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17 April 2025 - Rutgers, the Netherlands’ leading sexual and reproductive health expert and IPPF’s Member Association, has today secured a landmark legal win against an ultra-conservative group notorious for fuelling online hate and spreading disinformation. This ruling is a crucial step forward in protecting young people’s health, safety and well-being from harmful narratives designed to undermine their rights. Rutgers took legal action against Civitas Christiana, due to the persistent lies and slander that Civitas continued to spread about Rutgers and the Spring Fever Week. This is an annual campaign in the Netherlands, held in Spring, focused on resilience, heathy relationships and sexual health. The court ruled entirely in favour of Rutgers; all statements must be rectified. The statements by Civitas - made through their social media channels, mainstream media and direct outreach efforts - were not only found to be false, but also harmful and unlawful. This important decision affirms support for parents, teachers, and schools, all who are committed to ensuring children to grow up healthy, safe and happy and protected from disinformation and misinformation. Schools participate voluntarily in Spring Fever Week by providing structured, age-appropriate lessons on these topics to their primary school students. Rutgers took these legal steps to support parents, teachers, and schools, and to combat misleading and vexatious misinformation, as our work is unapologetically about child safety and protection. It’s about giving young people agency and keeping them safe from perpetrators. Young people without information and without bodily autonomy are unsafe. This case was about standing with and for the young people, parents, caregivers, educators and communities who are targeted and harmed by these toxic campaigns run by ultra-conservative groups. The court’s ruling sends a clear message: there is no place for hate and misinformation in public discourse, especially when it endangers the lives, safety and health of young people. “This legal case was not about a difference of opinion on education,” says Rutgers deputy director Luc Lauwers, “but about the spreading of fake news that puts children in danger rather than protecting them. Everyone has the right to their own values, beliefs, opinions, religious convictions, and way of life - including in matters of education and parenting. That is a fundamental pillar of our democratic legal system in the Netherlands. However, the freedom of expression and freedom of religion that Civitas Christiana appeals to are not without limits.” Victories like this matter deeply.  At a time when sexuality education is under coordinated attack by alt-right movements globally, this victory speaks volumes about the power of civil society organisations to stand firm, fight back, and defend truth, science and young people’s rights. Anti-rights groups work to erode trust, sow fear and promote regressive narratives that do real harm - particularly to young people.  Staying silent is not an option. Every time we speak up, seek justice and share the truth, we help build a society where young people are safe, informed and healthy. This ruling is a meaningful step, but our shared global responsibility continues.  For media inquiries, please contact: n.hoeve@rutgers.nl or media@ippf.org.About the International Planned Parenthood Federation  IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952 at the Third International Planned Parenthood Conference. Today, we are a movement of 158 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 153 countries.  Our work is wide-ranging, including comprehensive sex education, provision of contraceptive, safe abortion, and maternal care and responding to humanitarian crises. We pride ourselves on being local through our members and global through our network. At the heart of our mission is the provision of – and advocacy in support of – integrated healthcare to anyone who needs it regardless of race, gender, sex, income, and crucially no matter how remote. About RutgersRutgers is the Dutch centre of knowledge and expertise on sexual health, safety and well-being for young people. We work to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all (young) people in the Netherlands and in more than 29 countries around the world. In partnership with other organisations we advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights, promote public support and do (scientific) research.Together with partners, we work within countries and internationally to improve sexual rights, access to sexuality education and information, access to contraception and safe abortion services and to prevent sexual and gender-based violence.

March 13th, 2025 - A new project titled “Preventing Maternal and Reproductive Health Morbidities and Mortalities Among Crisis-Affected Populations, IDPs, Syrian Refugees, and Host Communities in Lebanon” has officially launched. Funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by IPPF Member Association, SALAMA (The Lebanese Association for Family Health), this project aims to enhance and sustain high-quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for Lebanon’s crisis-affected populations  Following the ceasefire in Lebanon last year, the need for comprehensive SRH services remains urgent, as many people continue to struggle to access essential maternal, newborn, and reproductive healthcare. Internally displaced people, Syrian refugees, and local host communities in the Beqaa Valley require multifaceted interventions that include not only clinical care but also psychosocial support, medical services, and targeted community outreach.  This project addresses these needs by providing quality, clinic-based SRH services for women, youth, and other marginalised groups to reduce SRH-related mortality and morbidity and to improve care for survivors of gender-based violence. Additionally, community outreach and capacity-building programs will empower individuals to make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health.  Key activities include:  Clinical services: Offering high quality, rights-based, and client-centered SRH care, including specialised maternal, newborn, and child health services such as safe delivery and newborn care. Distribution of kits: Providing pregnant and postpartum women with ‘mama-baby’ kits, as well as dignity and sanitary kits containing essential hygiene items for key populations.  Community outreach: Conducting awareness sessions and collaborative events on SRHR, family planning, gender-based violence, and HIV.  Capacity building: Training service providers and peer educators in comprehensive SRHR service delivery and developing educational materials.  H.E. Ambassador MAGOSHI Masayuki stated, “Ensuring that crisis-affected communities have access to quality maternal and reproductive health services is a matter of human rights and dignity, hence human security. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to supporting vulnerable populations in Lebanon and underscores the critical importance of sexual and reproductive health to foster resilient communities.”  Lina Sabre, Executive Director of SALAMA, noted, “The health and well-being of our mothers, children, and families are paramount. Through this project, we are dedicated to providing life-saving services and empowering communities, even in times of crisis, with the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions.”  Dr. Fadoua Bakhadda, Regional Director of the IPPF Arab World Regional Office, added, “This project will be for transformative for women in Lebanon. This funding ensures the continued provision of essential sexual and reproductive healthcare, and the safety for pregnant mothers and newborns." Over the course of this project, it is anticipated that:  28,000 crisis-affected individuals will gain access to essential SRH services,  84,000 SRH service interventions will be delivered, and  Nearly 37,000 people will be reached through comprehensive awareness initiatives.    About SALAMA  SALAMA, the Lebanese Association for Family Health, is an NGO founded in 2008 under the statement of registration No 1740. SALAMA advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights SRHR by inducing the concerned authorities in Lebanon to support and protect SRHR, promotes and provides high quality SRH services (for children, young people, men and women), and raises awareness for all groups in the society (particularly the underserved and marginalized) in order that they make informed decisions regarding their SRHR.   About IPPF Arab World Office  International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Arab World Office: IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952. Today, we are a movement of over 120 autonomous member associations and 23 collaborative partners with a presence in 146 countries. Established in 1971 the  IPPF Arab World Region (IPPF AWR) is one of IPPF’s six regional offices. Based in Tunis, it is the leading Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) service delivery organization in North Africa and the Middle East, and the leading Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. 

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Nearly a year into targeted, reproductive violence against Palestinian women and girls, and the bombing of our reproductive health site in Gaza; IPPF readies itself for a fresh wave of attacks against its health workers and clinics in Lebanon.  "Our healthcare workers in Lebanon are under attack. 70% of them are women. The facilities where women come and access life-saving reproductive services have already been destroyed in Gaza. Now the world is forced to watch another horrific spectacle of the same war crimes being committed in Lebanon.” “We demand all governments - including the U.S., Germany, UK and others - that are supplying these weapons that kill, maim and displace our fellow healthcare workers to stop. We demand an end to the killing of ALL civilians; we will not be silenced, we will continue to collect evidence and talk about these crimes against our collective humanity,” said Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, Director General, International Planned Parenthood Federation.  Israel's indiscriminate attacks on Gaza have had devastating consequences for women's reproductive health. The attacks on our own health site, on hospitals and maternal health sites significantly limited access to care. We are experiencing this in Sudan too; clinics destroyed, men’s use of violence against our health workers, and rape used as a weapon of war.   In Palestine, obstetric and reproductive violence have been evidenced as a feature of Israel’s violence; we are urgently ringing all alarm bells before these crimes are repeated against women and girls in Lebanon.  “Our staff are terrified; they are running for their lives. Contact with our team is limited - health care workers are too scared to use their phones. We fear not just for our colleagues; but for every single woman and girl. Once again, the very essence of humanity is at stake, as though women, children, and all human beings are merely numbers,” said Lina Sabra, Executive Director of IPPF Member Association in Lebanon, SALAMA. Lebanon is experiencing its deadliest days since the country’s civil war ended in 1990. The acceleration in killing over the past few days amid the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah is only made possible by powerful countries with a vested interest in the continuation of this war.  We remind all parties that acts of obstetric and reproductive violence have been prosecuted as crimes against humanity.