The Sustainable Development Goals marked a huge step forward in advancing the goals of the landmark International Conference on Population and Development, where world leaders affirmed that inclusive sustainable development is not possible without prioritizing human rights, including reproductive rights, and supporting the autonomy and agency of women to make their own decisions about their bodies.

The Sustainable Development Goals strengthened focus on gender equality, particularly on women’s ability to make their own informed decisions on sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care, and on laws that guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education – helping us make crucial progress, including in the important work of measuring women’s agency and rights. 

Gathering better data in the area of sexual and reproductive agency can help us bring to light the human rights and gender-equality dimensions that are critical to advancing universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, but can be neglected in policy and programming. 

In doing so, we support rights and choices for all.

Last updated on 8 July 2024