UN Secretary-General António Guterres says erosion of women’s reproductive rights has been one of the fallouts from the Coronavirus pandemic.Guterres, in his message to commemorate the World Population Day on Sunday, underscored the need to close the gaps impeding women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services which the crisis has created.
World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year to raise awareness on global population issues. According to the secretary-general, the pandemic “continues to upend our world, reaching one grim milestone after another.“In addition to the millions of lives tragically lost, there has been a less visible toll: a shocking rise in domestic violence.
“There is a rise in domestic violence as women were forced into isolation with their abusers; empty maternity wards as women postponed motherhood; and unintended pregnancies due to curtailed access to contraceptive services,” he said.Related