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IPPF EN welcomes the political agreement on the revised EU Victims’ Rights Directive reached between Parliament and Council on 10 December, which represents a significant step forward for survivors of sexual violence and for sexual and reproductive rights across the EU. Crucially, the Directive explicitly recognises that survivors of sexual violence must have access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. For the first time ever in EU legislation, it specifies the services that must be available, in accordance with national law, including emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis treatment, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and access to abortion. This clear recognition marks a historic milestone, embedding survivors’ healthcare needs directly into EU law. The revised Directive builds on the progress made in recent EU legislation on combating violence against women and domestic violence, further consolidating a legal framework that recognises sexual and reproductive health as integral to victims’ rights. By spelling out these obligations, the Directive strengthens legal protections for survivors across all Member States and helps guarantee access to essential care. Sexual and reproductive healthcare is not optional support: it is a fundamental component of recovery for survivors of sexual violence and must be available without delay, stigma, or additional barriers. Forcing someone to continue a pregnancy resulting from rape inflicts further physical and psychological harm, deepens trauma, and strips survivors of their bodily autonomy and dignity. Denying survivors of sexual violence access to abortion care constitutes a serious form of gender-based violence amounting to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. IPPF EN now calls on the European Parliament and the Council to swiftly adopt the Directive formally and on Member States to ensure strong, rights-based implementation at national level. Survivors across the EU must see these legal commitments translated into real, timely, and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare in practice. However, IPPF EN regrets that once again, EU legislation fails to adequately protect undocumented victims of violence, leaving some of the most marginalised people at risk of detention and deportation. Read more on how the deal fails to protect undocumented victims of crime via PICUM.   Illustration by Judit Canela

On November 20, 2025, at IPPF’s General Assembly in Bali, our Federation unanimously adopted its first ever IPPF Charter of Values, delivering on our collective commitment to re-examine our principles, reignite our shared spark, and push the line for justice, equality and bodily autonomy.  Born from the voices and courage of our members across the Federation, this Charter is both a mirror and a map. It tells us who we are and where we stand. Together with our new Brand, it is our fire that refuses to be extinguished. The Charter sets out seven values that define our identity and purpose: Dignity, Equality, Justice, Pleasure, Community, Integrity, and Resilience. They are not abstract ideals. They are our commitment to action. They show who we stand with, and what we stand for. Louder, prouder, and bolder. United. IPPF’s new Charter of Values grounds us in a simple but demanding truth: sexual and reproductive rights are universal human rights. It states that equality is intersectional, feminist, anti-racist, and anti-ableist. That the struggle for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is inseparable from the global struggle for justice and liberation. The Charter affirms that pleasure – in all its forms - is a right, not a privilege. That safe abortion for all is our horizon, and LGBTQ+ rights, the rights of women and girls, Indigenous communities and those of all marginalised communities are fundamental to freedom itself. It acknowledges that oppression is upheld and sustained by colonialism and imperialism, and our duty to dismantle this. It calls us to work collectively with courage, with love, with solidarity.  And it holds us accountable, first and foremost, to the individuals and communities we work with. This Charter is a compass for our movement. It unites us and invites others to join. It is proof that no matter what we face, however they attack, wherever they advance, we will be there. This is who we have always been: fierce defenders of dignity, equality, and justice. Now, we have made it a Charter. We are IPPF. We are the fire.

Joint civil society statement on the publication of the first EU Civil Society Strategy As civil society organisations working to advance human rights, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at EU level and in eight national contexts across Europe, we recognise the release of the EU’s first Civil Society Strategy as an important acknowledgment of the essential role that civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights defenders (HRDs) play in upholding EU values including fundamental rights, equality, the rule of law and democracy in the EU. However, the Strategy falls short of presenting concrete and adequate initiatives to address challenges faced by CSOs and HRDs in the EU today. The Civil Society Strategy also missed a critical opportunity to recognise and respond to the specific, gendered and intersectional challenges faced by women human rights defenders (WHRDs) and those working on gender equality and SRHR. It is paramount that the EU implements the Strategy’s commitments and actions in a gender-sensitive manner, to ensure WHRDs and those working on gender equality are not left out. Across the EU, civic space is under growing strain. CSOs and HRDs, particularly those advancing gender equality and SRHR, face escalating threats including smear campaigns, judicial and administrative harassment, censorship, disinformation, intimidation and physical attacks. These challenges are deeply gendered: women and LGBTIQ+ defenders are targeted both for their work and for who they are, and in many contexts, attacks on them intersect with broader efforts to weaken democratic institutions, erode the rule of law and roll back fundamental rights. This context forces CSOs and HRDs working to advance gender equality and SRHR to use scarce financial and human resources to respond to attacks rather than advancing rights, increasing risks to the welfare of the organisations and their staff.  SRHR organisations and defenders across the EU are also facing growing financial pressure and uncertainty as global and European funding priorities shift away from human rights and gender equality. With shrinking sources of funding, organisations are pushed into competing for smaller and smaller funds. Meanwhile, anti-rights actors are increasingly well funded, channelling their resources to undermine decades of progress on SRHR, gender equality and LGBTIQ+ rights. The Civil Society Strategy puts forward timid commitments to address the current challenges confronting civil society in the EU and beyond. The lack of attention to the particular challenges faced by WHRDs and those working on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights specifically reflects a failure to address the situation of some of the defenders and organisations most at risk. We call on the European Commission and all Member States to ensure that the Civil Society Strategy leads to concrete and gender-sensitive measures that strengthen civic space, guarantee meaningful participation of CSOs and HRDs in policymaking, and provide sustainable support to organisations advancing gender equality, SRHR and fundamental rights. The Strategy’s commitments must be strengthened and matched with political will, resources and accountability, and effectively integrate with and mutually reinforce other EU Equality Strategies and frameworks.  We urge EU institutions and Member States to take robust action to support those defending the values on which the EU was built. Background In 2024, the European Commission announced its ambition to adopt the first EU Civil Society Strategy, which would seek to propose a framework for action at EU and Member State level to strengthen meaningful engagement with and protection of civil society organisations active in promoting and protecting EU values. The Civil Society Strategy was published on 12 November 2025. In September 2025, IPPF EN and the Center for Reproductive Rights, together with 19 other organisations working on sexual and reproductive health and rights in 14 national contexts across Europe and at EU level, made a submission to the European Commission consultation, providing key recommendations to ensure EU efforts to support, protect and foster an enabling environment for civil society are gender-sensitive:

This month marks the global launch of IPPF’s new brand. This is not just about a bolder and more vibrant visual representation of who we are today, but confirmation of where we are heading together. An unapologetic reflection of who we are: feminist, community-rooted, and united by a shared commitment to equity, justice, and pleasure for all. Designed by our Member Associations, partners and communities, the brand reflects what can be achieved when we work collaboratively and in conversation, embracing creativity to show who we stand with, and what we stand for. Louder, prouder, and bolder.  In a world where sexual and reproductive health and rights are under relentless attack, we are ready to meet the moment with clarity, courage, and conviction. We are proud to stand behind a brand that is a renewed expression of our shared values, our purpose, and our collective energy as a federation standing and fighting for sexual and reproductive rights for all. This isn’t just a new visual look for IPPF, it’s a statement of inclusivity, diversity, and solidarity. It’s about visibility, belonging, and building a movement that people recognise and want to join. Our brand is bold, resilient, and unmistakably ours. It is our story refined and our promise renewed as we move forward with energy and conviction to connect more powerfully with the communities we serve and the partners and donors who share our values. 

The Trump Administration took a cruel and ideologically driven decision to destroy $10 million worth of life-saving contraceptives - resources that were procured by U.S. taxpayer funds to support critical health needs in partner countries across the Global South, including those of 218 million women facing an unmet need for contraceptive care. This is an intentional act of reproductive coercion. Pallets of contraceptives sit unused in warehouse in Geel, Belgium—awaiting destruction.  Together with IPPF Member Associations in Belgium, Sensoa and FLCPF, we organised a protest action against the planned destruction of contraceptives stored in Geel and the refusal to sell them to Belgium or to anyone else. IPPF offered to take the stocks for redistribution at no cost to the US taxpayer, but this offer was declined.  Read below the speech made by Micah Grzywnowicz, Regional Director, IPPF European Network. "We are here today because we believe in a world where every woman and every girl has the right to decide about her own body, her own health, and her own future. We are here today because we want to see a world where sexual and reproductive health and rights for all are the norm, and not an exception that needs to be negotiated over and over again. We are here today because we want to live in a world where care, dignity, and freedom are the foundation of our shared humanity. But today, that world is under direct attack. The Trump Administration plans to burn millions of euros worth of essential contraceptives — supplies meant for women and girls who need them most, including in countries already facing humanitarian crises. 77% of these life-saving products were destined for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mali. In Tanzania alone, they account for one third of the country’s total annual need of the health system. Translating it into people – this destruction would deny almost 1.5 million women and girls across affected countries access to care that could save their lives. Make no mistake: this is not an accident; this is not a bureaucratic oversight. This action is deliberate and it is a part of a long-term game of dismantling global public health efforts. It is about control – control of our bodies, our health, and our choices and decisions about our lives. Delaying essential care, blocking supplies, and sowing confusion is intentional and the final decision to destroy these live-saving contraceptives by the Trump Administration is an ideological attack, executed in the name of ultra-conservative politics. IPPF offered to take the stocks for redistribution at no cost to the US taxpayer, but this offer was declined.  It is a blunt disregard for the rights and well-being of women and girls. We call on the U.S. Administration to immediately stop this senseless destruction. We call on the European Union and European countries to stand firm and act to stop this reckless, harmful, and cruel action. We call on the European Union to stand up for its values and commitments to women’s freedom everywhere. This is the moment for the European Commission to show leadership: rally Member States, mediate with the U.S., and explore all legal and diplomatic avenues to stop essential supplies from being wasted. Because our collective response must be stronger than their vicious attack. We know what is at stake: lives, futures, dignity. We also know our power. Our movement is global, connected, and unbreakable. We have fought before — for reproductive freedom, for justice, for care. Now, we will stand together, we will fight, and we will win. Because this is the right thing to do. Because this is the smart thing to do. Because everyone deserves the right to choose whether and when to have children, to live freely, to love openly, be who they are, and to raise children in a world that teaches safe, healthy, and happy relationships. We are not going anywhere and I hope you will join us!"

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 promoting fundamental rights, equality and non-discrimination, with increased funding, in the European Commission’s proposal for the new seven-year budget. On 16 July, the European Commission unveiled its plans for the EU’s 2028-2034 budget. While a detailed analysis of all its programmes is ongoing, one of the positive elements of the draft is that the new expanded programme “Agora EU”, contains a strong CERV+ strand (Democracy, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values). CERV+ has been allocated a budget of EUR 3.593 billion (out of the total MFF budget of EUR 2 trillion), representing more than a doubling of the current CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) budget and remains under direct management by the European Commission.  It is important that during a time in which rule of law and fundamental rights are under attack globally as well as across the EU, the European Commission has responded and stepped up to the challenge. The continuation of CERV+ as an important tool for the protection of fundamental rights and supporting civil society, and the increased budget send a clear political message that support for the protection of EU values, fundamental rights and democracy matters now more than ever. CERV+ recommits to key objectives of protecting fundamental rights, equality and combatting discrimination, in line with core EU values outlined in the EU treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and thus complements the objectives related to fighting against gender-based violence, violence against children and other groups at risk of such violence under the Daphne strand, as well as introducing the new objectives of supporting democracy and respect for the rule of law.  In addition, the European Commission has proposed a horizontal condition of respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights across all its programmes, which is an important step to ensuring EU money is spent in line with its laws and values and violations of fundamental rights are sanctioned. It is now up to the European Parliament and EU Member States to protect an ambitious budget and the essence of the CERV programme, ensuring that the objectives of fundamental rights, equality, non-discrimination, democracy and respect for the rule of law are maintained in the future MFF. Signatories: Center for Reproductive Rights End FGM European Network ILGA-Europe International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) TGEU – Trans Europe and Central Asia  OII Europe – Organisation Intersex International Europe