London, 9 October 2023 - Over the past few days, we have watched in horror the escalating violence between Hamas and Israel, the loss of civilian lives and the targeting of health facilities. In response, IPPF has released a media statement on behalf of the Federation and its Member Association directly impacted by the violence. As in all conflict and humanitarian situations, sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice (SRHRJ) challenges will increase significantly in Palestine following the latest outbreak of violence and the targeting of health infrastructure. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights must be prioritized now in Palestine, especially for women, girls and the most vulnerable and marginalized groups among them, who have already been facing a protracted humanitarian crisis for decades. IPPF’s Director-General, Dr Alvaro Bermejo, said: "The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is deeply concerned about civilians caught up in the recent attacks, and we are devastated by the loss of civilian lives. At a time where human rights are increasingly under attack, we take our responsibility to preserve the enormous gains made in life-saving sexual and reproductive healthcare in this region very seriously, especially for women, girls and marginalised populations, whose vulnerability and experiences are so often overlooked in humanitarian and conflict settings. "Since its establishment in 1964, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA), our local Member Association in Palestine has worked in the most difficult of circumstances to strengthen and protect the reproductive rights of people living in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. “Our local teams are now contingency planning to address not only the needs of those trapped in Gaza amid escalating violence, but also the more than five million Palestinians currently living under Israeli occupation who will require critical support to continue accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. We will work closely with partners and other NGOs to ensure the least possible disruption to services, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety and security of our colleagues across the region.” Ammal Awadallah, Executive Director of the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA), IPPF’s local Member Association in Palestine said: “The current situation in Palestine is different than other situations of escalating hostilities. We have many staff that are afraid to come into work, and we had colleagues that were stuck at the border and unable to return home following IPPF meetings outside of the country. On 8 October, one of our critical service delivery points in Gaza was destroyed. While this building can be compensated, lives cannot. PFPPA has been bravely providing services within this protracted humanitarian crisis setting for decades. This has made us stronger and increased our commitment to women and girls, but we are now facing a dire situation. Basic sexual and reproductive health care commodities, like condoms, are banned in Gaza. The total blockade of Gaza will only worsen the situation for millions of desperate people who are denied their most basic of human rights. Palestinians are systematically denied sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights. Our health system has been repeatedly targeted and depleted by the Israeli occupation, and the more it disintegrates, the more it will hinder the full realization of these rights for women and girls.” بالنسبة لوسائل الإعلام العربية، يرجى الاتصال بمصطفى كميل el [email protected] For UK and other international media outlets, please contact [email protected] About the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) Established in Jerusalem in 1964, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) is locally registered as an independent, non-profit and non-governmental association with headquarters in Jerusalem. PFPPA has service delivery points located in the West Bank Areas of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Halhoul, in addition to one in the Gaza Strip, which has yet to be relocated after it was destroyed following an Israeli airstrike to an adjacent building on 8 October. Furthermore, and in cooperation with local partners, PFPPA is also responsible for 3 safe spaces to provide Gender Based Violence (GBV) related services in the Jerusalem area.    About the International Planned Parenthood Federation  The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.  For 70 years, IPPF, through its 150 Member Associations and collaborative partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organisations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people have the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.

During the UN General Assembly High Level Week from 19-26 September, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) participated in the launch of the third and final report of the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25.  The Commission is an independent advisory board comprised of 26 members, including IPPF’s Director-General Dr Alvaro Bermejo. The members come from different sectors tasked with monitoring and keeping on track the 1,250 commitments to women’s health and rights made at the 2019 Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, as well as the commitments in the ICPD Programme of Action from 1994. The programme contains commitments from 179 countries to put the rights, needs and aspirations of individual human beings at the center of sustainable development, part of which includes achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.  The Commission’s 2023 report - Sexual and Reproductive Justice Cannot Wait: All Rights, All People, Acting Now presents the thought-leadership of the Commission and summarizes its findings and recommendations of the past three years. It follows in the footsteps of the Commission’s highly acclaimed 2021 and 2022 reports and is complemented by a 2023 scorecard which includes a range of country profiles spanning all regions. A youth-friendly report is also available, which equally demonstrates the power of sexual and reproductive justice as a framework to link issues, people’s movements and monitoring to keep progress on track.  The Commission’s Immediate Priorities for Collective Action  Towards the 30th anniversary of the ICPD Programme of Action in 2024, the Commission outlines five immediate priorities in taking sexual and reproductive justice forward:  1. Invest in midwives for health and justice: Universal access to midwives is the most important factor in ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths. More just treatment of midwives and their clients would come from creating more leadership positions for midwives, particularly in ministries of health, gender equality and finance.   2. Provide comprehensive sexuality education to uphold rights and choices: The Commission points out that the protective power of comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education has been widely demonstrated. It is a starting point for realizing bodily autonomy, which depends on the right to make choices as well as high-quality information leading to meaningful decisions. 3. Achieve justice-informed universal social protection: The Commission emphasizes that sexual and reproductive justice depends on universal social protection that fully responds to intersecting forms of discrimination so that no one is left behind.  4. Disrupt discrimination through innovation: New digital tools have made sexual and reproductive health care and knowledge about rights more readily available in many contexts. But a global gender digital divide persists; it is most acute in the poorest countries. Artificial intelligence picks up discriminatory gender, racial and other norms and threatens to replicate them widely.  5. Unleash the unifying power of movements for justice: The Commission contends that people united for justice will achieve it, and encourages proponents of sexual and reproductive justice to find common cause and strength by joining advocates for climate justice, gender equality, youth empowerment, LGBTQI+ rights, disability rights and inclusive economies, among many others.  Read more about these priorities by downloading the report here.   Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said:  "I am proud to have served as a Commissioner in the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 over the past three years and to see its work come to a successful conclusion last week. The work of the Commission has been inspiring and important to advance sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice. It also points to the many areas where we remain far from reaching the many commitments made at the Nairobi Summit in 2019.    Recently, we have seen backlashes against sexual and reproductive health and rights across the world, including the devastating loss of abortion rights across the U.S having a disproportionate impact on poor women and women of colour and the crackdown against LGBTQI+ groups in Uganda with the adoption of a law criminalizing members of the community, in gross violation of their human rights. Ongoing humanitarian and displacement crises in 2023 also continue to impact access to sexual and reproductive health services for those most in need. But on a positive note, we also see how countries continue to take important steps to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the Mexican Supreme Court’s recent landmark decision to declare the criminalization of abortion as unconstitutional, in the wake of the Green Wave movement that has washed over Latin America in the last few years.  As we approach the 30th anniversary of the ICPD in 2024, we urgently need to deliver on our Nairobi Summit commitments. At IPPF, we are working tirelessly to deliver on our own Nairobi Summit commitments and remain dedicated to helping countries deliver on theirs. Using our unique position as a locally-owned, globally connected organization, we will continue to work in solidarity with donors, governments, partners and communities to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights for everyone, everywhere, especially those who are most often excluded and marginalized. Collectively, we also need to move forward on the Commission's call for sexual and reproductive justice. This means ensuring that all barriers to achieve sexual and reproductive health and rights, whether social, legal, environmental, economic or political, are acted on. Now."    For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For 70 years, IPPF, through its 150 Member Associations and collaborative partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.

IPPF condemns the multiple school arsons across the French-speaking Wallonia region in Belgium over the past week, which have been connected to public protests against the compulsory “education in relationships, affective and sexual life” (EVRAS) program. These targeted attacks are evidence of a growing movement opposed to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) curricula, and the duty of states to support and protect children in their sexual development. IPPF is deeply concerned that a small cadre of those with extremist views are targeting schools with violence, which serve as vital safe spaces for children and young people to become educated, empowered citizens.  In the face of global misinformation campaigns and attempts to silence the organizations and institutions providing high quality comprehensive sexuality education, IPPF affirms that these programs empower children and young people to protect their health and well-being and support them in developing healthy and positive relationships throughout their lives.  Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF Director General said:  “The violent attacks on schools in Belgium are proof of how anti-rights campaigners are multiplying around the world and fuelling divisions by spreading false or misleading information about existing education curricula. We know from decades of research and our own programmatic experience in this area that comprehensive sexuality education helps children and young people to understand and enjoy their sexuality, take responsibility for their own sexual and reproductive health and rights and respect other people’s. We stand with the educators in Belgium who are delivering on a sex education curriculum that promotes children and young people’s rights.”  Research shows that parents and young people agree that sexuality education should be offered in schools, and that parents are willing to join these programs, particularly as they help their children to navigate relationships and sexuality amid the complex challenges of the digital era. Many governments around the world, including Belgium, are making sexuality education programs a national priority to protect all children and young people from harm.  IPPF stands with the schools and educators delivering this vital education in Belgium and around the world, and we remain committed to providing children and young people with the knowledge to protect and promote their safety, health and wellbeing.  For media inquiries, contact [email protected]   Banner image: Shutterstock

Statement from Dr Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF Director General: The International Planned Parenthood Federation condemns the multiple attacks in Khartoum and Elfashir (North Darfur) against clinics and health centers run by the Sudanese Family Planning Association (SFPA) between 7-9 September. Unprovoked attacks against the health facilities in South Khartoum (Elshik Wad Hamad) and in Elfashir City (Aboshok Clinic) have destroyed the infrastructure of the facilities, injured clients and staff, and interrupted the delivery of the most needed health services for vulnerable people of Sudan, especially women and girls of reproductive age.  These attacks, just like the previous attacks against health facilities and medical professionals since the outbreak of violence in the country began on 15 April, will prolong the suffering of the Sudanese people. IPPF requests the protection of civilians and civilian institutions, especially healthcare facilities, to ensure the provision of healthcare and the basic humanitarian necessities for the Sudanese people. For media requests, contact [email protected]  About the Sudan Family Planning Association The Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) was established in 1965 by pioneers in obstetrics and gynecology in response to increases in maternal, neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity. As the statistics show, Sudan is a country in great need of frontline sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Advocacy, and undertaking information, education and communication (IEC) programs are critical. In 2022, SFPA provided 26 millions of services through 24 clinics, 261 associated clinics, and 37 mobile clinics . Since the start of the crisis in 15th April; the association teams was successful in providing 2,500,000 services through 24 SFPA facilities and 8,500,000 services through non damaged associated and mobile clinics. SFPA was able to assist 1145 deliveries under bombarding and provided 167000 treatments of HIV in its static clinics.

If you are covering the UK International Development Committee’s FCDO Equality Impact Assessment, and the implications for global sexual and reproductive health and rights, you may find the below statement from the International Planned Parenthood Federation helpful: The UK’s brutal cuts are a tragic blow for the world's poorest and most marginalized women and girls.    The assessment outlines cuts to the department's Overseas Development Assistance budget worth more than £900m for this year, including allocated funding for vital sexual and reproductive health services.   In particular, IPPF faces cuts to its flagship programme: the Women's Integrated Sexual Health Programme (WISH), which delivers life-saving contraception and sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls in some of the world’s poorest and most marginalized communities. At inception in 2018 the programme delivered services across 15 countries in Africa and South Asia but had to scale down due to budget cuts with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Zambia closing out in August 2021. Mozambique closed out in September 2021 and Afghanistan in December 2021. Finally, Pakistan closed out in 2022, leaving the programme running in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa at a smaller scale.   The 2022-2023 budget cut of over 50% has seen further scaling down of in-country programmes resulting in lowered programme implementation coverage with reduced health facility support, reduced community outreaches, reduced community engagement and overall reduced access to sexual and reproductive services to the most marginalised groups.  According to the latest assessment, cuts to WISH will reduce protection for women with "the number of unsafe abortions averted from nearly 300,000 to approximately 115,000; number of maternal deaths averted will drop from 2,531 to just over 1,000".  Mina Barling, IPPF’s Director of External Relations said:  “As we warned in 2021 and as demonstrated in the government’s own assessment, the devastating cuts to IPPF’s flagship programme in Africa and Asia mean thousands of women and girls will die - many from the indignity of an unsafe abortion, or in childbirth. To add further insult to injury, it has now left the most marginalised exposed to an aggressive opposition.   The UK aid cuts did not happen in isolation. They compounded a transnational far-right regime that began during President Trump’s reign in the United States. In the most extraordinary of circumstances, the space left by civil society meant autocratic actors were now able to move rapidly, shrinking democratic space, and in doing so, exploiting new opportunities to further embed an anti-rights agenda.   It is no coincidence that this has happened in countries (such as Uganda and Kenya) where the UK government had been a critical partner, where we are watching as anti-LGBTIQ+ legislation translates into increased violence and threatens incarceration and even the death penalty. This is a moment of crisis, which if left unaddressed, is an open invitation to others to replicate vitriolic policies, legislation and narratives.  We are reaching a tipping point. We must connect the dots and take action now. We implore the UK government to restore its aid budget to pre-pandemic levels of 0.7% of Gross National Income. We urgently need the UK’s leadership, support, and investment so that IPPF and its partners can continue providing critical care where it is most needed. The lives of millions depend on it."  Fact box  Since its launch in 2018 and the end of December 2022, the WISH programme prevented an estimated:    12.2 million unintended pregnancies    4.1 million unsafe abortions    20,500 maternal deaths                               Today, 218 million women want to access contraception but can't access it  35 million women each year still resort to an unsafe abortion.    20 million adolescents face an unmet need for contraception. For girls aged 15-19, pregnancy and childbirth complications are the leading cause of death globally.    Pregnancy and marriage are the main reasons why adolescent girls drop out of school, and Africa has the highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the world.    As a result of the pandemic, 12 million women and girls have lost access to contraception, leading to 1.4 million unintended pregnancies. This is what happens when access to SRHR care is uninterrupted.      About WISH  The Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme is the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) largest Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) delivery programme. The WISH programme delivers progress towards UK commitments on universal SRHR and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by contributing to reductions in maternal deaths, unsafe abortions, and unintended pregnancies in Africa and South Asia.   The Lot 2 WISH consortium (W2A) is led by International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) with Marie Stopes Reproductive Choices (MSI), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Development Media International (DMI), Options, and Humanity and Inclusion (HI).    In the project’s first phase, the WISH2ACTION Consortium operated in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For the second phase, the project has continued across Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.  About the International Planned Parenthood Federation  The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.    For over 65 years, IPPF, through its 118 Member Associations and 15 partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context.  We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.  For media inquiries please contact [email protected]   

A judge in England has sentenced a mother-of-three to 28 months in prison for using abortion medication to end her pregnancy. This sentencing represents a violation of human rights and highlights the urgent need for the reform of legislation and for the decriminalization of abortion across the UK.   The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is outraged by the decision to send a woman to jail for ending her own pregnancy and calls for the decriminalization of abortion to enable women and pregnant people to exercise their human right to reproductive autonomy, free from the threat of criminal prosecution.      In Britain, the number of women and girls facing police investigations and the threat of a prison sentence under current abortion laws has risen over the past three years. Despite significant public support for abortion rights and increasing recognition of abortion as essential healthcare, England, Scotland, and Wales still rely on an abortion law that is more than 50 years old, and which is underpinned by a criminal law dating back to 1861. This law is wildly out of date, out of step with public opinion, and is behind other countries which have moved towards extending and protecting abortion rights.    Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said:  "The decision to hand-down a 28-month prison sentence to a woman for ending her own pregnancy is appalling and a step-back for women's health and rights in the UK. Abortion is healthcare and should not be included in criminal law.   "One in three women in Britain will have an abortion in their lifetime. We need abortion policies and care that are supportive of every woman according to her unique needs and circumstances.  No woman should ever face criminal charges or the threat of jail for seeking abortion care.   "IPPF fully supports the urgent reform of the abortion law and calls for the decriminalization of abortion.”     Maïté Matos Ichaso, Director of Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF), the only global fund dedicated to abortion, hosted by IPPF, said:  “As a global Fund dedicated to abortion, we see the devastating impact of abortion criminalisation on a daily basis. Across the world, women are languishing in prison for choosing to end their pregnancies, but also for experiencing miscarriages. The very threat of criminalisation looms large and adds to the existing stigma and barriers people face in accessing safe abortion care. Our grantee partners regularly report raids and prosecutions, not only of those seeking abortion care but also of the doctors and nurses who seek to support them.   Abortion needs to be decriminalised across the UK, as well as around the world, if we really want to see the right to safe reproductive health care respected and protected.”  IPPF has signed a joint position statement with partners including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, calling on the UK government to reform the Abortion Act 1967 to decriminalize people seeking to end their own pregnancies. To read the full statement please click here.   IPPF will continue to work tirelessly to protect the rights of all people around the globe to access abortion care and ensure that women will not be forced to carry a pregnancy or give birth against their will.  Note on language - Within this statement we use the terms women and women’s health. However, not only people who identify as women need access to abortion care and this statement is inclusive of all people who can become pregnant, including intersex people, transgender men and boys, and people with other gender identities that may have the reproductive capacity to become pregnant and an abortion.   Header photo by Aleks Marinkovic on Unsplash