In 1994, one hundred and seventy nine (179) governments committed to advance the Programme of Action of the landmark International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. The Programme of Action has put women’s empowerment, reproductive health, reproductive rights and sexual health at the centre of development. It has also shifted the paradigm from demographically driven population control goals to a human rights-based approach promoting women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are central to human development. The SRHR agenda is inter-linked to all key development agendas: gender equality, human rights, poverty and inequality, migration, health, climate change, population dynamics, conflicts; disasters; food & nutrition security and access to resources.
