Media center

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the world’s largest sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organization, is celebrating its 70th birthday by embracing a new and bold global strategy. The International Planned Parenthood Federation was founded on 24th November 1952 in an act of international solidarity between eight national family planning organizations[i]. Now a network of more than 108 independent Member Associations (MAs) working in over 140 countries worldwide, the last 70 years have seen IPPF leave its mark on the world, delivering high-quality SRHR services and helping transform laws and policies across the globe. But facing a changing and challenging global landscape, IPPF heralds its 70th Birthday with a renewed strategic vision. More than 300 members from IPPF MAs affirmed the new six-year strategy - Come Together - at its General Assembly in the Colombian capital, Bogota, committing to building a future where more people in more places have what they need to enjoy their rights to sexual and reproductive dignity and well-being. Working in six regions across the globe, IPPF is prioritizing the Americas and the Caribbean due to the challenges it faces, investing 25% of its resources through its new regional office. The region has the second highest number of adolescent pregnancies, with 63 unintended pregnancies per 1,000 girls between 15 and 19[ii], mainly among those with little or no access to essential sexual and reproductive health services or educational opportunities. Kate Gilmore, Chair of the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Board of Trustees, said: “Our bold ‘Come Together’ strategy affirms that human rights for all are the very heart of our Federation. Our new strategy commits us to urgent and purposeful human rights action so that, through our healthcare, information, and advocacy, millions more have what they need to live and love free from fear, discrimination and exclusion. “There are tough challenges to be met: political attacks on sexual and reproductive rights; deepening inequalities of poverty, racism, sexism and homophobia; armed conflict, intimate violence; structural injustices as well as the climate crisis. Those wrongs undermine the rights of billions across the globe, including sexual and reproductive rights. “IPPF will stand up for and with those denied dignity in their sexual and reproductive lives. Around the globe, we will strengthen our work in solidarity with local communities to better realize sexual and reproductive rights for all and stand up together against those who peddle bigotry, dismantle protections, and promote exclusions.” The new strategy sets out an ambitious programme of work over the next five years and provides a compelling focus on revitalizing the Federation. It is accompanied by an Anti-Racism Declaration of Intent, a statement of public accountability to continue working to dismantle racism internally and externally. The Secretariat and MAs – will commit to a fully inclusive and respectful Federation that offers equal chances for all, ensuring that IPPF emerges unambiguously as an anti-racist organization. IPPF’s General Assembly also marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Friday, 25th November 2022. Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: “Over the last few years, we have seen the devastating consequences of political, social and economic turmoil on women and girls’ bodies, with deepening inequalities exacerbated by environmental destruction and continued humanitarian crises. “It is also no secret that we are experiencing growing threats from a sinister opposition actively attacking people’s sexual and reproductive rights and freedoms alongside reduced funding and commitments from global leaders. “IPPF will continue to evolve and transform, so we can stand up forcefully and fearlessly to support those who are excluded, locked out and left behind, in particular youth and the most marginalized. Through our new strategy, Member Associations, the lifeblood of the Federation, will help millions more enjoy their sexual and reproductive health, rights and freedoms. “Turning 70 is also a time for IPPF to embody the change it wants to be. Over the next six years, we will build the Federation from the inside out, re-examining and affirming our values and spring-boarding off the Anti-Racism Declaration of Intent with open and fearless dialogue and action to address colonial legacies within IPPF.” What IPPF will do IPPF’s very existence manifests just how universal the demand for sexual and reproductive health and rights is, with MAs delivering more than 1 billion cumulative[iii] services between 2016 and 2022, including contraceptive services, STI treatments, abortion care, maternal health services and much more. IPPF’s humanitarian reach has also grown exponentially, with IPPF providing sexual and reproductive health services to over 6 million people in acute humanitarian and fragile settings in 2021. But, with the number of women with an unmet need for family planning sitting at 163 million[iv], the current trajectory to close the gender gap worldwide on course to take 135.6[v] years and 274[vi] million people needing humanitarian assistance in 2022 – a 39[vii] million increase from 2021, there is much more to do. To increase its impact and reach, IPPF is committing to bold and catalytic transformation driven by young people. To broaden access to enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, IPPF’s new strategy sets up four central pillars: Centre care on people. IPPF will provide high-quality person-centred care to more people in more places. Move the sexuality agenda. IPPF will push for the societal and legislative change needed to make universal sexual and reproductive rights a reality for more. Solidarity for change. IPPF will build bridges to other movements, sectors, and communities wherever sexual and reproductive health and rights can also help advance other human rights causes. Nurture our Federation. IPPF will make its core values more explicit and apply their implications across the Federation more comprehensively to unleash stronger collective power for deeper global solidarity that can deliver greater impact. How IPPF will do it The Federation will focus its resources on excluded and marginalized people. It will walk shoulder to shoulder with those young people, individuals and communities bearing the full brunt of stigma and prejudice. At each step, IPPF will defend, protect, and celebrate safety, pleasure and well-being in sex and reproduction. IPPF will also work with governments to help shape laws, policies and norms, including through feminist action and international solidarity, and by working to remove restrictions that infringe on dignity, choice, and well-being. At every turn, IPPF will denounce powers and authorities who, through policy, practice, and law, undermine human rights in the intimate domains of sex and reproduction. With IPPF’s work deeply intertwined with broader struggles for human rights, anti-racist movements and movements for climate survival, social justice and equality, IPPF will also foster global solidarity by coming together with like-minded sectors and actors to help transform lives, communities and countries. Throughout, IPPF will be accountable for what it does, how it does it, and whose lives it affects. To accelerate its anti-racism agenda, IPPF will extend an Anti-Racism Declaration of Intent across the Federation, strengthening belonging and accountability for and to all its members and ensuring fair and equitable systems are in place to deliver the action and meaningful change to which it is committed.   For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey on kivey@ippf.org or media@ippf.org   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For 70 years, IPPF, through its 108 Member Associations and 7 partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what. [i]  The International Planned Parenthood Federation was founded on the 24th of November 1952 as an act of international solidarity between eight national family planning organizations in Germany, Hong Kong, India, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, UK, and USA. [ii] https://www.unfpa.org/data/CO [iii] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00936-9/fulltext [iv] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “Family Planning and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/family/familyPlanning_DataBooklet_2019.pdf [v] World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2021: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2021.pdf [vi] UNOCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2022 (Abridged Report): Global Humanitarian Overview 2022 (Abridged Report) - World | ReliefWeb [vii]Ibid        

If you are covering the UK autumn budget and reporting on foreign aid, you may find the below statement from  the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) helpful: “The UK government has already decimated the aid budget and its reputation through severe economic mishandling, cutting billions from the very things that protect people during economic, political and social upheaval, including life-saving sexual and reproductive healthcare. “It is also the only country to be spending the majority of its dedicated overseas aid budget within its own borders, taking advantage of legislation to pay for refugee and asylum costs in the UK rather than increasing domestic and overseas budgets accordingly. “The UK government cannot continue to fight the fire of one humanitarian crisis by diverting much-needed resources from other vulnerable people, nor continue to balance its books on the backs of the poorest people in the world - who, as MP Andrew Mitchell stated, will be damaged, maimed, or die as a result. “This government promised to give women and girls the freedom they need to succeed and prevent the worst forms of human suffering worldwide. If it is to deliver on its promises and revive its sunken reputation, it must spend dedicated budgets correctly, support people in the UK and beyond appropriately, and MP Andrew Mitchell and the Chancellor must ensure a return to the 0.7% as soon as possible.”  

Today, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is helping launch the second report of the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit, also known as the International Conference on Population and Development 25 (ICPD 25). The Commission is an independent advisory board comprised of 26 members from different sectors tasked with monitoring progress on the ICPD Programme of Action and Nairobi Summit Commitments. The programme of action contains commitments from 179 countries to put the rights, needs and aspirations of individual human beings at the centre of sustainable development, part of which includes achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all. The report - ‘Sexual and reproductive justice as the vehicle to deliver the Nairobi Summit commitments’ - highlights sexual and reproductive justice as the key to the realization of the Nairobi Summit commitments. Sexual and reproductive justice is a universal concept. It includes the right to have or not have children, the right to parent one’s children in safe and sustainable environments, and the right to sexual autonomy and gender freedom. Monitoring the implementation of life-saving sexual and reproductive health and gender-responsive services is crucial to ensure accountability and human rights for all. However, while some progress has been made, many barriers persist, and millions worldwide still do not realize their sexual and reproductive rights. Progress on Nairobi Summit Commitments: Numerous country commitments made at the Nairobi Summit align with a sexual and reproductive justice framework. They pay explicit attention to marginalized and vulnerable populations, notably people with disabilities, refugees, migrants (particularly migrant women), young people and older persons. Indigenous peoples, people of African descent and other ethnic minority groups have received less attention. A slew of new reproductive rights legislation followed the Nairobi Summit, suggesting a basis for a sexual and reproductive justice framework. The high number of commitments prioritizing sexual and gender-based violence offers a powerful entry point for promoting sexual and reproductive justice. On the Summit’s Global Commitments, some improvement is evident in meeting unmet need for family planning. But no region has registered positive movement towards zero preventable maternal deaths. Greater access to family planning has yet to translate into better maternal health outcomes. There is some progress in offering comprehensive and age-responsive information and education on sexuality and reproduction and adolescent-friendly, comprehensive, quality and timely services. Certain regions and countries have advanced in providing timely, quality and disaggregated data. More must be done, but this creates opportunities for ensuring that data capture intersecting challenges and are used to inform laws, policies and programmes. Domestic and international finance is critical to sexual and reproductive justice but persistently lags commitments. More than 4 billion people globally will lack access to at least one key sexual and reproductive health service during their lives Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: “Three years on from the Nairobi Summit and while we have seen some progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights across countries like Colombia, Mexico and Thailand, globally, we remain far from reaching the commitments made at ICPD 25 - that all women and girls will have autonomy over their bodies and lives through universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). “With the devasting loss of abortion rights across the U.S having a disproportionate impact on poor women and women of colour, ongoing humanitarian crises across countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Ukraine creating unliveable, unsafe and unsustainable conditions for millions, and the loss of billions of dollars of funding severely affecting access to sexual and reproductive health care for those most in need, 2022 continues to demonstrate the critical need to champion sexual and reproductive justice for all - recognizing the importance of intersecting oppressions on people’s ability to make decisions about their bodies, lives and futures. “At the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), we remain dedicated to helping countries deliver on the Nairobi commitments as we approach ICPD 30. Using our unique position as a locally-owned, globally connected organization, we will continue to work in solidarity with donors, governments, partners and communities to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can access high-quality SRH care, especially those who are most often excluded, locked out and left behind. “IPPF also urges governments to heed the Commission’s call to action and do more to achieve sexual and reproductive justice. This means tackling the economic, social and legal barriers that prevent its implementation, more financial investment, including in universal healthcare, increased solidarity with partners and the sense of urgency needed to get the job done. The lives and futures of millions depend on it.” For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey on kivey@ippf.org or media@ippf.org   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For 70 years, IPPF, through its 108 Member Associations and seven partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.

Three leading women’s rights defenders are facing eight years in prison in Poland for exercising their right to peaceful protest.  Prosecutors in Warsaw filed the indictment against Marta Lempart, Klementyna Suchanow and Agnieszka Czerederecka-Fabin of the All-Poland Women’s Strike (Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet, OSK), a partner of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, European Network, for allegedly organizing protests during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Massive protests were prompted back in October 2020 by the decision of the illegally appointed Constitutional Tribunal to impose a near-total ban on abortion care. Peaceful protesters were met with excessive force, with authorities using tear gas, pepper spray and physical assault. Now, two years on, women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are still being attacked by Polish authorities, with defenders facing violence from law enforcement and far-right groups, including bomb threats, as well as smear campaigns in state-controlled media, detention and excessive criminal charges orchestrated and encouraged by the government. In the case of the All-Poland’s women’s strike members, these charges include “causing an epidemiological threat”, endangering public health and publicly praising crimes.  The new indictment against the women’s rights defenders came just days before the second anniversary of the near-total ban on abortion, which has killed six women so far. It also comes in the same month that a court hearing was held in the trial of Justyna Wydrzyńska.  Justyna, a member of Abortion Without Borders and the Abortion Dream Team, is facing up to three years in prison for facilitating an abortion that didn’t happen. Her case marks the first in Europe where a WHRD is being prosecuted for helping ensure abortion care by providing abortion pills. Justyna’s trial is ongoing. Irene Donadio of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, European Network, said:  

Ahead of World Sexual Health Day on 4 September 2022, the theme of which is Let's talk pleasure, the world's largest sexual and reproductive healthcare organization, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), is publicly committing to pleasure-inclusive sexual health and rights (SRHR) by endorsing The Pleasure Project's Pleasure Principles. The seven principles, which include putting rights first, embracing learning, and loving yourself, promote a sex-positive, pleasure-based approach to sex and sexual health as opposed to standard prevention framing, which focuses only on avoiding pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections (STIs). The Pleasure Principles are backed by new research with the World Health Organization, which shows that including sexual pleasure in sexual health education improves condom use compared to those that don't and increases knowledge and positive attitudes about sex, ultimately leading to better, safer sex and saving lives in the process. IPPF is adjusting to the shifting landscape of sexual health needs with seven pleasure-filled commitments, including incorporating staff training on pleasure-based sexual health and working with The Pleasure Project to integrate pleasure into more of its sexual and reproductive health programmes. The organization will also ensure that pleasure is a guiding principle in its upcoming 2023-2028 organizational strategy. Marie-Evelyne-Petrus-Barry, Regional Director for IPPF Africa Region, said: "IPPF has always believed that pleasure is fundamental to well-being and that comprehensive sexual education globally must be drastically improved, stepping away from fear-based framing and stepping into one rooted in understanding sexual and reproductive health more holistically. "We also must be honest that most people, especially young people, do not just have sex for reproductive reasons, but have sex for pleasure. We must do more to help people understand the spectrum of pleasure so they can better understand their own needs and wants, and we hope, have a better, safer and healthier sex life." IPPF Africa Region has stepped up to the mark with the Treasure Your Pleasure digital campaign for young people, which has already sparked a conversation on sexual pleasure, sexual health and sexual rights on social media. More than 8 million people have viewed the content, which includes information about pleasure-based sex and relationships, sexual safety and consent, and more than 30,000 new people have followed the region on social media to learn more about their sexual health and wellbeing. IPPF plans to implement learnings from the campaign across other regions.   Anne Philpott, Founder of the Pleasure Project, said: "The Pleasure Project is delighted that IPPF has endorsed the Pleasure Principles. As the largest global provider of sexual and reproductive health services, it shines a light on this long stigmatized blind-spot in sexual health.  "Pleasure, love and desire are key reasons people have sex and relationships. Yet health services have been focused on stopping disease or preventing pregnancy for too long, limiting their appeal and impact. Our recent evidence review with the World Health Organization demonstrates that pleasure-inclusive sexual health improves sexual health and ultimately saves lives. "This commitment is not only critical in ensuring the more than 200 million essential services they provide every year are honest, sex-positive and effective but also that the people they serve are respected as wanting to live fulfilling lives. "We are excited to partner with IPPF to put their commitment into action with staff training, implementation of pleasure-based sexual health and learning lessons on how to best deliver this new evidence and pleasure-filled best practice." For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey at kivey@ippf.org or Amina Khan on media@ippf.org   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For over 65 years, IPPF, through its 118 Member Associations and 15 partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what. Notes to Editors World Sexual Health 2022 has the theme 'Let's talk pleasure' - find assets here   The full list of Pleasure Principles can be found on www.thepleasureproject.org and include: 1. Love Yourself 2. Embrace Learning 3. Talk Sexy 4. Be Flexible 5. Think Universal 6. Rights First 7. Be Positive  A pleasure-based approach celebrates sex, sexuality and the joy and wellbeing derived from these and creates a vision of good sex built on sexual rights. It focuses on sensory, mental, physical and sensual pleasure to enable individuals to understand, consent to, and control their bodies and multi-faceted desires. Well-being, safety, pleasure, desire and joy are the objectives of a programme with a pleasure-based approach. This approach measures empowerment, agency, and self-efficacy by whether or not an individual has been enabled to know what they want and can ask for it and request this of others in relation to their sexuality, desires and pleasure. [ The Pleasure Project, 2019]   The full list of IPPF's commitments includes: 1. At least two Member Associations commit to testing elements of the Pleasure Principles in their work 2. Incorporate training of staff across the Federation on Pleasure Based Sexual Health and the evidence that supports it 3. Look to expand the Treasure Your Pleasure Campaign by the Africa Regional Office to other regions and use the learnings to inform Pleasure based-content across all regions 4. A specific module on advocacy for pleasure in the IPPF internal training modules 5. To work with the Pleasure Project to better understand how to incorporate Pleasure into our programmes with a focus on youth 6. To work with at least thee sex positive, pleasure-based influencers on social media content 7. Continue to ensure Pleasure is a principal guiding the new IPPF Strategy 2023-2028

Dr Nafis Sadik, a Pakistani doctor who championed women’s health and rights and spearheaded a breakthrough action plan for gender equality adopted by 179 countries at the 1994 United Nations population conference in Cairo, has died four days before her 93rd birthday.  Dr Sadik joined the U.N. Population Fund in 1971, became its assistant executive director in 1977, and was appointed executive director in 1987 by then Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. A spokesperson for the International Planned Parenthood Federation said: “The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Nafis Sadik, a trailblazer for women’s health and rights and the first woman to head a major United Nations voluntarily-funded program. Her courage, determination and commitment to human rights and gender equality for all shaped the world we know today, including the right for all women and girls to control their sexual and reproductive health and to choose whether to become pregnant. “Although we are living through trying and uncertain times for sexual and reproductive health and rights, IPPF will strive to continue Dr Sadik’s legacy of leadership, advocacy and empowerment, fighting to ensure that everyone, everywhere, is free to make choices about their bodies, futures, sexuality and wellbeing, in a world free from discrimination.” The Cairo conference also reached consensus on a series of goals including universal primary education in all countries by 2015 — a goal that still hasn’t been met — and wider access for women to secondary and higher education. It also set goals to reduce infant and child mortality and maternal mortality and to provide access to reproductive and sexual health services, including family planning.  

Like much of the world, we were horrified by the murder of George Floyd in the US in May 2020. Following the global conversation on race and racism, our staff felt strongly that our own focus on equality, empowerment, ending discrimination, and poverty-eradication must extend to the workplace. This is why in 2020, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) proactively started a process of examining and addressing issues of racism and colonial legacies within IPPF.  We commissioned our Anti-Racism Review to hold IPPF accountable. The Review was not confined to just our London office; it was a full and independent interrogation of the Secretariat as we felt strongly that no one should be excluded from a conversation as critical as this. The Review's findings were shared with all IPPF secretariat staff on 26 July 2021. We included a response from management, the Anti Racism Working Group and the Board of Trustees Statement on Anti-Racism. The report was a turning point for IPPF, and as much as it was difficult to read, we hope people felt safe sharing their experiences with us. IPPF anticipated that the report would uncover some hard truths on people's experience of racism within the workplace, and we have acknowledged and are humbled by the contributions from staff. We know talking about lived experiences of racism and discrimination takes an emotional and mental toll, and we are deeply sorry to our colleagues who have experienced racism and discrimination in the workplace. IPPF remains truly grateful for their contribution, which has led to practical insights and recommendations that the management team has taken forward, with oversight from our governance.   IPPF has a duty to do better, and we are committed long-term to the principles of affirmative action and, through them, the Anti-Racism Programme of Action.  In line with some of the recommendations, we have continued to engage as a management team, with a staff working group representing all regions, and a Board of Trustees Sub Committee, thereby creating complete oversight of the implementation of the recommendations. The Anti Racism Sub Committee is led by Bience Gawanas, who has global expertise in the area and was one of the Under-Secretary Generals who supported the internal efforts to combat racism within the UN.  Currently, we feel that our management team and our governance reflect the diversity and experience necessary to decolonise the way we work. Our current Board of Trustees, formed in 2020, is made up of 15 people (including 20% young people under the age of 25) from 11 different geographies, including West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Caribbean, Latin-America, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Oceania and South Asia. Our Global Leadership Team comprises of ten people from nine different countries, with each of our Regional Directors, who all identify as women,  representing the diversity of the regions they lead. We were also a very high performer in the 2022 Global Health 50/50 Report and have rated a consistently high performer since 2020, achieving gender parity in our governing body and senior management in the range of 56-100% of women represented.   Our Leadership is committed to creating an organisation that has no discrimination in how it operates and the services it offers. In trying to address some of the the report's recommendations, IPPF has:  Begun a series of discussions, webinars and training to address some of the interpersonal and institutional racism that exists in the organisation. This has included training on aspects of microaggressions, unconscious bias and other pathways of racism that exist. We have interrogated our framing of issues within a more public domain through asset framing training with an anti-racism lens.   Contracted a team of anti-racism trainers to conduct training across the Secretariat for the next six months to more deeply interrogate some key issues emanating from the report.   For the last ten months, we have been working on a series of consultations focusing on our next five-year strategy, which has explicitly embedded anti-racism as central to our strategic direction.   Critically we are working on our public statement of action for Anti-Racism – co-created with Member Associations through our training to be delivered at the IPPF General Assembly in November 2022. We felt strongly that it was too easy to focus on public sentiments and that we wanted to walk the talk as an organization before this, which is why the sequencing of the Anti-Racism Program of Action is as it is. You will see that evidenced in the management response.    As part of our actions to ensure equity across the Secretariat, over the past 18 months, we have conducted a comprehensive pay and benefits review and bought a consistent approach to job evaluation, grading and pay scales at all levels and for all geographies across the Secretariat.   We share these points not to underestimate some of the report's findings but to demonstrate that we take seriously the actioning of this work.   We thank all staff who participated in the review and know that this was not easy. Still, we are grateful to have the recommendations and are committed to ensuring that we address these as holistically as possible. We look to the future with hope and commitment so that all our colleagues feel safe and valued while working for IPPF.   Sincerely, Dr Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF Director-General  

The US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade in the biggest blow to women's health and rights in recent US history, removing 50 years of constitutional protection for abortion across America, meaning individual states will now decide the legality of abortion within their jurisdiction. Twenty-six states, including Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia, are now poised to enact "trigger laws" that will severely limit or ban abortion, putting approximately 40 million women and girls of reproductive age at risk of losing abortion access, with lower-income people and people of color most severely affected.  The patchwork of state abortion bans means those without funds to travel for safe and legal abortion services or access medical abortion pills will be forced underground to unsafe and unregulated methods, with no guarantee of quality of care or aftercare if things go wrong. The devastating rollback of reproductive rights resulted from the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case, a 2018 ruling that banned abortion in Mississippi after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Of the nine federal Supreme Court Justices, six voted to uphold the Mississippi law, effectively overturning Roe v. Wade, and three dissented. Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: "The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is the biggest blow to women's health and rights in recent US history and an outrageous and devastating conclusion to what was already an unconstitutional removal of life-saving healthcare. "By continuing its unbridled attack on women's bodies and forcing them to carry pregnancies to term, the highest court in the land has reached its lowest point, robbing millions of their liberty, bodily autonomy and freedom – the very values the United States prides itself on. "We know for a fact that banning abortion does not mean fewer abortions and that when abortion bans are enacted, women and pregnant people die, as we have seen across the globe, most recently in Poland. We also know that those who cannot access safe abortion care legally, including medical abortion pills, will be forced into unregulated and unsafe methods, potentially resulting in serious harm or even death and costing lives for decades to come. "The fallout from this calculated decision will also reverberate worldwide, emboldening other anti-abortion, anti-woman and anti-gender movements and impacting other reproductive freedoms. The justices who put their personal beliefs ahead of American will, precedent, and law will soon have blood on their hands, and we are devastated for the millions of people who will suffer from this cruel judgment." The overturning of Roe v. Wade also flies in the face of democracy and against the values of those the Supreme Court is meant to represent and protect, with the majority (60%) of Americans supporting Roe v. Wade and 70% believing the decision to end a pregnancy is between a woman or pregnant person and their doctor. Elizabeth Schlachter, Director of Advocacy and US representative for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: "The Supreme Court's perilous ruling is not just regressive but also wildly out of step with most Americans, who we know support access to abortion care. It is also at odds with much of the world, where access to abortion is expanding to reach all who need this vital health service. "By overriding the constitutional right to abortion across the US and handing the decision to each state, many parts of the US will now join El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Poland with some of the most restrictive, extremist, and life-threatening bans on abortion care in the world. "But this is not just about the anti-abortion movement in the US; this is concerted and calculated global effort by anti-women, anti-gender, anti-LGBTQI+ conservative and religious, white supremacist extremists, who are using dark money and undemocratic means to deny people their human right to healthcare, equality, bodily autonomy and ultimately, freedom. "With long-held rights under sustained attack, the International Planned Parenthood Federation is imploring governments across the globe to do more to protect democracy and peoples' freedoms from the interference and influence of these extremist groups." The International Planned Parenthood Federation's (IPPF) Member Association, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), continues to provide services to all who need them where legally possible, including via telemedicine for medical abortion pills. IPPF and PPFA will also continue to work around the clock to protect the rights of all people both in the US and globally, fighting extremism at its core and ensuring that women and pregnant people will not be forced to carry a pregnancy or give birth against their will. To help keep abortion legal, safe, and accessible, you can donate to the International Planned Parenthood Federation or Planned Parenthood Federation of America. For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey on kivey@ippf.org or media@ippf.org   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For over 65 years, IPPF, through its 118 Member Associations and 15 partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.

The UK government has released its long-awaited International Development Strategy (IDS) which details the UK’s approach to international development moving forward. The strategy sets out the FCDO's priorities as: Deliver honest and reliable investment, building on the UK’s financial expertise and the strengths of the City of London, and delivering the Prime Minister’s vision for the Clean Green Initiative, supporting partner countries to grow their economies sustainably. Provide women and girls with the freedom they need to succeed, unlocking their future potential, educating girls, supporting their empowerment and protecting them against violence. Provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and work to prevent the worst forms of human suffering, prioritising our funding and being a global leader in driving a more effective international response to humanitarian crises. Take forward our work on climate change, nature and global health. We are putting the commitments of our Presidency of G7 and COP26, our global leadership in science and technology, and our COVID-19 response, at the core of our international development offer. Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: "While, in theory, the UK’s new international development strategy prioritizes women and girls, it is unclear how the government will provide ‘the freedom they need to succeed’ while simultaneously cutting billions from the very things that help achieve this, including unhindered access to life-saving sexual and reproductive healthcare which helps keep girls in school, protects them from a lifetime of poverty and helps prevents untimely maternal deaths. "It is also unclear how the UK will prevent the worst forms of human suffering in humanitarian contexts when the 2021 aid cuts left millions of women across Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Sudan and Syria and Yemen with no control over their bodies, their futures, or their lives. And more so, while this government chooses to distribute the dedicated aid budget to fund other government departments rather than increasing overall budgets. "Until this government returns to the 0.7% target, this strategy will be little more than lip service from a government that knowingly robbed women and girls of their freedom and futures during the upheaval of a global pandemic when continued solidarity, support and humanitarian assistance from the wealthiest nations was most needed." For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey on kivey@ippf.org or media@ippf.org   About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For over 65 years, IPPF through its 118 Member Associations and 15 partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights, and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity - no matter what.    

On the US Supreme Court's draft opinion on Roe v Wade, Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General for IPPF, said: "If the reports are true, then the highest court in the land has reached its lowest point. If they continue down the road of overturning Roe v Wade, they will rob millions of people of their liberty, bodily autonomy, and their freedom – the very values the United States prides itself on. "This decision will also embolden other Conservative extremist movements around the world, looking to deny women their reproductive freedom. Make no mistake, this ruling will cost millions of lives for years to come. "The Supreme Court still has time to do the right thing and uphold Roe v Wade. IPPF will do all it can to ensure people can safely end their pregnancy."  For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey on kivey@ippf.org or media@ippf.org  About the International Planned Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   For over 65 years, IPPF through its 118 Member Associations and 15 partners, has delivered high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helped advance sexual rights, especially for people with intersectional and diverse needs that are currently unmet. Our Member Associations and partners are independent organizations that are locally owned, which means the support and care they provide is informed by local expertise and context. We advocate for a world where people are provided with the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual health and bodies. We stand up and fight for sexual and reproductive rights, and against those who seek to deny people their human right to bodily autonomy and freedom. We deliver care that is rooted in rights, respect, and dignity – no matter what. Main image: Abortion rights protest in Washington DC, US – photo by Gayatri Malhotra, Unsplash