This data was highlighted this Tuesday by the representative in Angola of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mady Biaye, when speaking at the opening of a presentation session of the Report on World Population 2023, which marked World Population Day Population.
Mady Biaye underlined that in Angola 51 percent of the population, estimated at around 36 million inhabitants, is female and around 38 percent of households are headed by women.
According to the UNFPA representative in Angola, reducing by 2023 by half (19 percent) the unmet family planning needs of married women would annually prevent around 1,300 maternal deaths, 99,000 unsafe abortions and 517,000 unwanted pregnancies.
"In addition, the total cost of this investment of 19 million dollars per year would bring an economic benefit of 162 million dollars per year, that is, 8.4 times the return on investment", underlined the official.
The report indicates that in Angola, the fertility rate is 6.2 children per woman, and this number rises to 8.2 children in rural areas, also noting that 35 percent of adolescents aged between 15 and 19 have already had a pregnancy.
The UNFPA representative in Angola highlighted that the promotion of gender equality is a transversal solution to many population problems and in countries with rapid population growth, such as Angola, with a current growth rate of 3 percent, capacity building of women through education and family planning can bring enormous benefits of human capital and inclusive economic growth.
According to Mady Biaye, Angola has made considerable progress in terms of women's empowerment and gender equality.
"However, accelerating the advancement of gender equality – through access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, better education, appropriate labor policies and equitable standards in the workplace and at home – will result in healthier families, a more strong and resilient society," he said.
The report's data reveal that there are approximately ten million girls and women of reproductive age in Angola and that the pregnancy-related mortality rate is 239 deaths per 100,000 live births.
"Almost four out of every ten married women (38 percent) have their needs not met by family planning", underlines the report on the supply of contraceptive methods.
In the Portuguese-speaking African country, 60 percent of women are literate compared to 84 percent of men, with 75 percent of girls attending primary school, this proportion falling to 15.5 percent in secondary education, a time that coincides with age of first menstruation.
With regard to sexual violence, the document points out that 8 percent of Angolan women aged between 15 and 49 have been victims of this crime at least once and that almost a third (32 percent) of women in this age group have suffered violence physical since the age of 15.
