Resources

The Youth-in-Power Youth Strategy is a powerful tool for young activists working on empowering their peers and advocating on behalf of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Europe and Central Asia. IPPF EN's youth network YSAFE joined forces with regional youth network partners YouAct, Y-PEER and ASTRA Youth, as well as the PETRI-Sofia research institute, to gather young people's knowledge, experience, needs, ideas and visions and bring them together in this up-to-date and comprehensive strategy. The recommendations cover topics ranging from comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services to youth participation in decision-making processes.      

2016 saw the implementation of IPPFs new strategic plan and therefore was a year of transition for the Secretariat as operations were aligned to focus on the new outcomes. The strategy responds to social, political and demographic global trends. These include: the expectations and potential of the largest ever generation of young people; ongoing, significant social and economic inequalities, including discrimination against girls and women; and opposition that threatens gains in human rights. We continue to receive funding from and are grateful for the continued support of our key funders. With their support and help our unrestricted funding increased in the year to US$76.7 million from US$72.2 million. This was in spite of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union in June, which led to the weakening of sterling and Euro against the dollar and reduced our dollar income from our European donors. Restricted income increased from US$44.1 million to US$53.7 million. A significant factor in the increase was the US$10 million received from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to enable IPPF to respond to the Zika crisis in the Western Hemisphere Region. The amount of grants to Member Associations (MAs) and partner organizations was US$68.3 million. Central expenditure decreased by US$2.9 million to US$16.1 million mainly due to the weakening of sterling whereas Regional expenditure remained consistent with the prior year at US$34.0 million (a US$0.4 million decrease on 2015).

Liana was told she wasn't able to give birth but thanks to IPPF EN member association, the Reproductive Health Alliance Kyrgyzstan (RHAK), Liana had a healthy baby boy. IPPF EN and RHAK work to empower women and support their reproductive choices.

Sexual and reproductive rights are human rights. Education empowers young people and enables them to make their own choices. Comprehensive Sexuality education (CSE) allows young people to make critical choices about their health and future.It seeks to equip young people with the knowledge, life skills, attitudes and positive values they need to understand and enjoy their sexuality – physically and emotionally. This briefing paper presents the ways in which CSE is a key enabler for both social and economic sustainable development.

In 2015, IPPF EN made huge inroads across Europe and Central Asia. From providing life-saving sexual and reproductive health services to refugees in Macedonia to investing in communities to change young people’s lives in Romania, our Member Associations worked passionately to implement ambitious commitments in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Ensuring that governments deliver on sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality is central to our members’ work. Last year, our members helped to bring about key policy changes to ensure greater equality and tackle discrimination. For example, In Albania, the Labour law now prohibits discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or HIV status. The rights of young people are at the heart of our work. In Bulgaria a new law introduced health and sexuality education in schools for the first time, and in France, free contraception can now be provided anonymously to under-18s by a pharmacist.  IPPF EN will continue to challenge gender stereotypes and patriarchal social norms to help ensure that young people are able to reach their full potential.  To find out more about the work we did last year, click above!

Uluk's story is about young people,  myths and sexuality education in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.