Cecilia Iyambo
Deputy information minister Emma Theofelus officially received the 2022 United Nations Population Award during the World Population Day commemoration held in Rundu.
She received the individual award for her work advocating for women’s empowerment and adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Namibia.
In her acceptance speech, the deputy minister pledged to redouble her efforts and collaborate with others in ensuring that period poverty is eradicated.
Additionally, Theofelus vowed to continue playing a pivotal role in addressing larger population matters such as sexual and gender-based violence, child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“I wish to dedicate this award to the people of Namibia, especially the young women and girls who continue to break barriers and hold their own in a world that does not put them first. This award is not mine alone. It is Namibia’s award because we are an exemplary country in leading a gradually gender equal nation,” she noted.
The deputy minister is the youngest ever winner of the award. She tabled a motion in parliament for feminine hygiene products to be identified as a tax-free commodity.
“The removal of tax on all sanitary pads will become a reality in Namibia and is the first step in my opinion towards making all sanitary products free in the near future,” she said.
The UN Population Award has honoured individuals and institutions for their outstanding contributions to population, development and reproductive health since 1983.
World Population Day is annually observed on 11 July every year. It seeks to raise awareness on global population issues. This year, the day is commemorated under the theme: ‘A World of 8 Billion: Towards a Resilient Future for All – Harnessing Opportunities and Ensuring Rights and Choices for All’.