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On 7 March 2025, the European Commission released its new Roadmap for Women’s Rights - a political declaration that reaffirms its determination to uphold gender equality and sets out a long-term vision for how it will advance women’s rights. IPPF EN welcomes this crucial commitment at a time when ultraconservative movements are gaining influence in the EU and around the world, threatening progress on women's rights, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).  We particularly value the inclusion in the Roadmap of the following key commitments, which are at the heart of our demands to the EU:  1. Highest Standards of Health  The Roadmap reiterates that every woman has the right to the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, with notably a focus on SRHR. It commits to supporting and complementing health action by Member States in this field, in full respect of the Treaties. IPPF EN strongly supports this inclusion of SRHR in the Roadmap, by which the European Commission highlights that SRHR are women’s rights and part of EU values. But it is important to note that SRHR are not only a health issue – they are also fundamental rights intertwined with the clear EU priorities of achieving gender equality and fighting against sexual and gender-based violence. We urge the EU to take bold, actionable steps in the upcoming Gender Equality Strategy to implement international commitments, international human rights and public health standards on SRHR, and ensure that Member States guarantee access to comprehensive SRHR services for all in the EU, including safe and legal abortion.  Other objectives in the Roadmap include ensuring respectful and high quality obstetric, gynaecological, antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care, free from discrimination and harmful practices; promoting gender-sensitive medical research, clinical trials, diagnostics and treatments; and ensuring access to affordable menstrual hygiene products and contraception. IPPF EN welcomes the prioritisation of obstetric care, of which access to abortion care is an integral part; and calls for the recognition and combating of all forms of obstetric and gynaecological violence, including mistreatment during and denial of abortion care.  2. Freedom from Gender-Based Violence  The Roadmap outlines actions to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence and rape, based on lack of consent, and to ensure support and protection for victims of violence. IPPF EN urges Member States to provide access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services to victims of sexual violence, which should be free of charge, sufficiently resourced and accessible at all times and throughout the country, in line with the EU Directive on Violence Against Women.  3. Comprehensive Sexuality Education  We strongly welcome the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education promotion in the Roadmap. Comprehensive sexuality education, which includes consent education, is essential for enabling young people to form happy, healthy, and safe relationships free from violence and discrimination.  4. Institutional Mechanisms and Funding  The Roadmap stresses the need for strong institutional mechanisms and sustainable funding for gender equality policies and women’s rights organisations. IPPF EN calls for the priorities outlined in the Roadmap, and the forthcoming Gender Equality Strategy, to be adequately funded, particularly in light of the upcoming negotiations on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework. A strong women’s rights movement is the most effective way to counter threats of retrogression. The EU should increase its protection and political and financial support to organisations and human rights defenders who fight for women’s rights, including SRHR.  5. Intersectionality  The Roadmap recognizes the importance of addressing intersectional discrimination, but we regret the omission of ‘gender identity’, ‘sexual characteristics’, and ‘migration status’ as discrimination grounds. We call on the EU to address the specific needs of trans, non-binary, intersex, and migrant and undocumented women, who face unique challenges.  “It is a welcome first step that SRHR and other crucial topics have been included in the Roadmap for Women’s Rights. The Roadmap should now pave the way for the new EU Gender Equality Strategy post-2025 and be followed up with impactful actions. We stand ready to work with the European Commission and Member States to transform these principles into reality,” said Micah Grzywnowicz, IPPF EN Regional Director.     Image credit: Fátima Bravo for Fine Acts

Join us on Instagram on December 7 at 10.30am CET, to discuss how to achieve #AWorldWhere we are all free from gender-based violence together with Sonali Silva, SRHR activist and co-chair at SheDecides, Josephine Odhiambo, Program Lead at Youth Changers Kenya, and Esme Stuart, Programme Manager – Human Rights, Gender and Youth at the European Commission, DG INTPA. During this event, our guests will share their reflections on the challenges we face in combating gender-based violence globally and the solutions we have at our disposal to ensure we all live in a safer world. Violence against women is endemic in every country and culture with 1 in 3 women across the globe expected to experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. We know this number is higher in some places, affecting 2 in 3 women. We have a shared responsibility to help create more gender equal societies in which everyone is safe from harm and treated with dignity. We will also discuss how sexual and reproductive health and rights can be part of the solutions that we know are effective to prevent, protect and support survivors. What can you expect? We will be talking about the benefits of directly funding grassroot feminist organisations and movements that work to end gender-based violence and how our communities can change for the better if we work together to redesign systems so that they protect everyone. We will also be speaking about the role of the European Union in fighting gender-based violence globally. Join our Instagram Live and follow @C2030Europe for updates! Add this to your calendar. The Instagram Live is organised under the umbrella of the #AWorldWhere campaign aiming to drive Europe’s global commitments on sexual and reproductive health and rights, to meet Sustainable Development Goals targets, advance gender equality and strengthen health systems. #AWorldWhere is a Countdown 2030 Europe initiative driven by 15 leading European non-governmental organisations advocating for sexual and reproductive freedom worldwide. Illustration: Jessica Whitney Crowe

Join us on Instagram on June 13 at 4pm CSET, to launch our new campaign #AWorldWhere together with Liana Abdikarimova, IPPF EN youth activist, MEP Alice Kuhnke and Bénédicte Joan, feminist activist from the Ivory Coast. We believe we are members of an interconnected society and what affects one of us, affects us all. Everyone in society has the right to live with dignity and we believe it is our collective responsibility to ensure we all do. During this event, our guests will share their reflections on how the world could look like if sexual and reproductive health and rights needs are met globally and what we need from European policy makers to achieve this. What can you expect? We will be talking about strengthening healthcare systems, achieving gender equality, combatting gender-based violence and how our communities can change for the better if we work together to redesign systems so that they work for everyone. Join our Instagram Live and follow @C2030Europe for updates! This is the first of a series of events under the umbrella of the #AWorldWhere campaign aiming to drive Europe’s global commitments on sexual and reproductive health and rights, to meet Sustainable Development Goals targets, advance gender equality and strengthen health systems. #AWorldWhere is a Countdown 2030 Europe initiative driven by 15 leading European non-governmental organisations advocating for sexual and reproductive freedom worldwide.

Spain has introduced new legislation allowing gender self-determination, banning conversion therapy, introducing menstrual leave and easing abortion limits. Here’s what you need to know: Anyone aged 16+ can change their gender on official documents without medical supervision Conversion therapy, in any form, intended to change a person's sexual orientation or identity or gender expression is banned New abortion legislation makes it easier for women to access medical or surgical abortions in public hospitals and clinics  Arbitrary and medically unnecessary three-day waiting period before accessing abortion care is suppressed  Denial of abortion care based on personal beliefs will now become more transparent due to a new registry that takes stock of medical professionals in the public health system who refuse to perform abortions The previous requirement for women aged 16 and 17 to obtain parental consent for abortions is scrapped, along with the 3-day period of reflection and the obligation to provide information on maternity benefits for those seeking abortion care Up to 5 days of menstrual leave for people with painful periods - thus Spain becomes the first country in Europe to introduce menstrual leave Provision of free sanitary products in schools, prisons and women’s centers and free hormonal contraceptives and the morning after pill at state-run health centers Paid leave before childbirth additional to the maternity leave, from the 39th week until the moment of birth Compulsory comprehensive sexual education at all stages of education, reinforcing previous regulations. The bill on sexual and reproductive health and abortion care recognizes rights that were already in the 2010 Spanish law and had subsequently been restricted, and includes new measures that entail the normalization of important aspects of sexual and reproductive health.

The European Parliament has today adopted its first reading on the EU 2020 budget. MEPs voted in favour of a €2,7 billion increase of the EU’s budget compared to the Commission’s proposal: an outright rejection of the Council’s proposed cuts.  A budget increase that could save lives and improve health and wellbeing  Dubbed as the last chance for the Union to meet key political commitments during this financial period, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Parliament’s call for an ambitious budget for the last year of the current MFF is welcome news. With the support of the Committees on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, and Development, the Parliament called for an increase of €10 million in commitment to the budget line on human development compared to the Commission’s proposal. This increase will finance projects on education, tackling diseases, gender equality and access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SHRH), focusing directly on the needs and rights of people in developing countries. In addition, the budget line on ‘civil society in development’ would be restored and the one on humanitarian aid would increase by €50 million.  Eef Wuyts, Director of European and International Affairs at IPPF EN, said: “The Human Development line is key to effectively ensuring people can access healthcare and education, and to guarantee women and girls’ access to quality sexual and reproductive health services.’’  But this additional investment falls short of commitments “While this proposed increase is a step in the right direction, it falls short of the EU’s commitment to dedicate at least 20% of its total Official Development Assistance to human development and social inclusion. We urge the Council not to cut this budget line any further’’, said Cécile Vernant, Head of the EU Office at DSW.  “Europe has a responsibility to be a global leader on these issues, and this vote today is an important first step. The upcoming Nairobi Summit in November 2019 will be another important opportunity for the EU to make further concrete commitments – including financial ones – to accelerate progress to fully implement the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action’’, said Neil Datta, Secretary at EPF. Investing in human development, in areas such as health and SRHR is key to empowering women and achieving gender equality. It is crucial that Member States support the €10 million increase proposed by the European Parliament to ensure access to healthcare and education for all.  END For more information, contact Ffion Storer Jones, Communications Officer at Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW)’s EU office on [email protected] or +32 2 504 90 62. Notes: DSW is a global development organisation that focuses on the needs and potential of the largest youth generation in history. We are committed to creating demand for and access to health information, services, supplies, and economic empowerment for youth. We achieve this by engaging in advocacy, capacity development, and reproductive health initiatives so that young people are empowered to lead healthy and self-determined lives. DSW also advocates for investment in research and innovation to fight poverty-related and neglected tropical diseases. For more information, visit www.dsw.org/en The International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. IPPF EN and our partners work in over 40 countries across Europe and Central Asia to empower everyone, especially the most socially excluded, to live with dignity and to have access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. This access is essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in all countries. For more information, visit https://www.ippfen.org/  The European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) is Europe’s only parliamentary network focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights. EPF serves as a platform for cooperation and coordination for its 33 all-party groups in Parliaments throughout Europe to promote and defend the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all individuals, to defend and advance gender equality and equity, women’s empowerment, and to eliminate all forms of discrimination, coercion and violence against women and girls worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.epfweb.org/ The European Consensus on Development is a shared vision and framework for action for development cooperation for the European Union (EU) and its Member States. It is a blueprint which aligns the Union’s development policy with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For more information, go here. 

The European Week of Action of Girls (EWAG) is a week-long programme of events and activities, based around the International Day of the Girl Child, on Thursday 11th October. Now in its sixth year EWAG asks the EU to better protect and champion the rights of girls, particularly through its external action. Organised by a coalition of civil society organisations, and supported by the European Institutions and UN Agencies, the 2018 European Week of Action for Girls takes place from 8 – 12 October. The European Week of Action for Girls 2018 will give girls the opportunity to talk to EU decision-makers and help shape a better world for all girls. They will address EU leaders on what needs to be done to overcome the barriers they face and to ensure their rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. This year, EWAG will particularly focus on girls’ right to education, combatting violence, economic empowerment and to participation in decision-making. Background paper. Advocacy paper. Video interview following EWAG. The week in photos.