Spotlight
A selection of stories from across the Federation
Romania
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Democracy Starts With Your Body: What SECS Romania Teaches Us About Resilience
An interview with SECS Romania on how they and civil society allies mobilised to defend democracy, counter disinformation, and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights.
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Romania
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Democracy Starts With Your Body: What SECS Romania Teaches Us About Resilience
Bucharest, 2025 – Romania’s democracy has just weathered an unprecedented stress test.
Hungary
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Courage Against the Odds: Natasa’s Fight for Safe Motherhood
15-year-old Natasa (pseudonym), a young Roma girl, is one of millions of people fo
Poland
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Care Without Compromise: Inside Poland’s First NGO SRHR Health Centre
Putting compassion at the heart of reproductive health For decades, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in
Ukraine
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Listening Can Save Lives: Empowering Family Doctors in Ukraine to Support Women Facing Violence
Since the onset of the Russian invasion, countless people in Ukraine have faced not only the trauma of war, but the increased threat and terrifying reported incidence of
Romania
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Roma Women in Romania Face Old and New Threats to Abortion Care Access
For Roma women and girls in Romania, the struggle to access abortion care brings them into contact with horrific levels of racism and discrimination, hardw
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Croatia: Obstacles to abortion care make access virtually non-existent
Hitting the road in the desperate search for abortion care
Romania
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High costs and broken health system freeze many out of abortion care in Romania
On paper, abortion care is legal up to 14 weeks in Romania – though only free in emergencies – and should be provided by all hospitals with obstetrics and gynaecology departments.
Germany
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Germany's archaic abortion law creates huge burden for people needing care
For a country long reputed to have one of the more progressive healthcare systems in Europe, Germany’s law on abortion – a health issue affecting millions of people – remains firm
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| 08 December 2025
Democracy Starts With Your Body: What SECS Romania Teaches Us About Resilience
Bucharest, 2025 – Romania’s democracy has just weathered an unprecedented stress test. In 2024 alone, the country held five elections – local, parliamentary, European, and a twice-held presidential vote – a marathon that culminated in the shock cancellation of a presidential runoff after a far-right populist surged unexpectedly into the lead. The political atmosphere was rife with nationalist fervour, anti-rights rhetoric, and alleged foreign interference amplifying extremist messages. “We were seeing a big tsunami of far-right, nationalist, conservative, populist forces… It’s very hard to point to them and just say they are only far right… they’re also very populistic and very conservative,” recalls Gabriel Brumariu, director of the Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) in Romania. As anti-rights narratives spread, it became clear that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organisations like SECS were care advocates on the frontlines defending democracy itself.
story
| 08 December 2025
Democracy Starts With Your Body: What SECS Romania Teaches Us About Resilience
Bucharest, 2025 – Romania’s democracy has just weathered an unprecedented stress test. In 2024 alone, the country held five elections – local, parliamentary, European, and a twice-held presidential vote – a marathon that culminated in the shock cancellation of a presidential runoff after a far-right populist surged unexpectedly into the lead. The political atmosphere was rife with nationalist fervour, anti-rights rhetoric, and alleged foreign interference amplifying extremist messages. “We were seeing a big tsunami of far-right, nationalist, conservative, populist forces… It’s very hard to point to them and just say they are only far right… they’re also very populistic and very conservative,” recalls Gabriel Brumariu, director of the Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) in Romania. As anti-rights narratives spread, it became clear that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organisations like SECS were care advocates on the frontlines defending democracy itself.
story
| 08 December 2025
Democracy Starts With Your Body: What SECS Romania Teaches Us About Resilience
Bucharest, 2025 – Romania’s democracy has just weathered an unprecedented stress test. In 2024 alone, the country held five elections – local, parliamentary, European, and a twice-held presidential vote – a marathon that culminated in the shock cancellation of a presidential runoff after a far-right populist surged unexpectedly into the lead. The political atmosphere was rife with nationalist fervour, anti-rights rhetoric, and alleged foreign interference amplifying extremist messages. “We were seeing a big tsunami of far-right, nationalist, conservative, populist forces… It’s very hard to point to them and just say they are only far right… they’re also very populistic and very conservative,” recalls Gabriel Brumariu, director of the Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) in Romania. As anti-rights narratives spread, it became clear that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organisations like SECS were care advocates on the frontlines defending democracy itself.
story
| 08 December 2025
Democracy Starts With Your Body: What SECS Romania Teaches Us About Resilience
Bucharest, 2025 – Romania’s democracy has just weathered an unprecedented stress test. In 2024 alone, the country held five elections – local, parliamentary, European, and a twice-held presidential vote – a marathon that culminated in the shock cancellation of a presidential runoff after a far-right populist surged unexpectedly into the lead. The political atmosphere was rife with nationalist fervour, anti-rights rhetoric, and alleged foreign interference amplifying extremist messages. “We were seeing a big tsunami of far-right, nationalist, conservative, populist forces… It’s very hard to point to them and just say they are only far right… they’re also very populistic and very conservative,” recalls Gabriel Brumariu, director of the Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality (SECS) in Romania. As anti-rights narratives spread, it became clear that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organisations like SECS were care advocates on the frontlines defending democracy itself.
