Giving Compass' Take:

• At the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) this year, the three main focuses of addressing gender equality and reproductive health are central to female genital mutilation, access to services, and working on gender equality concerning the SDGs. 

• Are there opportunities in your local community to advance gender equality and reproductive health? 

• Read more about how to invest in women's health in the U.S. and abroad. 

Between Nov. 12 and 14, world leaders will meet in Nairobi, Kenya, for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The ICPD is a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) initiative.

The conference will also be attended by advocates, health organizations, women’s and youth activists, and other key stakeholders from around the world.

It marks 25 years since the first ICPD meeting in Cairo, Egypt, when leaders of 179 nations pledged to prioritize reproductive health and rights.

It was the first time that women’s reproductive health had been officially recognized on the global stage.

The Programme of Action — adopted by all 179 governments at the 1994 conference — also stated that all forms of gender discrimination need to be erased in order for women to be equal participants in public, political, and economic life.

“The world has seen remarkable progress [since the first ICPD conference in 1994],” according to UNFPA.

These are three of the issues that still need to be addressed at ICPD in Nairobi to create a world where women and girls have access to their full reproductive health rights rights and equal opportunities.

  1. Female Genital Mutilation
  2. Access to Universal Reproductive and Sexual Health Care
  3. Gender Equality and Its Role in Achieving the Global Goals

Access to education is essential for laying the foundations of gender equality and it has a significant effect on a woman’s entire life — education often leads women to marry at a later age or to have children later in life.

Read the full article about gender equality by Lerato Mogoatlhe at Global Citizen.