It starts this Tuesday (12) in Nairobi the Nairobi Summit – ICPD 25. The event takes place 25 years after the first edition in Cairo. At the time, 179 countries called for the empowerment of women and girls in all spheres of their lives, including sexual and reproductive health.
Brazil will be represented in the three days of meeting with members of the Ministries of Women, Family and Human Rights; Health and Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of the Brazilian Population and Development Network (REBRADP), Indigenous Youth Network (Rejuind) and Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).
On the agenda of the event are actions to save mothers’ lives, meet the worldwide demand for contraception and combat gender-based violence against women and girls. “There will be a deep reflection on the progress made in the last 25 years. We hope that Brazil can reaffirm its commitments on these three points in particular”, says Júnia Quiroga, auxiliary representative of the UN Population Fund in Brazil (UNFPA).
The Brazilian delegation includes the secretary of the Latin American Population Association (ALAP), Jackeline Romio, who will talk about femicide and racial equity. “It is possible to reset gender-based violence by taking into account the specificities of black women,” he argues.
Young indigenous Rayanne França will represent the Brazilian Indigenous Youth Network in a panel on climate change and adaptation. “I hope to position the voice of indigenous youth, especially indigenous women and youth, by thinking of their perspective on access to rights,” said Rayanne. It belongs to the Baré people, an indigenous group of the Amazon.
The summit is expected to bring together 6,000 people from 160 countries, including senior officials from various governments – including heads of state – parliamentarians and representatives of non-governmental organizations, youth, business leaders, religious, intellectuals, activists and academics.
“We must redouble our efforts to make modern contraceptives available to all who want and need them, to improve maternal health care and to protect women and girls from gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation”, argues Arthur Erken, Director of Communications and Strategic Alliances at UNFPA.
The governments of Kenya and Denmark and UNFPA, the UN’s leading agency for sexual and reproductive health, are organizing this summit to be held in Nairobi until November 14.
Featured image: Junia Quiroga / Personal Collection