Imagine a Malawi where every young person can decide when to start a family, to access health services without stigma and to complete their education so that they can fulfill their full potential and contribute to the social and economic development of this country.
This future is within reach, but only if we invest in creating real choices.
UNFPA’s latest State of the World Population Report reminds us that the issue is not about numbers, but about empowering the youth of Malawi to build the families they choose and to shape a society that supports their aspirations.
This includes job opportunities, a growing economy and the ability to withstand climate change and socio-economic shocks.
In the country, the decision about how many children to have and when is influenced by a variety of socio-economic factors that vary by location.
In cities like Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu the rising cost of housing, transport and food strongly influences family decisions.
Young people, competing for scarce formal-sector jobs, often aspire to smaller families, to provide a better quality of life for their children.
In rural areas, the story differs. Unemployment is often even more severe, children are seen as a means to cope with economic uncertainty, to help on the farm, in the household or as future caregivers and providers.
Data from the latest Demographic and Health Survey reflect that in urban areas, women have around three children, while in rural regions, this number rises to almost four.
Access to reproductive health care, socio-economic conditions and cultural expectations are powerful factors that shape the lives and determine the future opportunities of girls and women in Malawi today.
To ensure every young person reaches their full potential and contributes fully to the socio-economic future of the country, policymakers must make bold decisions that enable the youth of Malawi to thrive into the future.
Teen pregnancies, HIV and gender-based violence derail girls’ education, job prospects, limiting their future opportunities.
To address this, we need to ensure that young people are provided with and can access age-appropriate information to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
We need to work with health care workers, law enforcement, educators, traditional leaders and society at large to ensure they receive the education, protection and health care services they need so that they can live without fear of judgment.
We need to invest in education that equips the youth with the necessary skills to build and sustain a thriving future economy.
By doing so, we can help reduce unemployment, ensure fair wages and create foundations for long term prosperity.
A growing economy means that resources will be available to invest in health care and other social services, ensuring no woman or child dies during childbirth, all women access contraceptives, ensure their right to dignity and bodily autonomy and be free from HIV.
To create a Malawi in which every person thrives requires joining hands with traditional and faith-based leaders to shift the social norms that constrain women’s choices to create a society where men and women have equal rights, voice, and opportunity—at home and in society.
The State of the World Population Report is a clarion call that to build a Malawi where every young person can thrive, build the family they want and the future that they can believe in we must invest in their health and wellbeing, quality education, decent jobs and supportive social structures. This is the foundation of a resilient, prosperous, and equitable nation.
This World Population Day, let us do more than mark a date or count the numbers. Let’s empower young people, respect their choices, and stand with them as they shape a future full of promise.
