In April, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, governments reaffirmed their commitment to the Programme of Action from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The principles of this program are embedded within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and advancing reproductive rights.
Over the past three decades, significant progress has been achieved. Since 1990, the number of women using modern contraception has doubled, maternal mortality has declined by 34% since 2000, and access to HIV treatment has prevented an estimated 20.8 million deaths globally by 2022. However, this progress has recently stalled, and in some areas, it is reversing. Factors such as the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent and increasing conflict, climate change, rising inequalities, and deepening polarization are undermining access to essential health services, necessitating urgent action.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by these challenges, limiting their right to make informed decisions and exercise full bodily autonomy without coercion, violence, or discrimination – fundamental human rights. Equitable and sustainable access to human rights-based sexual and reproductive health interventions and information remains out of reach for many, particularly marginalized women, adolescent girls, and those living in humanitarian crises and conflict zones. Current data indicates that more than half of women of reproductive age cannot make their own informed decisions about whether or when to become pregnant, and many lack the autonomy to fully exercise their reproductive rights.
On World Population Day, UN agencies mandated to advance the health and rights of all people and ensure no one is left behind call upon the global community, including governments, donors, civil society organizations, and the private sector, to strengthen access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health coverage, delivered through resilient health systems, including at the primary healthcare level. The need to implement evidence-based, normative guidance to strengthen access to affordable, high-quality, rights-based care is underscored. Efforts are required to eliminate stigma and discrimination and dismantle harmful social and gender norms to ensure services are acceptable to all.
We also call for accelerated access to comprehensive sexuality education and strengthened action across social sectors, such as education and gender, to enhance the health and well-being of girls and women throughout their lives. Promoting comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. Investing in women’s and girls’ reproductive rights and expanding access to services yields remarkable returns, including social well-being, economic prosperity, and peace, which our world urgently needs. Additional financing from all sources – domestic, international, public, private – is essential to create long-term positive outcomes for women and girls.
We must also support the increasing efforts of young
