Resources

The European Commission is currently preparing a proposal for its next multiannual budget (or the Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF), which will determine the EU’s annual spending from 2021 to 2027.  Crucially for civil society, this is the first multiannual budget following the adoption of Agenda 2030, the universal global agenda on sustainable development. This global agenda has recognised access to quality education, health services, nutrition and social protection, as central to lifting people out of poverty and reducing inequalities. Thus, to fulfil these commitments the EU must prioritise health, education and social protection in its post-2020 multiannual budget. IPPF EN and partners make recommendations on how to include these priorities in the post-2020 EU budget and ensure that the most marginalised people and children - especially women and girls - are not left behind.  In addition, a balanced MFF is gender-responsive or, put differently, it delivers on gender equality. In a joint paper, IPPF EN and partners make the case for a gender-responsive EU planning and budgeting.

This video by our Latvian member highlights the dreadful challenges faced by women in vulnerable communities when they are denied contraceptive care and cannot decide about their own bodies, lives and futures. Papardes Zieds is calling on Latvia's government to take concrete action to make contraceptive care a reality for everyone, and to ensure that all young people are able to develop the crucial life skills provided by sex and relationships education.  

The International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. We work in 41 countries across Europe and Central Asia to empower everyone, especially the most socially excluded, to live with dignity and to have access to sexual and reproductive health care. This access is essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in all countries.  

You wouldn’t expect access to contraception to be an issue in EU countries such as Spain. But too many girls and women are still being denied the freedom to make their own reproductive choices. And it is vulnerable people who face the greatest obstacles when it comes to accessing this basic healthcare. In this video by our Spanish member FPFE, we meet Olga, Deli, Lidia, Barbara and Sandra, five young women struggling to overcome barriers in the Spanish system. These range from prohibitive costs, bureaucratic hurdles and the exclusion of immigrant women from the public health system, to the failure to ensure that all young people receive sex and relationships education and can use health care services that are adapted to their specific needs. Contraception is not a luxury. It’s a healthcare issue. And a human right.

In Romania, more than 600 girls aged 10-15 become mothers every year, and almost 10% of new mothers are younger than 19! This video by our Romanian member SECS tells the story of the tens of thousands of young "pigeons" in their country who become parents too early because they are denied contraceptive care and sexuality education. #idecide  

This new toolkit aims to support young people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia who are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and are facing widespread stigma, discrimination and violence. “Health, rights and well-being” is a practical guide for programming on HIV and sexual and reproductive health care with young key populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, available in both English and Russian. It was developed on the basis of discussions in eight countries with young people from groups that are most at risk of HIV infection: sex workers, drug users, men who have sex with men and prisoners. The toolkit describes the situations they face, policy and legal contexts, and includes examples of good practice and tips for implementing successful programmes from the young people themselves. We believe that it provides very practical support to all those working to ensure that the rights of these young people are met, that discrimination is stopped, and that they can fulfil their potential. The guide is designed for public health care professionals, health workers, managers of HIV and SRHR programmes and NGOs, including community groups. We hope that it will also be of interest for international funding organisations as well as advocates and decision-makers.