Cairo Declaration and POA

In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) was held in Cairo, Egypt, wherein 179 governments adopted the landmark ICPD Programme of Action (POA) – a historical consensus document that signaled the end of population control and the beginning of putting emphasis on rights and choice in population and development policies. The ICPD POA brought to fore the relationship between human rights, population dynamics and economic development, and ended the era where demographic targets were the thrust of population and development policies.

The founders of DAWN were among the activists leaders in Cairo to rally and ensure that the human rights of women and girls, with a special focus on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people, be articulated in the final outcome document.