MONROVIA, Montserrado – The Embassy of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund have signed an agreement for Sweden’s contribution of 43 million Swedish Krona, approximately US$4.9 million.
The agreement was signed on August 18 to support the UNFPA’s Country Program Document for Liberia over the next 4.5 years, which is aligned with the government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.
During the signing ceremony, Ingrid Wetterqvist, the Swedish ambassador to Liberia, said UNFPA has the 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. She also said the program would contribute to the realization of specific human rights – including the right to life and 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 [sexual and reproductive health and rights] information and services,” Wetterqvist said.
Bannet Ndyanabangi, UNFPA’s Liberia country representative, said the agency will continue its evidence-based advocacy for an enabling policy and program 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 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.
A press release stated that the 2020-2024 UNFPA Country Programme Document for Liberia “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.”
It also stated that the national statistics system would be enhanced to produce and use disaggregated population data to inform policy decision making and development programming.
Featured photo courtesy of UNFPA
