizens organising themselves and crowdfunding to support those less fortunate. The indomitable generosity of the Sri Lankan spirit is a testament to its people’s resilience and ability to overcome this crisis.
As Sri Lanka plans its recovery, building resilience for the long haul is critical. While the global community is stepping up and supporting in the short term, Sri Lanka needs to rely on its most important resource, its people; the 21.5 million of the 8 billion, to build resilience. It is important to understand how this population of 21.5 million is changing and develop unique responses to harness the full potential of all Sri Lankans.
Analysing the 21.5 million
Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a youth bulge with young people making up a quarter of the population which presents a small window of opportunity to harness their potential to accelerate growth. However, the country is currently seeing a significant increase in migration of young people who are leaving in pursuit of overseas employment. According to Government reports, a total of 288,645 Sri Lankans obtained passports within the first five months of this year compared to 382,506 issued for the whole of 2021. If this exodus of youth continues, it will increase the fiscal burden on the government as the labour force and productivity will be impacted. Therefore, Sri Lanka needs to focus on strategies to create employment opportunities that match the aspiration of the youth to retain them in the country.
Parallelly, Sri Lanka’s population is also rapidly ageing with 22% of the population expected to be over 60 by 2037. An ageing population is not a negative but an indication that people are living longer and healthier lives. It does, however, have implications for building resilience for the long haul as it will affect the composition of Sri Lanka’s labour force and increase pressure on public expenditure due to increased pension and health costs. Beyond the current crisis, policies that address this aspect of the population including increasing the retirement ages of the public and private sectors and enhancing financial literacy among the general population will ensure the Government is better equipped to support the needs of its people in the future.
Sri Lanka will not be able to overcome the current crisis and build resilience for the future without the economic contribution of women who make up the majority – 52% of the population and will continue to do so in the future. But with youth unemployment, especially female youth unemployment remaining high and female labour force participation remaining low, (just 32% in 2020 as per the Department of Census and Statistics), Sri Lanka is missing out on harnessing the full potential of women. Women need to have access to rights and choices and be able to participate in the labour force without fear of discrimination, harassment or violence. To do so, we need to invest in skills, promote flexible work arrangements, address gender norms and renew political support to develop human rights and evidence-based effective policies that pave the way for inclusive growth.
The impact of gender
To build resilience Sri Lanka must protect the most vulnerable from the worst impacts of the current crisis. Women and girls are more likely to face long-term consequences of the socioeconomic crisis as a result of compounding factors. A majority of women are engaged in unskilled or vulnerable jobs to meet the needs of their families; increasing the risk of them being pushed further into poverty. Food insecurity, shortage of essential medicines and disruption of essential health services is endangering the lives of pregnant women and their unborn children while the lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services increases the risk of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Evidence suggests an upsurge in the number of women and girls experiencing violence but the disruption of support services has left survivors with a lack of safe spaces to turn to.
UNFPA’s response
The UNFPA is working with the Government to ensure every pregnancy and childbirth is safe in spite of the current challenges by providing lifesaving maternal and reproductive health medicines, commodities and supplies along with cash vouchers and transport assistance to pregnant and lactating women. To strengthen protection we are supporting the expansion of survivor-centred shelters so that more women and girls have safe spaces to turn to when their homes or communities are no longer safe. Mental health and psychosocial support services and health information and services will also be provided for women, men and young people to uphold the dignity and resilience of the most vulnerable during these challenging times.
By protecting the most vulnerable from the long-term impacts of the crisis and implementing policies that account for all Sri Lankans in a meaningful way, including the empowerment of young people, older persons and women, Sri Lanka can make way for inclusive growth and harness the potential of its entire population to overcome and build back better from the current crisis. Achieving equality is not just about counting people, but making sure every person counts. Even in the darkest of times, humanity is a source of hope and together, all of us have the power to create a more peaceful and prosperous future for Sri Lanka.