The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative in Namibia, Gift Malunga, has reaffirmed the Fund's commitment to support the government's quest to improve the lives of the people.

Malunga made the remarks during the commemoration of World Population Day at Mariental.

The day is commemorated under the theme "Unleashing the power of gender equality, uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities".

Malunga says Namibia has made remarkable progress in addressing population issues as well as in promoting the rights and choices of the people.

"When we unlock the full potential of women and girls by encouraging and nurturing their desires for their lives, their families, and their careers, we galvanise half the leadership ideas, innovation, and creativity to better society, so let us unite once more to imagine a world in which everyone of us has equal opportunity."

The commemoration also serves as a reminder of the important role that population dynamics play in shaping a nation's developmental agenda.

In Namibia, 32% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 reported experiencing physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Women and girls make up nearly 52% of the country's population.

Hardap Governor Salmon April said the theme for this year is a clear indication of the government's commitment to address inequality.

"This theme calls for the formulation of efforts to shape attitudes and policy decisions that endorse equitable distribution of resources among men and women, girls and boys, in Namibia. In this regard, the Government continues to put more efforts into implementing the national Gender Policy through the prioritised National Plan of Action on Gender-Based Violence to end the scourge of violence against women and girls."

Within the last 60 years, the world population has grown from 4 billion to nearly 8 billion.