World Population Day
Today we celebrate World Population Day – the goal of which is to raise awareness of the population issues that impact all of us, but particularly those that suffer most as a result of overpopulation. This year’s focus is on “Health, Rights Of Women And Girls”.
The population of the Earth now stands at about 7.8 billion people, and the consequences of this number have a profound impact on overpopulated developing countries. Overpopulation demands greater resources like food and water, which are already in sparse supply in many countries across the world. As a consequence, deterioration of living conditions makes the lives of those in such places even worse. It also has a profound affect on the environment and our planet.
This year’s, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has set the theme based on safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls around the world during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is pertinent given the fact that in many regions, frontline jobs are disproportionately held by women. According to the UN, nearly 60 percent of women worldwide also work in the informal economy, making them at greater risk of falling into poverty during the current pandemic.
At Ding, we are committed to empowering people all across the world, but particularly those living in poor conditions in developing countries. Connectivity is a great liberator, and having access to information can greatly enhance one’s life by allowing people to become better educated, have greater access to resources and just as importantly communicate with their families and people across the world. Connectivity allows all people, including those in dire situations, to enhance their lives, and we believe that all people deserve access to the technology that allows this connection to be made and sustained.
Covid-19 has highlighted informational disparities among populations the world over, hitting marginalised communities particularly hard, and deepening inequalities, but it has also shown the importance of access to reliable information; connectivity is more important now than ever. People living in the developing world not only have less access to the internet but are also more likely to be more adversely affected by global warming, further exacerbating their living conditions.
This World Population Day is an opportunity to reflect on what we can do differently to ensure equality of life in every household, community, country and continent.
