Articles about Gender equality

Now is when standing by our values matters most. We must treat all people with dignity and humanity, not despite, but because we are faced with multiple crises caused by war, inflation, and a hard post-pandemic recovery. In 2021, European countries struggled to keep their promises to uphold sexual and reproductive freedom for all. They managed to maintain their overall support to sexual and reproductive health & rights worldwide by investing 2.780 billion euros. This includes 1.385 billion euros allocated to sexual health and family planning, which means at least 10.5 million women and couples had access to contraceptive care. But much more is needed. More investment and better policies around sexual and reproductive health will have a profound impact on people’s futures. It will give options to those of us without them. Which in turn will lead more people to thrive, thus creating safer, more just and prosperous communities. We have a shared moral responsibility to respond to global challenges in an equitable manner. In our most recent report, we are looking at 2021 funding data and 2022 political stances adopted by thirteen European governments and the EU institutions with regards to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Watch our video to get an overview of the findings and download the below resources for more information.

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.

We have a fundamental moral responsibility to look out for one another and treat people across the globe with dignity and humanity. That starts with sexual and reproductive health and rights. Sweden, Spain and Belgium’s upcoming presidencies of the Council of the EU come at the right time to make a real difference to people’s lives. These strong advocates of equality can take the EU project forward by pushing for a sound and courageous political agenda that includes gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR, like democracy and our human rights and freedoms, should never be taken for granted, as exemplified by painful setbacks in several countries such as the US and Poland in past years. 2022 has seen several crises continue or upfold, often putting at risk our values and our rights, including SRHR. According to recent data: no country, in Europe or worldwide has achieved gender equality, whether in economics, politics, education, health, or the fight against gender-based violence. Likewise, SRHR are far from being realized in the EU and in the world. Quite the contrary. In 2022, SRHR have been severely undermined and challenged due to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the overturn of Roe v. Wade among other factors. A wide range of legal, policy, practical, economic, social, and cultural barriers still undermine access to SRHR.   We are now at a crossroads moment The upcoming Council of the EU presidencies, Sweden, Spain and Belgium can have a critical impact on upholding gender equality and women and girls’ rights. But there is no time to lose. We need to put SRHR at the top of the agenda if we are to build a Europe and a world where gender equality and human rights are realised. The respect of SRHR is a sign of how healthy a democracy really is. As we’ve seen in some European countries (like Poland and Hungary) as well as outside of the EU, attacks on women’s rights, including SRHR, are a harbinger of a crumbling democracy and a weakening of the rule of law. How we treat women and girls meets our collective responsibility to continuously create and maintain the conditions for international peace and freedom and informs human interactions more broadly. SRHR are also prerequisite to break down harmful gender norms and stereotypes, to achieve equal political and civic participation and economic empowerment in Europe and in the world. Access to SRHR gives women and girls and everyone the possibility to make autonomous and informed decisions about their own bodies and sexuality. It is a tool to address unequal power relations and challenge gender norms and stereotypes which hinder gender equality. Policy-makers need to realize that SRHR have the potential to give people more opportunities and choices about their lives and enable them to grow and thrive.      We have to do better The rise of authoritarianism, coercive and misogynistic movements in Europe and the world have been threatening gender equality, women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights and reproductive freedom, and the broader European values of human rights, liberal democracy, and the rule of law. At the end of 2022, Hungary took over the Secretariat of the Geneva Consensus, a declaration that claims that there is no international right to abortion and which was signed by more than 30 countries including Poland. In a few months, in 2024, Hungary will take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Seeing their track record on gender issues, and their unwillingness to step down from it, we need to act now. That is why, to answer the to the current threat to SRHR and democracy, upcoming Presidencies of the Council of the EU should pursue their commitments towards gender equality and respect for SRHR and go further by: Showing a strong political leadership for gender equality and SRHR by adopting an EU-wide feminist foreign policy and mainstreaming gender equality and SRHR in all EU relevant policy-making. Ensuring gender equality and SRHR are non-negotiable values in our democracies and condemn any retrogressive initiatives in the EU and partner countries. This is essential to counter the opposition in the Council. Working with and supporting civil society organizations which are working closely with local communities is crucial to leave no one behind.       As a society, we believe it’s only right that everyone is treated with dignity and has the freedom to take decision over their bodies and health. If we are to live up to our values, we need to put SRHR at the heart of policy making so that all of us can thrive and grow. Read our factsheet with our asks for the Swedish Presidency and the upcoming Spanish and Belgian ones.   Words by Diane Tardy, IPPF EN  

Over the last few years, the EU has been facing many challenges in the realization of its core values: the rule of law, democracy, human rights, equality, especially gender equality, and women’s rights. The upcoming years are an opportunity for the EU to reflect on the direction it wants to take, the values it should stand for, and what more it can do to uphold and defend them. The EU should strive towards a world where everyone can enjoy the same rights, and lead free and safe private and family lives, free from sexism, coercion, and violence. In this crossroads moment, the upcoming three Council of the EU Presidencies – Sweden, Spain, and Belgium – have a critical role to play to uphold EU values. We call on them to adopt a feminist approach and show stronger leadership to further advance gender equality and women’s rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in the EU and beyond. Read below our recommendations to the next Presidencies to lead the EU on a feminist path.

The widespread and systemic mistreatment and violence against women experienced during childbirth and other reproductive health services has gained international visibility in recent years, following pioneering work in several Latin American countries to recognise and criminalise this form of gender-based violence.   International institutions have also spoken out on the issue. In 2014, gynaecological and obstetric violence was acknowledged by the World Health Organisation, and in 2019 the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women described it as a “serious violation of women’s human rights occurring across all geographical and income-level settings”. In Europe, the parliaments of the Council of Europe and of the European Union have very recently adopted resolutions drawing attention to this phenomenon and calling for national and European measures to tackle it. But to date, no national government has put in place legislation specifically to criminalise gynaecological and obstetric violence. This means that currently, people living in EU Member States have few legal protections or means of redress.  With this in mind, IPPF EN produced this research and policy paper to provide an outline of the systemic and widespread nature of gynaecological and obstetric violence across many countries in Europe, and make recommendations to European and national decision-makers to tackle this form of gender-based violence. On this page you can download our full research and policy paper, as well as a short summary of the report.  Check out IPPF EN's Safe From Harm campaign, highlighting the EU action we support to combat gender-based violence.  ***     This work was funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme. Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are those of IPPF EN and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union or the European Commission can be held responsible for them.   

Gender inequality and harmful gender norms remain widespread in the EU. While sexual and reproductive health and rights are at the core of gender equality and women’s rights and empowerment, their attainment varies greatly from country to country. Women and girls, particularly those marginalised by systemic oppression, face significant barriers to sexual and reproductive healthcare, information and education, which violates their human rights and hinders progress towards gender equality. Discourse from anti-rights movements continues to undermine the significant progress achieved in safeguarding SRHR and threatens many of the rights and values that the EU aims to protect. It is in this context that IPPF EN, together with its Member Associations (MAs) and partners, is working to progress towards a more gender equal world where people in all their diversity are released from harmful gender norms and fully empowered to make decisions over their lives and bodies.  We are working to strengthen support in the EU institutions and Member States for gender equality and women’s rights by: Increasing engagement and capacity of civil society actors to act in a strategic and coordinated manner when promoting gender equality and women’s rights. Ensuring that policy and decision makers at all levels (EU, national and local) are creating progressive legislative and policy frameworks that protect and advance gender equality and women’s rights, including SRHR within the EU. Educating and empowering young people, as a new generation of EU citizens, to become leaders and drivers of the long-term change process needed around societal norms and behaviours that advances gender equality, eliminates harmful gender stereotypes and intersectional discrimination, and prevents sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Strengthening the technical and organisational capacity of IPPF EN members and partners to design, implement and sustain intersectional, gender transformative initiatives.  2024 MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS In 2024, under the CERV programme, IPPF EN collaborated with 24 EU-based MAs and collaborative partners (CPs). Our achievements in 2024 include:  Supporting civil society movements by creating spaces for our MAs, CPs and other stakeholders to exchange expertise, learn from each other's experiences (and challenges), engage in closer dialogue, build stronger partnerships, and strategise more effectively and proactively against anti-rights movements. Activities included coaching sessions, communities of practice, peer-to-peer sharing and webinars. Sharing expertise with and building the capacity of MAs and CPs to strengthen their involvement in EU processes; and provide them with support and solidarity actions when SRHR were under threat in their national contexts. We contributed to a total of 40 advocacy wins in 2024, and of these 26 were at national level.  Advancing IPPF EN’s initiative to contribute new evidence on how sexuality and relationship education (SRE) can help to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) through use of the vital tool developed by IPPF EN’s young volunteers. Meanwhile, in 2024, our EU-based MAs and CPs reached a total of 76,687 young people with SRE through their direct efforts, and of these 3,903 were reached with complete sessions. The total number of young people reached with SRE rises to 820,008 young people with the inclusion of data from the Netherlands and Germany where sexuality education is mandatory for young people. These combined figures reflect an approximate 28% increase in the proportion of young people MAs and CPs have managed to reach compared to the previous year.  Strengthening the technical and organizational capacity of MAs and CPs through the implementation of gender assessments, collaboration activities as well as strategy alignment and accreditation. and capacity strengthening activities. You can read more about our work and impact in IPPF EN's Annual Report 2024. 

COVID-19 created the largest health and socio-economic crisis of our generation. Many health systems were pushed to the brink by restrictive measures rushed in to respond to the pandemic, resulting in the deprioritisation of some existing healthcare services. In almost all European countries, COVID-19 had a negative impact on the delivery of vital sexual and reproductive healthcare, including maternal health and family planning, for women and groups that face barriers to accessing care, including young people. The pandemic also uncovered weaknesses within our systems and exposed the fact that countries are not adequately prepared to deal with health emergencies. To help bring about positive change for young people, IPPF European Network is working to strengthen healthcare systems through the project Youth Voices, Youth Choices, and to remove all kinds of barriers preventing youth from accessing essential care in five Balkan countries: Albania; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Bulgaria, Kosovo and North Macedonia. We are focusing particularly on the needs of those living in remote areas, as well as those from communities that face challenging social conditions, such as the Roma. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS In October 2022, IPPF EN launched a set of regional policy recommendations that call on decision-makers to listen to young people and uphold their SRHR as they build back health and social systems in the wake of the pandemic. Presented at the European Parliament on 26 October by youth advocates and experts, with the support of MEP Fred Matić, the recommendations were developed by a group of specialists who came together to develop a blueprint for designing systems that prioritise access to youth-friendly SRH care, and better support of young people’s health and well-being. The policy recommendations are available for download below. RESEARCH REPORT  As a basis for this work, in 2021 and early 2022, we conducted a study to provide us with a clearer picture of the impact of the pandemic on young people’s SRHR. The data was published in a series of reports presenting the findings of the study, carried out by and among youth in five Balkan countries. The reports, available for download below, document young people’s SRH needs and experiences and the perspectives of healthcare providers and other relevant stakeholders on these needs. They also capture the latter’s needs as they deliver services, information and education to young people, building on their experience of COVID-19. YOUTH VOICES Young people are at the heart of this work. They were part of the teams that carried out the research presented in the reports below. They participated in the expert groups that developed our regional recommendations for policy change (below) at national and regional level, and they are being supported and empowered to advocate for these changes. Youth were also in the lead at our 'Healthy Youth – Healthy Future' multi-stakeholder meeting in Tirana in spring 2023, where together with staff from our partner organisations they held discussions with decision-makers and experts from the field, concluding with the signing of a joint declaration on protecting the health and social wellbeing of young people during and beyond moments of crisis - available for download below.     Young people also carried out a series of interviews among their peers to share stories of how the pandemic affected their access to SRHR, and what their vision is for a more youth-friendly future that listens to the younger generations and upholds their SRHR.

“Sex without consent is rape”. This statement sounds self-evident. And yet our laws and our lived experiences show that it is still far from being universally recognized and understood. On two recent occasions, watching fiction with friends - Game of Thrones and Basic Instinct - where scenes of rape were depicted, we found ourselves debating whether these were in fact rapes. To me, it was very clear that the female characters on screen did not consent to sex. But since in both scenes, they knew the men, and had previous relationships with them, others felt that this was somehow enough to downplay these situations and question whether they did constitute rape. This brought home for me, once again, how far we still have to go. If my friends, who are pretty committed to gender equality, cannot identify rape in fiction, then what about broader society, and most importantly what about real life?   A societal problem Polls reflect this alarming reality. More than a quarter of Europeans believe that sexual violence can be excused: 27% said that "sexual intercourse without consent can be justifiable" in certain situations, most such circumstances having to do with the behaviour of the victim. When surveys don’t use the word “rape” but factually describe situations that constitute rape, they expose how pervasive it is: a poll in France revealed that out of almost 100 000 female respondents, more than half (53.2%) reported having experienced non-consensual penetrative sex with one or more partners. On the other side of the same coin, recently 63 male students out of 554 surveyed in the UK admitted to having committed 251 sexual assaults, rapes, and other coercive and unwanted incidents. The study also showed that these perpetrators were significantly more likely to believe that women are to blame for being assaulted, and to hold hostile views about women. We are still collectively terrible at identifying, and condemning, sexual violence. It’s not a mystery why. We live in a society which blames victims/survivors, in order to let violent men off the hook: that is the primary function of rape culture. Laws are the result of the patriarchal culture we live in and reflect this toxic mindset. We need urgent and concrete actions to address sexual violence on both fronts: to change legislation, and to change mentalities.   Reflected in legislation In Europe, shockingly, most countries do not criminalise sex without consent. Their laws usually require the use of force or coercion as an additional factor in order for a non-consensual act to be considered as sexual violence. According to a review of the legislation of European countries done by Amnesty International in 2020, only 12 European countries out of 31 analysed had laws that define rape as sex without consent. This is despite the fact that most countries have ratified the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, the first legally binding comprehensive instrument to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. The Convention clearly states that engaging in non-consensual sexual activity constitutes sexual violence. It further says that “consent must be given voluntarily as the result of the person’s free will assessed in the context of the surrounding circumstances”. How is it possible that so many countries ratified this landmark treaty, yet have not changed their legislation to bring it in line with its binding requirements? Inadequate laws on sexual violence have a devastating impact on victims/survivors. They encourage victim blaming, excuse violence, and fail to prosecute rapists. Instead of looking for proof that the perpetrator used enough force or assessing whether the victim/survivor put up enough resistance, the legal system should focus on whether the victim/survivor explicitly consented to sex. And if not, that should be enough to constitute sexual violence. “Yes means Yes” laws represent a necessary change of paradigm to protect victims/survivors more effectively.   The road ahead In June 2021, in a most welcome development only made possible by intense mobilization by women’s rights NGOs, Slovenia changed its law on sexual violence to adopt a consent-based legislative proposal. Spain is also currently reviewing its legislation on sexual violence, to adopt a consent-based model. The “Only Yes Means Yes” bill follows the shocking ‘La Manada’ case, where a group of men were initially found guilty of the lesser offence of sexual abuse instead of rape, because the prosecution could not prove that they used force against the victim/survivor. Other countries must follow suit, urgently. All European countries must ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention, including by changing their legislation to comply with its legal definition of sexual violence. Changing laws and mentalities goes hand in hand: putting an end to rape culture will require not just a change of legislation, but profound societal transformation too. Education is key in that regard. Relationship sexuality education, which teaches children and young people about consent in intimate relationships, is essential [1]. The European Commission is now working on a new legislative proposal to prevent and combat violence against women. This Directive should tackle the issue of sexual violence, and unequivocally adopt the definition of the Istanbul Convention, namely that sex without consent is rape. The Directive should also include comprehensive relationship and sex education as a key prevention measure, to improve young people’s understanding of consent, enable them to identify sexual violence, discourage them from perpetrating it, and empower them to report it.   By Camille Butin, Advocacy Adviser IPPF EN   [1] Facing the facts: the case for comprehensive sexuality education Can education stop abuse? Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Advancing Human Rights, Gender Equality and Improved Sexual and Reproductive Health Preventing Intimate Partner Violence Among Young People—a Qualitative Study Examining the Role of Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Over the last years, the EU has been facing many challenges in the realization of its core values: the rule of law, democracy, human rights, equality, gender equality and women’s rights. The upcoming years are an opportunity for the EU to reflect on the direction it wants to take, the values it should stand for, and what more it can do to uphold and defend them. The EU should strive towards a world where everyone can enjoy the same rights, and lead free and safe private and family lives, free from sexism, coercion, and violence. In this crossroads moment, the Council of the EU Presidency Trio – France, Czech Republic and Sweden – has a critical role to play to uphold EU values. We call on this Trio to adopt a feminist approach and show stronger leadership to further advance gender equality and women’s rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in the EU and beyond.  More on our recommendations for the Trio in the factsheet below, available in English and French.

The realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is a necessary precondition for achieving economic justice. A number of different components together form the basis for economic justice. These components include safe and decent work with equal and fair pay, equal access to resources and opportunities, social protection systems, as well as the right to peaceful assembly. SRHR is often not included in these discussions while it can provide basic solutions to prevailing economic inequality. It is therefore of great importance that SRHR is given priority as an integrated topic in the discussions on economic justice, especially in the light of the growing resistance towards SRHR as well as the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its grave implications for achieving gender equality. Read our factsheet.