Resources

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, humanitarian needs have been increasing by the hour. Millions of people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives. As of 6th April 2022, around 11.4 million people have been forcibly displaced, with 7.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and nearly 4.3 million who have fled the country, seeking a safe haven in neighbouring countries. The majority of displaced people and refugees are women and children. The EU must put SRHR and protection from sexual and gender-based violence at the heart of its response to the crisis, in order to respond to the SRHR needs of Ukrainian people, especially of all women, girls and vulnerable and marginalized populations fleeing the war, whether they are in third countries or in EU Member States. Our brief includes recommendations that the EU can adopt within external and internal action in order to deliver on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of refugees and displaced persons. Credit photo: Fine Acts

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24th February 2022, humanitarian needs have been increasing by the hour. Millions of people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives. Anyone who has been forced to flee or who lives in an area of active fighting is particularly vulnerable, even more so women and girls. People’s access to health services may be suspended or the quality may be low, and they will not have access to lifesaving reproductive health care. They are in a dire state of emergency and further exposed to risk of sexual violence, sexually transmitted infections including HIV and unintended pregnancies. Amid the terrifying devastation experienced through a humanitarian crisis, people need first and foremost safety and protection. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services can save lives and prevent further suffering. Read below about the urgent actions to be taken by European humanitarian donors and actors.

The Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for reproductive health (RH) is a coordinated set of priority activities designed to prevent excess morbidity and mortality, particularly among women and girls at the onset of humanitarian emergencies. This report shows the overall results regarding the MISP for reproductive health preparedness in Eastern Europe and Central Asia as of today compared with 2014. The main results show that there has been a significant improvement in the region from a fair level of preparedness in 2014 to a good level of preparedness in 2017. The most important achievements are linked to the establishment of national SRH working groups, which now exist in 16 countries. This is an extraordinary achievement, as this was one of the weakest areas in 2014. Improved coordination at the national level had an impact on several other areas, and the overall results reflect the importance of having coordination in place so as to be better prepared. For the future, it will be essential to maintain this momentum and continue improving SRH preparedness in the region. The report includes some recommendations in this direction. As the authors point out, we are also living at a unique time, when a light has been shone on sexual harassment and sexual violence against women and girls in developed and developing countries. In addition, refugees and migrants continue to arrive in Europe, fleeing war-ravaged countries. Although they are disappearing from the news, their situation has not improved enough in the region. Ensuring access to priority SRH services in every humanitarian crisis means making sure that everybody can receive life-saving SRH services. This includes preventing sexual violence and taking care of survivors. To ensure comprehensiveness, preparedness activities have to be enhanced to include, in a more systematic manner, adolescent girls and young female adults, unaccompanied children, LGBTI people and women and girls with disabilities or living with HIV, in line with the SDG pledge to “leave no one behind”.  

Meet Marian and Nicoleta. Their unique love story highlights the importance of ensuring that everyone, everywhere has the love and happiness they deserve.

Meet Eugenia Behar, a clinical psychologist working with young people with learning difficulties in Romania, a country where there is still no obligatory sexuality education across all schools, particularly for those with learning difficulties.

People with learning disabilities have a right to be protected from sexual violence and abuse, yet 90% of them will experience sexual abuse at some point in their life, most frequently from family members or others in their close circle. Safeguarding this right can only be achieved if people with learning disabilities are empowered to protect themselves. Increasing their autonomy in relation to their sexual lives, relationships, bodies and privacy is key. But how can people with learning disabilities be expected to say no to sexual violence and abuse, if even the smallest aspects of daily life are decided for them by others? In this context, it is crucial to strengthen their overall autonomy, active participation and integration in society, and the transition from institutions to community based-care. The 2-year ‘Keep me Safe’ project aimed to empower young people with learning disabilities to protect themselves against sexual abuse and violence across Europe. It was co-funded by the European Commission Daphne III Programme. On 11-12 December 2014, IPPF Member Associations, NGOs, parents of young people with learning disabilities, decision-makers and authorities from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, The Netherlands, Macedonia, Romania, Spain, and UK, as well as staff from the IPPF EN regional office, gathered in Madrid for its final event. Here you can download the set of Policy recommendations they developed and endorsed at the meeting.