Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Identifying the Contexts of Women's Empowerment and International Development

Abstract

In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development established the Cairo Programme of Action to embrace women's empowerment as one of the fundamental components of development, including the recognition that sexual and reproductive health and rights are an important part of the development agenda. However, twenty years after the ICPD sexual and reproductive health and rights remain largely neglected in development initiatives. There are vast inconsistencies between knowledge, policy and practice in ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights, which is primarily due to a lack of understanding of the social and structural contexts that inhibit sexual and reproductive health and rights. There are three broad examples of these contexts that can provide insight into why it is remarkably difficult to ensure sexual and reproductive health and rights in developing countries: cultural and religious factors, political will, and program capacity. Realizing how these contexts impact sexual and reproductive health and rights can help illuminate comprehensive strategies for the international community to consider in the effort to address sexual and reproductive health and rights in the post-2015 development agenda.