MoPED Highlights Youth, Rights in 2025 Population Report
Freetown, Sierra Leone July 11, 2025
In commemoration of World Population Day, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Madam Kenyeh Barlay, officially launched the 2025 State of the World Population Report during a well-attended ceremony held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. The theme for this year’s observance is “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World.”
Delivering the keynote address, Minister Barlay emphasized that the report titled “The Real Fertility Crisis: The Pursuit of Reproductive Agency in a Changing World” was first unveiled globally by UNFPA on June 10th in Nairobi, Kenya. She noted that its message is both urgent and transformative, challenging conventional narratives around fertility by spotlighting the importance of reproductive autonomy over demographic statistics.
The central message of the 2025 report is bold and necessary: the real crisis is not low fertility, but the lack of reproductive autonomy,” she stated. “This is not just a demographic issue it is a human rights issue, a justice issue, and a development issue.”
Drawing from the experiences of over 14,000 individuals across 14 countries, the report reveals that:
Many people still desire to have children but are constrained by economic hardship, societal pressures, and systemic barriers.
Others become parents before they are ready
not by choice, but due to coercion or lack of access to reproductive health services.
The Minister acknowledged Sierra Leone’s progress, noting a decline in the national total fertility rate from 5.1 in 2008 to 4.2 in 2019. However, she warned that challenges remain, particularly in rural areas where disparities in contraceptive access, adolescent pregnancy, and early marriage persist.
Minister Barlay underscored that the reproductive agency is central to Sierra Leone’s broader development vision, aligning with President Julius Maada Bio’s human capital development agenda. She cited key government initiatives such as the Free Quality School Education Programme, the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act, and the National Youth Employment Scheme as evidence of commitment to empowering women and youth.
She also referenced the new Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030), which places a strong focus on:
Gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment;
Youth development as a driver of transformation;
Inclusive access to health, education, housing, and protection services for the most vulnerable.
Reproductive freedom is not a luxury,” she emphasized. “It is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the ICPD Programme of Action, and Sierra Leone’s national development goals.”
Madam Barlay praised UNFPA Sierra Leone and other development partners for their ongoing support and called on all stakeholders to:
Invest in transformative, youth-led programmes that promote informed reproductive choices;
Strengthen national data systems for gender-sensitive and actionable population insights;
Enhance health and social protection systems to guarantee universal access to family planning, maternal health, and gender-based violence services;
Mobilize resources for scaling up community-based interventions, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.
She also stressed the importance of accountability, reminding all that fulfilling rights requires more than intentions it demands action, investment, and monitoring. She concluded by urging all to embrace a future where choice is protected, dignity is preserved, and equity is prioritized.
Other key speakers included UNFPA Country Representative Nadia Rasheed and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone, Professor Kelleh Mansaray, who warmly welcomed attendees and praised the university’s ongoing partnership in population and development research.
The event featured a vibrant panel discussion moderated by Islander Kabia of the Institute of Population and Development Studies, a Q&A session, screening of a short UNFPA video, and a vote of thanks delivered by Fatmata Bangura, a lecturer at the Institute.
