Spotlight
A selection of news from across the Federation
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New EU Gender Equality Strategy - Progress, but SRHR ambition still lacking
The European Commission reaffirms its commitment to gender equality and recognises the backlash against women’s rights, but the new Strategy lacks the urgent action needed to advance SRHR.
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New EU Gender Equality Strategy - Progress, but SRHR ambition still lacking
Ahead of International Women’s Day, the European Commission has published the EU G
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Civil society open letter to European Commission in support of My Voice, My Choice
Dear President von Der Leyen, Vice-President Mînzatu, Commissioner Lahbib, Commissioner Várhelyi,
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New EU Victims’ Rights Directive confirms and specifies survivors’ access to sexual and reproductive healthcare
IPPF EN welcomes the political agre
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EU Civil Society Strategy: A Welcome Step, but Still Falling Short — Gender-Responsive Actions Needed
Joint civil society statement on the publication of the first EU Civil Society Strategy
Belgium
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CSOs, Citizens, and Politicians Protest Contraceptive Destruction Ordered by the Trump Administration
The Trump Administration took a cruel and ideologically driven decision to
European Network
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Joint statement as EU Commission boosts funding to strengthen rights, equality, and democracy
As civil society organisations committed to securing equality and non-discrimination across Europe, we welcome the continuation of financial support for the essential objectives of protecting and p
European Network
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CSOs & Trade Unions Welcome EU’s New Revenue Proposals as “Much Needed” but Fail to Target the Most Profitable and Polluting Sectors
“The options included in the European Commission proposal on Own Resources, would bring much-needed resources to meet the EU’s financing needs.
European Network
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Joint statement from 30 organizations: Commission Global Europe proposal “potentially game-changing”
Today’s proposal to allocate €200 billion in the EU’s external action budget is potentially game-changing.
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| 19 March 2026
Far-right in Portugal puts youth rights and protections at serious risk
Far-right lawmakers, followed by the center-right, are advancing three bills that would restrict the rights of transgender and intersex people—directly impacting young people’s ability to navigate their own journeys and grow into their own selves with dignity, respect, and support. At a time when many young people are already vulnerable to feeling lost or isolated, a sense of belonging is not optional - it is essential. A plenary debate on three of these bills is scheduled for today, with a final vote expected on March 20. If adopted, these bills would: • Revoke legal recognition of self-determined name and gender identity for transgender people • Prohibit legal recognition for young people aged 16–18 • Remove protections when a person’s gender identity does not match official documents • Roll back measures that support transgender children and young people in schools, including recognition of their chosen name • Ban awareness campaigns and inclusive initiatives related to LGBTI+ issues • Ban access to medically recognized care, such as hormone blockers for adolescents, even with parents’ consent • Erase protections for intersex children from non-consensual, medically unnecessary interventions These proposals risk increasing stigma, exclusion, and harm—undermining young people’s sense of safety, identity, and belonging. We should be clear: no one deserves to face discrimination, abuse, or harm simply for being who they are. By affirming trans identities, we can help everyone thrive and ensure that healthcare supports people as they truly are. Families and individuals deserve support - not political interference in deeply personal aspects of their lives. We stand with civil society in Portugal and with more than 200 healthcare professionals and researchers who have already warned against these measures. We urge parliamentarians to reject these harmful proposals, and we call on the EU to speak out clearly against discrimination. Now is the time to stand for a world where all people, regardless of gender identity, are supported to live their full lives with respect and compassion.
news_item
| 19 March 2026
Far-right in Portugal puts youth rights and protections at serious risk
Far-right lawmakers, followed by the center-right, are advancing three bills that would restrict the rights of transgender and intersex people—directly impacting young people’s ability to navigate their own journeys and grow into their own selves with dignity, respect, and support. At a time when many young people are already vulnerable to feeling lost or isolated, a sense of belonging is not optional - it is essential. A plenary debate on three of these bills is scheduled for today, with a final vote expected on March 20. If adopted, these bills would: • Revoke legal recognition of self-determined name and gender identity for transgender people • Prohibit legal recognition for young people aged 16–18 • Remove protections when a person’s gender identity does not match official documents • Roll back measures that support transgender children and young people in schools, including recognition of their chosen name • Ban awareness campaigns and inclusive initiatives related to LGBTI+ issues • Ban access to medically recognized care, such as hormone blockers for adolescents, even with parents’ consent • Erase protections for intersex children from non-consensual, medically unnecessary interventions These proposals risk increasing stigma, exclusion, and harm—undermining young people’s sense of safety, identity, and belonging. We should be clear: no one deserves to face discrimination, abuse, or harm simply for being who they are. By affirming trans identities, we can help everyone thrive and ensure that healthcare supports people as they truly are. Families and individuals deserve support - not political interference in deeply personal aspects of their lives. We stand with civil society in Portugal and with more than 200 healthcare professionals and researchers who have already warned against these measures. We urge parliamentarians to reject these harmful proposals, and we call on the EU to speak out clearly against discrimination. Now is the time to stand for a world where all people, regardless of gender identity, are supported to live their full lives with respect and compassion.
news item
| 19 March 2026
Far-right in Portugal puts youth rights and protections at serious risk
Far-right lawmakers, followed by the center-right, are advancing three bills that would restrict the rights of transgender and intersex people—directly impacting young people’s ability to navigate their own journeys and grow into their own selves with dignity, respect, and support. At a time when many young people are already vulnerable to feeling lost or isolated, a sense of belonging is not optional - it is essential. A plenary debate on three of these bills is scheduled for today, with a final vote expected on March 20. If adopted, these bills would: • Revoke legal recognition of self-determined name and gender identity for transgender people • Prohibit legal recognition for young people aged 16–18 • Remove protections when a person’s gender identity does not match official documents • Roll back measures that support transgender children and young people in schools, including recognition of their chosen name • Ban awareness campaigns and inclusive initiatives related to LGBTI+ issues • Ban access to medically recognized care, such as hormone blockers for adolescents, even with parents’ consent • Erase protections for intersex children from non-consensual, medically unnecessary interventions These proposals risk increasing stigma, exclusion, and harm—undermining young people’s sense of safety, identity, and belonging. We should be clear: no one deserves to face discrimination, abuse, or harm simply for being who they are. By affirming trans identities, we can help everyone thrive and ensure that healthcare supports people as they truly are. Families and individuals deserve support - not political interference in deeply personal aspects of their lives. We stand with civil society in Portugal and with more than 200 healthcare professionals and researchers who have already warned against these measures. We urge parliamentarians to reject these harmful proposals, and we call on the EU to speak out clearly against discrimination. Now is the time to stand for a world where all people, regardless of gender identity, are supported to live their full lives with respect and compassion.
news_item
| 19 March 2026
Far-right in Portugal puts youth rights and protections at serious risk
Far-right lawmakers, followed by the center-right, are advancing three bills that would restrict the rights of transgender and intersex people—directly impacting young people’s ability to navigate their own journeys and grow into their own selves with dignity, respect, and support. At a time when many young people are already vulnerable to feeling lost or isolated, a sense of belonging is not optional - it is essential. A plenary debate on three of these bills is scheduled for today, with a final vote expected on March 20. If adopted, these bills would: • Revoke legal recognition of self-determined name and gender identity for transgender people • Prohibit legal recognition for young people aged 16–18 • Remove protections when a person’s gender identity does not match official documents • Roll back measures that support transgender children and young people in schools, including recognition of their chosen name • Ban awareness campaigns and inclusive initiatives related to LGBTI+ issues • Ban access to medically recognized care, such as hormone blockers for adolescents, even with parents’ consent • Erase protections for intersex children from non-consensual, medically unnecessary interventions These proposals risk increasing stigma, exclusion, and harm—undermining young people’s sense of safety, identity, and belonging. We should be clear: no one deserves to face discrimination, abuse, or harm simply for being who they are. By affirming trans identities, we can help everyone thrive and ensure that healthcare supports people as they truly are. Families and individuals deserve support - not political interference in deeply personal aspects of their lives. We stand with civil society in Portugal and with more than 200 healthcare professionals and researchers who have already warned against these measures. We urge parliamentarians to reject these harmful proposals, and we call on the EU to speak out clearly against discrimination. Now is the time to stand for a world where all people, regardless of gender identity, are supported to live their full lives with respect and compassion.
