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 joint EPF-IPPF EN “European Abortion Policies Atlas” scores 52 European countries and territories on legal frameworks to access safe abortion care and clearly shows that Europe is not as progressive as it might seem.  This first in-depth analysis of abortion policies across Europe finds that legislation on abortion care throughout the region is a diverse legislative and administrative patchwork - the consequence being that women’s experience of abortion care largely depends upon their postcode: 31 countries don’t include abortion in the national health system’s financial coverage - this penalises all women and girls, but specifically the vulnerable (e.g. low income, living in rural areas, Roma, sex workers and undocumented migrants). 19 countries, including several known for progressive stances, force women to endure medically unnecessary requirements before accessing abortion care (compulsory and sometimes biased counselling, forced waiting periods). A safe, voluntary abortion should not be treated as a crime. And yet, 16 countries in Europe regulate abortion care primarily through their criminal and/or penal code. 26 countries allow health workers to deny care on the basis of their personal beliefs or convenience, thus potentially placing women in serious danger.  18 European countries fail to provide people with clear and accurate information about abortion care. Governments have a responsibility to safeguard the right of women and girls to lead free and safe reproductive lives without discrimination and coercion. We call on governments to:  Modernise abortion laws (decriminalise abortion laws, extend time limits) Ensure that abortion care is covered by the national health system Remove unnecessary obstacles in accessing abortion care following WHO recommendations Prohibit health providers from legally opting out of any part of the full spectrum of reproductive health care Provide accurate information about abortion care.

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. 

Every day, everywhere women have abortions. In fact, one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime. Your sister, mother, daughter, partner, friend. Yourself. However, many countries around the world continue to restrict access to safe and legal abortion. Globally, 66 countries either prohibit abortion entirely or permit it only to save a woman's life. Approximately one quarter of the world's population resides in these countries. Too many women still do not have autonomy over their reproductive lives, and are not able to choose to end an unwanted pregnancy under safe conditions with the support of a trained provider. That is why on September 28, the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, IPPF will join with partners across the world to call for universal access for safe and legal abortion. In our region, from Skopje to Stockholm, Tirana to Dublin, our Member Associations are marking the day with activities ranging from press conferences, advocacy workshops, public debates organised by youth activists and short movie launches to providing information and education materials to schools; dedicated social media campaigns; clinic open day with free sexual and reproductive health services, and appearing in newspapers and TV documentaries to make the case for safe and legal abortion. Criminalising abortion does not reduce the number of abortions, all it does is push abortion underground and rates of unsafe abortion increase. In fact, the lowest abortion rates in the world are in regions with some of the most liberal legal frameworks for the provision of abortion services. A woman’s right to safe, legal abortion is under threat in Europe too. The abandoning this week of a regressive anti-abortion bill in Spain is a step in the right direction and an illustration of what can be achieved through the joint action of civil society organisations. But the fact remains it should never have been on the legislature’s books in the first place. It shows that rights can be rolled back at anytime, anywhere. The women who suffer as a consequence of restrictive laws are not just numbers. Each woman who seeks an abortion does so under a unique set of circumstances. IPPF has produced a series of short films to tell the stories of some of these women. Women like Juliette from France, who just like millions of other women around the world, decided to have an abortion following an unintended pregnancy. In this video Juliette describes the challenges she faced in trying to find accurate and unbiased information about abortion, and she shares her thoughts on the role of men in the abortion process. You can watch the other videos in the series here. Unwanted pregnancies will always be a fact of life and abortions will continue. So, join us on September 28 in calling for governments to make abortion safe and legal abortion everywhere. Read a guest blog on the "state shambles" of abortion in Ireland by IFPA, IPPF's Irish Member Association here.

This series of four Report Cards explores the challenges of HIV prevention for sex workers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia. It was produced by IPPF European Network with the support of the Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Report Cards are available for download here in English and Russian.

A UN Study from 2006 suggests that 90% of people with intellectual impairments will experience sexual abuse at some point in their life, most frequently from family members or others in their close environment. Empowering young people who have a learning disability to protect themselves against sexual abuse and violence requires acknowledgement and respect of their sexuality from their carers alongside guidance on protection and appropriate behaviour. From 2013-2015, we ran a project to empower young people with learning disabilities to protect themselves against sexual abuse and violence, harnessing best practice, expertise and proven strategies from IPPF members in Europe with extensive experience in this area. The project was called 'Keep Me Safe'. This work was co-funded by the European Commission (DG Justice - Daphne III Programme).  This training manual has been developed for organisations who wish to educate and sensitize staff, teachers and carers about the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people with mild to moderate learning disabilities.