NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A global summit on sexual and reproductive health hailed by organisers as being an inclusive event failed to adequately hear the voices of sexual minorities, some LGBT+ delegates said as the three-day event ended on Thursday.

Discussions at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) ranged from how to end maternal deaths and eliminate gender based violence to improving sexual and reproductive health care for marginalised communities. But LGBT+ participants said they were disappointed that no sessions specifically addressed sexual minorities and there was little mention of their sexual health challenges, particularly in countries where gay sex is illegal.

Organised by the Danish and Kenyan governments and the United Nations, the event in Nairobi comprised more than 9,500 participants including heads of states, ministers, donors and financial institutions from 173 nations.

“There has been mention of LGBTQI in certain spaces, but that’s not enough,” said Simone Tuni from the Rainbow Pride Foundation in Fiji. “Gender has grown. We have moved on from that time when people thought gender is just women and girls but in this conference all I’ve been hearing is girls and women. It’s disappointing, as it’s a UN conference and the UN is always talking about ‘leaving no one behind’,” Tuni added. Read more via Reuters