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 Poderes de Mary Beth, 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.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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