Development partners, head of states and governments and other world leaders from over 150 countries are set to converge in Nairobi for the 25th International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) this November. 

The conference co-hosted by the government of Kenya, Denmark and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will bring together relevant stakeholders to galvanise commitment to promote gender equality made in Cairo in 1994.

Speaking during her visit to Kenya ahead of the conference, Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA, said that despite the significant progress made to uphold the rights and dignity of women and girls after the ICPD in Cairo a lot more needs to be done to bridge the gender gap.

Since the Cairo Programme of action, maternal deaths have reduced by half and more women have access to family planning.

But many more women still lack the power to make better reproductive health choices.

There are still over 200 million women in developing countries who wish to plan families, but have no access to family planning. 

Every year 300,000 women die from pregnancy complications and childbirth.

At least 15 million teenage girls annually are forced to have sex mostly by their relatives, friends and intimate partners.

Out of these only one out of 100 report and seek help out of fear and stigma.

The discussions will focus on five thematic areas including significance of sexual reproductive health package in Universal Health Coverage and action towards curbing gender based violence and harmful practices.

It will also focus on upholding sexual reproductive health rights of women in humanitarian situations, new avenues of raising money towards such programmes and impact of demographic dividend on development.