Women’s bodies should not be held captive to choices made by governments or individuals, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has said, as it launched its flagship State of the World’s Population Report for 2023.

Instead of instituting these measures, policy and law makers must work to empower women to achieve their individual reproductive goals.

Speaking to UNIC Canberra, Marielle Sander, the Fund’s Resident Representative in Papua New Guinea, explained why the current global population of 8 billion marks an opportunity for a broader conversation on how to make reproductive choices simpler for families and women.

We first asked her: with the global population now at about 8 billion, are countries around the world worried about the population rates, and if so, does this result in policy decisions that affect women?

Family Planning Choices Simpler for 8 Billion UNFPA PNG Explains

Torture, conflict and low vaccination rates have all been the results of dis and misinformation according to United Nations Papua New Guinea Resident Coordinator Richard Howard.

Speaking to UNIC Canberra from Papua New Guinea Mr Howard stressed that these consequences were very worrying and in some cases 'horrifically wrong' and called for strong, quick, anticipated measures to counter misinformation including  its methods of transmission.

But first to set the overall context we asked  him to describe the prevalence and intensity of mis and disinformation throughout Papua New Guinea.

Misinformation leads to dire consequences in Papua New Guinea

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) was established in Australia in November 1948.  

Based in Canberra, it is the formal UN presence in Australia and the principal local source of information about the United Nations system.  Its information-related responsibilities also extend to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Samoa, Tuvalu, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Family Planning Choices Simpler for 8 Billion UNFPA PNG Explains

UNIC Canberra

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