The European Union (EU) has been championing the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), which are recognised as a key priority in the EU’s international development policies and instruments. The EU is also one of the main international donors for SRHR in terms of Official Development Assistance (ODA) – despite currently only dedicating a fraction of its ODA budget (less than 2%) to SRHR. And the role of the European Parliament has been pivotal in ensuring that SRHR are embedded in ambitious EU policy frameworks to promote human development, gender equality, human rights. The Parliament has also continuously defended the Union’s ODA budget from proposed cuts and called for budget to be allocated according to sustainable development priorities, rather than short-term political interests. We count on the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to continue championing SRHR in the new parliamentary term! In our new factsheet we explain why it’s important to support SRHR, what are the remaining challenges and what can MEPs do to champion reproductive freedom, safety and dignity in EU external policies. Discover your superpowers!

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 period is 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 defend them. The EU should strive towards a world where everyone can enjoy the same rights, and lead free and safe lives, free from discrimination, coercion, and violence. In this crossroads moment, the upcoming three Council of the EU Presidencies – Poland, Denmark and Cyprus – 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 more below.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) encompass all rights related to sexuality and parenthood. When SRHR are realised, people are free and able to decide if, when and with whom to have sex; they have safe, healthy, consensual, pleasurable relationships; they have the means to decide whether and when to become pregnant, continue a pregnancy, become parents, and have the number of children they want; free from discrimination, coercion and violence. SRHR are human rights, and essential to leading a free, safe and healthy life. But they are far from universally accessible. Throughout the world, and even within Europe, access to abortion and other reproductive rights varies greatly, and is subject to a broad range of restrictions. Access to care is even harder for populations who suffer from systemic and intersecting discrimination and inequalities. The European Parliament has a longstanding legacy as the EU institutions' strongest defender of SRHR, and it is vital that it continues to uphold and advance them in the new legislative term.  As an MEP, you can take many actions in a wide range of policy areas of EU competences, to advance SRHR in the next five years. Here is a collection of resources to help navigate some of the key topics related to sexual and reproductive safety and dignity. 

The structure of EU institutions in the upcoming legislature will be crucial for the degree of prioritisation given to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). These are our recommendations for the future of European Institutions, from the renewal of the mandate of a European Commissioner dedicated to (Gender) Equality, to the renewal the Union of Equality Agenda and all relevant Strategies, while mainstreaming SRHR in them, - to ensuring sufficient funding for gender equality and SRHR in the EU budget. Read more below.

2023 was an intense year with many highs and lows for SRHR and gender equality, against the backdrop of a global landscape marked by multiple conflicts, looming climate crisis and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. IPPF’s humanitarian response continued to provide care to Ukrainian women and girls across multiple countries as Russia’s war in Ukraine showed no sign of abating. And as conflict escalated between Hamas and Israel, IPPF initiated support to its local MAs in Israel and in Gaza to ensure, as far as possible, the uninterrupted delivery of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Many states in Europe and Central Asia faced orchestrated attacks on the rights of women, LGBTIQ people and other marginalised groups. We continued to see how, as threats to our freedoms and intimate lives transcend national borders, so too must progressive movements in their defence of democratic values and human rights. It was in this spirit of solidarity that our regional Power of the Many Forum in October gathered over 150 people from 30 countries to explore how we can collectively advance inclusive, intersectional feminist causes. Despite the setbacks, we celebrated and were encouraged by many positive developments. Voters in Poland, including record numbers of women and young people, succeeded in removing the extremist Law and Justice party from government, providing hope for their country’s gradual return to European values and respect for women’s rights. France took first steps towards enshrining abortion rights in its Constitution, bolstering momentum for stronger European Union (EU) action to safeguard reproductive freedom. And the EU institutions reached agreement on a landmark new law to combat violence against women which, while not perfect, contains real SRHR wins and paves the way for stronger EU action on gender based violence in the future. We acted in solidarity with activists and advocates fighting for SRHR in hostile contexts that threaten the work and lives of human rights defenders. We had the privilege to begin walking the talk on IPPF’s global commitment to stand in allyship with people who do sex work. We built on our work implementing transformative new approaches to addressing the root causes of gender inequality. And we continued to hold European donors accountable for commitments to support SRHR, while reflecting deeply on how our sector can decolonise its approaches.  Meanwhile, there were a great many internal changes as we proudly embarked on implementing the first year of IPPF’s Come Together Strategy 2028 in Europe and Central Asia. A global realignment meant that we saw the creation of some exciting new roles focused on youth, community engagement and partnerships, and membership support, saying goodbye to some dear colleagues while warmly welcoming wonderful newcomers. In the autumn, our new Regional Director Micah Grzywnowicz took over the leadership of the Regional Office.  

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) encompass all rights related to sexuality and parenthood. When SRHR are realised, people are free and able to decide if, when and with whom to have sex; they have safe, healthy, consensual, pleasurable relationships; they have the means to decide whether and when to become pregnant, continue a pregnancy, become parents, and have the number of children they want; free from discrimination, coercion and violence. SRHR are human rights, and essential to leading a free, safe and healthy life. But they are far from universally accessible. Throughout the world, and even within Europe, access to abortion and other reproductive rights varies greatly, and is subject to a broad range of restrictions. Access to care is even harder for populations who suffer from systemic and intersecting discrimination and inequalities. The rise of ultra-conservative, illiberal political actors and movements poses a direct threat to gender equality, women’s and LGBTIQ+ rights. SRHR are often the first rights to be attacked by authoritarian, coercive, misogynistic forces, who not only restrict reproductive rights such as abortion, but also attack the civil society organisations and (women) human rights defenders who stand up for them. The European Parliament has a longstanding legacy as the EU institutions' strongest defender of SRHR, and it is vital that it continues to uphold and advance them in the new legislative term.  As an MEP, you can take many actions in a wide range of policy areas of EU competences, to advance SRHR in the next five years. Find out more in our new factsheet. We count on your support!