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Reflecting on ICPD30: The Evolution of Inclusive Reproductive Health Since the 1994 Cairo Conference


A community volunteer calls a helpline after counseling a woman on contraceptive choices at her home in a village in India. Image credit: Mansi Midha/Getty Images/Images of Empowerment

As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, it’s crucial to reflect on the journey we’ve undertaken and the challenges that still lie ahead. The Cairo conference was a pivotal moment in global health, establishing a comprehensive agenda for reproductive rights and health that has shaped policy and practice worldwide.

Three decades later, the vision of inclusive reproductive health—programs and services that are equitable, accessible, and of high quality for all individuals and that are free from discrimination, coercion, or violence—remains as vital as ever. Yet as we reflect on the goals set forth in Cairo, we must also acknowledge the ongoing gaps and barriers that many communities still face.

In this three-part series, Knowledge SUCCESS interviewed global health professionals and asked them to share their thoughts on the progress made, the lessons learned, and the work that still needs to be done to fulfill the promise declared in Cairo. The series shares excerpts from the interviews that underscore the importance of continuing to redefine what inclusivity means in reproductive health, ensuring that every person’s voice is heard and every community’s needs are met.

In this first part, we share perspectives from Mary Beth Powers, President and CEO of the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), whose career spans 30 years of commitment to addressing health equity issues globally through various nonprofit organizations.

The Vital Need for Inclusive Reproductive Health Services

“It’s crucial to emphasize inclusivity in reproductive health because there are still communities that lack full access to the care they need, or even a complete understanding of the options available to them. We must continue to redefine what inclusive reproductive health truly means, ensuring it aligns with people’s actual needs. It’s an issue of human dignity. This effort is an essential component of our work and should remain a central part of the ongoing Cairo+ agenda.”

Reflections on the 1994 Cairo Conference

“Reflecting on my experiences, the impact of the 1994 Cairo conference stands out not only for its political significance but also for how it fostered an environment where diverse voices were genuinely heard. Despite the intense lobbying from various groups, the conference managed to maintain civil dialogue and allowed for a truly inclusive discussion—a stark contrast to the often-polarized debates we see today. The conference was a testament to the power of hearing various perspectives and bringing women from all over the world together to advance their agendas, even when they didn’t always agree on everything.  I think it also helped people start to articulate what inclusive reproductive health services are, including respecting people’s own contraceptive decision-making power and autonomy.”

Centering People and Communities in Reproductive Health Services

“We need to do a much better job of listening to what communities want, to be better listeners, to be more present. For example, our definitions of quality healthcare often don’t match with how people themselves define quality care. I remember working on a project in the 1990s where we asked people what does ‘order’ mean to you. Providers said that it meant that people behave in an orderly way in the clinic. When we asked the community, they said order means that they are taken in the order in which they arrive at the clinic, because arguments would break out at the clinic when people who were deemed to be more important would show up and they got to cut the queue. It really showed how our perceptions and our definitions don’t always start with the community. This perspective has guided our efforts to be much better about listening to and meeting the unique healthcare expectations of different communities. It’s about moving beyond textbook definitions or Western branding of healthcare and focusing on what truly resonates with people, especially those who are hesitant or skeptical about clinical care.”

The Role of Civil Society in Improving Access to and Quality of Reproductive Health

“There’s an important role for civil society to play in improving not only access to reproductive health care services but also the quality of those services. For example, as we’re mobilizing communities and getting people to choose to go to facilities to deliver—which has dramatically shifted in the past 30 years to where even people we thought would be resistant to facility-based care are now going to facilities—it is at the same time incumbent on all of us to ensure that the quality of care at those facilities is excellent. We can’t send women to deliver in healthcare facilities only to find that the facilities lack the necessary supplies or personnel. Improving the quality of care in rural hospitals and clinics, particularly those providing maternal and newborn services, has been a vital part of the work of my organization. It’s one area that we discussed significantly in Cairo, and the advances we’ve made since Cairo have come about with investing in health workforce strengthening.”

Ensuring Inclusivity in Artificial Intelligence: A Crucial Challenge

“The challenge with technology, especially AI [artificial intelligence], is ensuring that the voices of marginalized people are represented in the data sets that drive algorithms. If machine learning is based on limited perspectives, we risk perpetuating the same issues we’ve fought to overcome. Just as we’ve had to rethink what quality healthcare means across different contexts, we need to ensure that technology reflects a wide range of viewpoints. This inclusiveness is crucial, especially as we look to reach young people, who have unprecedented access to information—and misinformation. Balancing these dynamics will be key to ensuring that we don’t neglect any community.”

Interviewer: Kiya Myers

Mary Beth Powers

President & CEO, Catholic Medical Mission Board

Mary Beth Powers’ career spans 30 years with various non-profits strengthening the provision of healthcare, water and sanitation, and social support services in more than 25 countries. Her work includes strategic planning, technical advice, policy change, and coalition building. At CMMB, Mary Beth leads a team of professionals, who deliver an millions of dollars’ worth of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to clinics, hospitals, and ministries of health along with capacity building to community health systems. Before joining CMMB, Mary Beth served as the Vice President of Programs at Dalio Philanthropies. Prior to 2014, Mary Beth spent most of her career supporting maternal and child programs and advocacy at Save the Children. In 1993 -1995, she took on the role of Executive Director of the “NGO Planning Committee for the ICPD” which led the organization of the NGO Forum at Cairo – a gathering of more than 4000 civil society representatives actively engaged in advocacy at the ICPD.

Kiya Myers, MPS

Managing Editor, Knowledge SUCCESS

Kiya Myers is the Managing Editor of Knowledge SUCCESS’ website. She was previously the Managing Editor of CHEST journals at American College of Chest Physicians where she worked to transition the manuscript submission platforms and launched two new online-only journals. She was the Assistant Managing Editor at the American Society of Anesthesiologists, responsible for copyediting the column “Science, Medicine, and Anesthesiology” published monthly in Anesthesiology and ensuring adherence to peer review policies by reviewers, associate editors, and editorial staff. She facilitated the successful launch of Blood Podcast in 2020. Serving as the Podcast Subcommittee Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the Council of Science Editors, she managed the successful launch of CSE S.P.E.A.K. Podcast in 2021.