• A rights-based approach

A rights-based approach to access

This Lancet paper describes the achievements, setbacks and challenges that have been faced since the UN International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. The conference placed sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), choice, women's empowerment, a life-cycle approach, and gender equity at the centre of the international agenda; and set out a goal to achieve universal access to safe, affordable, and effective reproductive health care and services, including those for young people. The paper shows that since Cairo, visibility of SRHR on the international development and political landscape has decreased. This is a consequence of reduced funding and ideological resistance to the SRHR paradigm in an increasingly conservative environment.

However, the SRHR community has come a long way since Cairo: SRHR is now a mainstream notion among activists, programmers, policymakers, and academics; and there is better awareness of the complex interactions between social, political, cultural, and health factors that shape reproduction and sexuality. The paper concludes that to achieve real impact, a comprehensive approach that improves access to services and their quality, supports functional health systems, community participation, and an enabling environment is mandatory.

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