The Embassy of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund have signed an agreement for Sweden’s contribution of forty-three million Swedish Krona (SEK 43,000), approximately US$4.9 million to support UNFPA Country Programme document for Liberia over the next four and half years.
“UNFPA is a strategic partner to Sweden, with capacity to achieve relevant results significant to the needs and conditions of women and girls in Liberia, especially the poorest women and girls in rural communities,” said Swedish Ambassador to Liberia, Ingrid Wetterqvist, during the signing ceremony here Tuesday, 18 August.
Ambassador Wetterqvist added, “We are of the utmost conviction that the programme will contribute to the realisation of specific human rights including the right to life and the right to health. It will also tackle discrimination, as well as effecting specific change such that women, adolescents and youth especially marginalized and furthest behind, have improved access to quality gender-responsive, comprehensive, and integrated SRHR information and services.”
UNFPA Liberia Representative, Dr. BannetNdyanabangi noted that access to quality sexual and reproductive health services and reproductive rights by all; especially women and girls is the core of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
He said UNFPA will continue its evidence-based advocacy for an enabling policy and programme environment for women and young people to access sexual reproductive health information and services, including family planning; delivery of gender sensitive, age-appropriate and life skills based Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) for both in and out of school adolescents and young people.
“We will also ensure the continuous delivery of quality obstetric and newborn health care services and capacity building of institutions and harmonized community structures to deliver quality youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services as well as quality clinical and psychosocial support for survivors of sexual and gender based violence,’’ He added.
According to a press release, the current UNFPA Country Programme for Liberia (2020-2024) is fully aligned with the Government of Liberia’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) 2018-2023.
It seeks to contribute to the achievement of universal access to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs) by ensuring that adolescents and youth, including the marginalized, youth with disabilities and those furthest behind, have skills and knowledge to claim and make informed choices about their SRHR and wellbeing, and that women, adolescents and youth especially marginalized and furthest behind, have improved access to quality gender responsive, comprehensive and integrated SRHRs information and services, including family planning and STIs/HIV.
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The release revealed that the United Nations Population Fund is also working toward ensuring that the national capacity is strengthened to advance gender equality, prevent and respond to gender based violence and harmful practices, and promote women and girls’ empowerment, including in humanitarian settings; as well as the national statistics system is enhanced to produce and use disaggregated population data to inform policy decision making and development programming.Press Release
