The WHO Safe abortion, technical and policy guidance for health systems defines the international standards for the provision of safe abortion services globally. This panel will present regional progress around the achievements towards these standards. This panel will focus on why it is critical to make safe abortion universally accessible if we want to achieve zero preventable maternal deaths. Panellists will argue that motherhood must be voluntary, which means safe abortion should be treated as a legitimate form of healthcare, available on request from public health services, in line with WHO best practice guidelines. The panel will review the evidence on unintended and unwanted pregnancy globally. We will show that 25 years on, it is clear that increases in the use of contraception and provision of post-abortion care alone, without make abortions safe and legal, have not and will not prevent unwanted pregnancies or complications and deaths from unsafe abortion. The session will focus on how countries must fulfil ICPD's commitments on women's health and rights through universal access to safe abortion. The panel is convened by the International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion, with Global Doctors for Choice, Young Activist Network for Abortion Advocacy, Asian-Pacific Resources and Research Centre for Women, Consorcio Latinoamericano contra el Aborto Inseguro (CLACAI), Ipas Africa Alliance, Groupe Tawhida Ben Cheikh Tunisia, and La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres Colombia.
This lightning session will review the Unfinished business of ICPD and how to achieve the promise by bringing about social change, gender equality and harnessing the potential of entrepreneurship. At the same time in the Pamoja Zone, join a workshop on communicating ICPD with Rose Reid (iHeart Radio Podcast) (13:00) in the Community Corner. In the Computer Station, take part in a WikiGap Edit-a-thon to build and share the knowledge of the ICPD community with the rest of the world on Wikipedia (13:00).
How are young people promoting positive change in countries affected by conflict, humanitarian crises and fragility? How can we collectively shift the narrative away from young people as “beneficiaries” needing “empowerment”, to the recognition that young people are central contributors to building peace and responding to humanitarian crises? The conversations will feature the work of exceptional young leaders, and explore opportunities to support and promote young people’s engagement in humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts, particularly in the context of the ICPD Programme of Action. It will be a vibrant dialogue on the work of young peacebuilders, human rights defenders and humanitarians in promoting peace, recovery and resilience of communities.
Getting the right care, in the right way, at the right time is essential for ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all, at all ages. And it is a fundamental human right. Yet poor quality of care and lack of patient safety are one of the greatest killers and challenges health systems face across the globe. Patients receive “too little care, too late,” but also the risk of “too much care, too soon” as over-medicalization is mistakenly seen as quality improvement. This session, convened by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA, will take a comprehensive approach to quality of care, putting people and their rights at the centre. It will cover the provision and experience of sexual and reproductive health care in particular, highlighting the latest research and implementation experiences from countries.
On average, more than 33,000 girls are forced into child marriage every day. Every year, more than 4 million girls are subjected to female genital mutilation. Son preference, gender-biased sex selection, and other harmful practices cause gender imbalances that negatively impact the fabric of societies. This session will dispel the myths that perpetuate these practices and their staggering toll. The global target of eliminating harmful practices by 2030 will be achieved only if efforts to address these problems are dramatically intensified.
Francophone countries in West and Central Africa have the highest rates of maternal mortality and lowest rates of contraceptive prevalence in the world. Underfunding and lack of political will at the national and international level enable the numerous barriers the region faces to implement the ICPD Programme of Action and achieve Agenda 2030. This session will take stock of progress in the region and outstanding challenges related to the full realization of SRHR, with a focus on the implementation of the Maputo Protocol in Francophone Africa. It will bring together researchers, service providers, decision-makers, lawyers and CSO activists, and showcase best practices for preventing and managing unintended pregnancies. Participants will also highlight actions needed to inspire change at the normative, operational and partnership levels.This session will be held in French and is convened by Médecins du Monde France, Le Planning Familial, Association des Femmes Juristes du Burkina Faso and Equipop.
