Implementation of policies, programmes and laws to reproductive health and reproductive rights in selected African countries

Abstract

The Third African Population Conference was held as regional preparatory conference for the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo, Egypt. The DND was not perceived as development framework per se. Rather it was regarded as Africa's input into the Programme of Action (PoA) adopted by the ICPD since specific activities to achieve its objectives were to await the adoption of the ICPD PoA itself. The DND was consequently overshadowed by the ICPD PoA. The ICPD PoA endorsed new strategy that emphasizes the integral linkages between population and development and focuses on meeting the needs of individual women and men, rather than on achieving demographic targets. Empowering women and providing them with more choices through expanded access to education and health services, skill development and employment, and through their involvement in policy- and decision-making processes at all levels became the key to the new approach.