Spotlight
A selection of resources from across the Federation

Abortion Care and Costs in Europe and Central Asia
IPPF EN carried out research into the economic burden that women face in accessing abortion care in Europe and Central Asia. This factsheet provides a snapshot of the findings.
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| 26 September 2018
Standing firm against reproductive coercion
Women’s sexual and reproductive rights are under threat in Europe, in a climate of growing attacks on human rights, democracy and civic space. Ultra-conservative forces are trying to stifle people’s reproductive freedom and impose a coercive worldview about gender roles in family and public lives. Their cruelest tactic is forcing women through pregnancy by promoting refusal of abortion care. IPPF European Network champions reproductive freedom and access to abortion care, adapting our approach to the reality and needs of women from Norway to Tajikistan. Our work ranges from ensuring women have a voice in decision-making spaces to supporting grassroot activists and civil society movements. From providing abortion care services, to supporting health care professionals to provide the safest, highest quality care. Our members and partners are campaigners, care providers and advocates. Read Keti's story and our latest blog series to find out how women in Georgia are being denied safe and dignified reproductive lives, and how IPPF's Georgian member, HERA XXI, is helping to tackle this.

| 28 May 2018
Sexuality education: where it stands across Europe and Central Asia
Our latest analysis - done in collaboration with the BZgA - shows that over the past two decades sexuality education has progressed, but improvements are still needed. We cover the state of play and latest developments in the field across 25 European and Central Asian countries, including aspects related to the quality of programmes and the impact on young people’s health. The roll-out of sexuality education differs widely within the region and while promising steps have been taken, we look forward to more progress. Sexuality education addresses the need to foster emotional-sexual intelligence and the capacity for healthy, intimate bonding and growth. It is based on an understanding of the concepts of consent, equity and respect for one’s own boundaries and the boundaries of others in intimate relationships and in society in general. When young people lack these crucial skills, they inevitably face a lack of personal growth and joy as much as a lack of ability to form and foster nurturing and stable relationships with others. To ensure that young people are equipped with these skillsets, we recommend increased knowledge-sharing in the field of sexuality education as well as improving the scope of school programmes and investing in teacher trainings.

| 09 May 2018
"Don’t demonize sex. Don’t make us afraid of it!”
This film is about the partnership between Sex og Politikk and Cyprus Family Planning Association (CFPA) - IPPF members - during the roll-out of the "Implementing Sexuality Education for Teens (I’MSET)" project. The project is a great example of how sharing knowledge on sexuality education can lead to successful results. The main outcome was a manual on sexuality education to be used in middle schools across Cyprus. After the inclusion of the manual in the curriculum, Sex og Politikk travelled to Cyprus to document the project. The short documentary film is the result of this trip. Sex og Politikk interviewed the partners from CFPA and other actors involved in the project. The focus was talking to young people who have received comprehensive sexuality education with the help of the manual and to teachers who have used the materials.Young people expressed the need for comprehensive sexuality education in Cyprus, where sexuality has been a taboo for a long time. The I’MSET material inspired them to reflect on changing harmful stereotypes and traditional gender norms. We hope the documentary can inspire future partnerships and exchanges on comprehensive sexuality education. Sexuality education is a human rights based approach aimed at equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required to make informed decisions and enjoy their sexuality physically, emotionally, individually, and in their relationships. It approaches sexuality holistically and within the frame of emotional and social development. As one of the Cypriot youth expressed: “Don’t demonize sex. Don’t make us afraid of it!” To learn more about the project and to download the manual see sexualityeducation.com.cy