Resources

When vulnerable communities, volunteers and professionals unite for reproductive freedom, they are a powerful force for change. Our short film features five stories that show how IPPF members in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia are supporting the lifelong reproductive health and safety of Roma girls, women and young people, working on the multiple fronts necessary to improve access and uptake of quality family planning and maternal health care. Learn more about the My Body, My Rights project here. 

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. 

Our #BecauseSheCounts social media campaign asks decision-makers to put universal health care, human rights and equality at the core of all public policy and funding decision, amid the pandemic and always. To join our campaign, share our #BecauseSheCounts messages and visuals and tag us @C2030Europe! Ask your governments to continue to prove that solidarity goes beyond borders and should not be limited to European Union countries. Find our social media campaign package here.

A joint reaction from IPPF EN, the Center for Reproductive Rights, End FGM European Network, with the support of the European Women's Lobby. We welcome the publication of the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 by the European Commission. The adoption of this Strategy shows the political leadership and commitment of the Commission to promote gender equality within and outside the EU, with important objectives and actions for the next 5 years. As civil society organisations (CSOs) committed to advancing gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the EU and globally, we would like to make suggestions on how the Strategy can effectively promote and support the realisation of SRHR in the EU, as this is a precondition to the achievement of gender equality. This will be particularly essential in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, as we are already observing renewed threats to women’s human rights, SRHR and increased risks of gender-based violence. These challenges will require the adoption of targeted and specific responses and actions by the EU and Member States. We stand ready to share information and ideas about these new challenges and how they can be addressed. To read our full reaction, please see the above document.

In 2019-2024, we call on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to ensure that all Europeans can lead free and safe private and family lives, in a society free from sexism and discrimination. This paper lays down the areas where the EU has internal competences and where MEPs have the power to act.   Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have a critical role in promoting SRHR in EU external action and upholding the right of young women and men around the world to lead safe and dignified lives, free from coercion and harm. These are just some of the steps MEPs can take to champion SRHR.

We can't achieve gender equality without having access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).  SRHR underpin the health and well-being of all Europeans, from access to contraceptives and abortion care, sexual health services, relationships and sexuality education, to being protected from violence and coercion, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. However, access to SRHR varies greatly within and between EU Member States, which is particularly harmful to those in the most vulnerable situations. Furthermore, recent years have seen a rise of coercive movements both within and outside of the EU, with gender equality, women’s rights and reproductive freedom increasingly under attack. This paper lays down the steps to be taken to counter future such attempts that seek to restrict reproductive freedom and gender equality.