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Geneva, 12 July 2024 – The 56th Session of the Human Rights Council concluded today with major advancements for women and girls’ human rights, including the first ever reference to sexual and reproductive health and rights in a negotiated document—which was adopted by consensus.     For the first time in UN history, a resolution refers to the full formulation of “sexual and reproductive rights. The resolution, “Human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS,” urges states to address the specific needs of adolescents and young persons, especially girls and young women, and persons with disabilities in the response to HIV, and “to develop (...) sexual and reproductive health services, as well as education programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights.” It is also the first resolution on HIV adopted by consensus since 2019.   In contrast to previously agreed language on ‘sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights’, the inclusion of ‘sexual rights’ ensures that young people will learn they have the rights to be free from sexual violence, from female genital mutilation, from marital rape, and that they have freedom to build safe, healthy relationships and families with the person they choose.  “The language adopted today reflects one of the most highly significant advances  on sexual and reproductive rights over the past 30 years at the UN. At a time of increasing attacks on freedom, human rights and bodily autonomy, the Human Rights Council has demonstrated that it is still fit for purpose to protect people’s human rights to live free from sexual violence,” says Estelle Wagner, IPPF’s Senior International Advocacy Adviser in Geneva.  During the session, the HRC also adopted the resolution “Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women and Girls”, which urges states to repeal “all laws and policies that that criminalize or restrict the exercise of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights," in addition to reaffirming the right to bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health, reproductive rights, access to safe abortion, and comprehensive sexuality education. The resolution also addresses menstrual poverty for the first time in a UN resolution.  New resolutions on Accelerating Progress to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy, and Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence were also adopted during this session, as well as an updated resolution on Menstrual Hygiene Management, Human Rights and Gender Equality, which took a stronger health and humanitarian lens than the previous iteration.  IPPF worked hand in hand with Member States and civil society partners to ensure progressive and inclusive language in these resolutions would have a meaningful impact on people’s everyday lives.   In solidarity with women, girls and marginalized communities around the world who still face rights violations and significant barriers to enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights, IPPF remains committed to advancing human rights at all levels – from the UN to the local level where our Member Associations tirelessly fight for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all individuals. We are united, we are strong, and we will not back down until all people can exercise their sexual and reproductive rights free from coercion, discrimination and violence.   For media enquiries, please contact media@ippf.org    About the International Planned Parenthood Federation  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. We are a movement of 150 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 146 countries.  Building on a proud history of 70 years of achievement, we commit to lead a locally owned, globally connected civil society movement that provides and enables services and champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, especially the under-served.  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. 

Jerusalem, 9 July 2024: Nine months on since the start of the Israeli aggression in Gaza, maternal healthcare is almost decimated. Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women in Gaza are facing serious health consequences. Miscarriages have risen at least 300% since October last year. One of our own health workers from the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) recently lost her pregnancy due to the stress of the attacks.   “I am a healthcare worker with PFPPA, and I have been forced to flee not once, not twice, but six times since the start of the violence, with my husband and three small children. Our home was destroyed by bombing. Whilst I was fleeing from one location to another, I started to unexpectedly bleed. I was able to find a doctor only after reaching Rafah, who confirmed I was miscarrying. I didn’t even realise I was pregnant,” Wafa, our healthcare worker in Gaza, told us.   With the starvation being faced by the people in Gaza in addition to the lack of drinking water, our service providers are reporting on daily basis of pregnant women suffering from anaemia, malnutrition and in desperate need of prenatal vitamins and supplements.   Our service providers in Gaza are also witnessing many women who are either having premature deliveries or miscarriages. Women of newborns are unable to breastfeed their babies due their own malnutrition and anxiety, while at the same time most families cannot afford milk formula as prices are becoming extremely high - and that is if they can find it in the market. When medical facilities are available, many women are unwilling to leave their shelters to obtain pre- and post-natal care, as they worry if they are separated from their families there will be military attacks and bombings and fear for their and their loved one's fate if they do so.   Ammal Awadallah, Executive Director of PFPPA, said:  “Nine months on, and a woman who conceived at the start of these hostilities will now be giving birth. But where, how, and what life is that baby entering? This will be a lost generation in Gaza, a generation born into genocide. We’re doing the best we can to offer support to women in Gaza, but the conditions to get aid into Gaza, let alone warehouse supplies, make our jobs extremely difficult. PFPPA has always been committed to women’s health and that doesn’t stop, now or ever.”   Over 37,900 people have now lost their lives in Gaza. Women and girls that survive are facing a myriad of challenges; deprived of sexual and reproductive health services, sanitary and hygiene products. We believe every single person and organisation needs to mobilise to end this, by calling on their governments to demand unhindered humanitarian aid access, to demand a permanent ceasefire, and divest from any organisations aiding and abetting Israel’s military campaign against Palestine.   We are working in close collaboration with colleagues in Palestine on how best to serve those caught up in the violence, to ensure health workers are safe and able to provide sexual and reproductive health care without threat to life.   For more information and to speak to our Executive Director in Palestine, please email media@ippf.org     About the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association  Established in Jerusalem in 1964, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) is locally registered as an independent, non-profit and non-governmental association with headquarters in Jerusalem. PFPPA has service delivery points located in the West Bank Areas of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Halhoul, in addition to one in the Gaza Strip, which has yet to be relocated after it was destroyed following an Israeli airstrike on 8 October. Furthermore, and in cooperation with local partners, PFPPA is also responsible for three safe spaces to provide Gender Based Violence (GBV) related services in the Jerusalem area.  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 150 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 146 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.   

Haz click aquí para leer este posicionamiento en español. Khartoum, 2 July 2024: Another horrendous attack on one of our healthcare clinics in Sudan has occurred this week. Several staff and volunteers from our Member Association in Sudan, the Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA), have now been injured or killed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Our clinic in El Fasher has been destroyed, meaning there is one less option for women and girls to receive lifesaving sexual and reproductive healthcare in the region.   For over a month, ongoing battles around El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur, have been taking place.The RSF, who have stationed themselves 10 kilometres from the city, have been indiscriminately shelling military and civilian targets.   One of our SFPA volunteers, Mahasen Abdul Jabbar, was killed after being hit by gunshot at the clinic. This morning, Dr Daifallah Mohammed, a volunteer family medicine specialist in our El Fasher clinic, also died as a result of the warfare.  The RSF bombardments have also severely injured several of our staff: Dr Marwa, a doctor at the Integrated Centre in El Fasher, was hit by shrapnel in her leg. A midwife at Abu Shouk centre, Halima Abdullah Adam, was hit and four of her children were injured and evacuated. The house of the guard of Abu Shouk centre was hit, killing his daughter and wounding four of his other children.  One of our nurses has been hit with shrapnel and has been transferred to hospital and is in critical condition and all contact with her has been lost. The RSF has also been kidnapping our patients, their whereabouts unknown.   This latest attack is on top of previous attacks on our clinics in Sudan, which destroyed our facilities in Khartoum and El Fashir and health centres run by SFPA between 7-9 September 2023.  Women and girls in Sudan are facing an upsurge in sexual and conflict-related violence. Our staff have witnessed firsthand the impact of this heinous crime on the most vulnerable people, including women, girls and other marginalized groups. We previously reported that rape victims and survivors are struggling to obtain contraception, abortion medication and post-exposure anti-viral medications. They face severe and life-threatening consequences, including loss of family support and homes and shelters and increased risk of suicide. Survivors are afraid to seek medical treatment because of the stigma and fear of reprisals from rape.  Fadoua Bakhadda, Regional Director, Arab World Region, said:   “We unequivocally condemn all violence against civilians, especially against health centers that are attacked while providing essential services to those in need. Such acts are an affront to humanity and the sanctity of care.  The murders, displacement and destruction in Sudan must stop. It is vital that warring parties remember their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, which include ensuring the protection of civilians and the protection of health structures and health personnel.”  Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of IPPF, said:   “We are devastated to learn of another attack on one of our clinics in Sudan, and the injuries and loss of lives to our staff and volunteers. Healthcare facilities, and most importantly, healthcare workers, must never be the target of war. The sexual and reproductive health and lives of 800,000 people in North Darfur – including women, children, and people with disabilities – are hanging in the balance as bombing and shelling cause widespread harm to civilians and severely disrupt the essential health services they very much depend on.  Now, more than ever, our healthcare facilities must be protected so they can continue to provide care to the populations enduring these needless attacks. Our clinic, which previously was able to provide lifesaving sexual and reproductive healthcare such as prenatal care and contraceptives, is gone. Where will women and girls seek these services now? There must finally be a critical mass of people of conscience saying enough is enough in this forgotten crisis.”   For more information and to speak to one of our staff in North Darfur, Sudan, please email media@ippf.org   About the Sudan Family Planning Association  The Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) was established in 1965 by pioneers in obstetrics and gynaecology in response to increases in maternal, neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity. As the statistics show, Sudan is a country in great need of frontline sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Advocacy, and undertaking information, education and communication (IEC) programs are critical. In 2023, SFPA provided 38 million services through 25 clinics, 272 associated clinics, 39 mobile clinics, 1494 CBD/CBS, and digital/Virtual channels. Since the start of the crisis on 15 April 2023, the association teams were successful in providing 8 million services through 25 SDPs and 10 million services through non damaged associated and mobile clinics. SFPA was able to assist 1,183 deliveries under bombardment and provided 170 943 treatments of HIV in its static clinics. About the International Planned Parenthood Federation 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. We are a movement of 150 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 146 countries. Building on a proud history of 70 years of achievement, we commit to lead a locally owned, globally connected civil society movement that provides and enables services and champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, especially the under-served. 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.    

Haz click aquí para leer este posicionamiento en español The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is deeply concerned about the escalating violence and political instability in Haiti, particularly its disproportionate impact on women and girls since March 2024. This crisis is expected to leave 3,000 pregnant women without essential medical care, leading to nearly 450 women experiencing life-threatening childbirth complications. With almost 580,000 Haitians displaced, women and girls are experiencing an alarming surge in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including rampant sexual assaults, torture, and collective rape by armed groups. From January to March 2024, there were 1,793 SGBV incidents reported. Conflict-related insecurity has also significantly increased negative coping mechanisms, contributing to the rise in SGBV, as well as sexually transmitted infections and HIV.  The ongoing violence is preventing access to essential sexual and reproductive healthcare services, endangering the lives of mothers and newborns. Our partner in Haiti, the Haiti Midwives Association, informed us, ‘the gangs prohibit the movement of motorcycles and pedestrians, threatening and sometimes shooting in the air to terrorise us further. Due to these difficult conditions, fewer and fewer patients are attending the hospital, whether for prenatal consultations, deliveries or postnatal care.” This inaccessibility has led to a significant increase in maternal and infant mortality.  Eugenia López Uribe, Regional Director of the IPPF Americas & the Caribbean, said, “Humanitarian aid must be granted access through local organisations, such as our partner the Haiti Midwives Association, and their wellbeing must be guaranteed in this process. Women and girls can no longer wait! Our partner has provided access to vital emergency services such as pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, as well as care after sexual violence for 20 years. However, since February, they have been forced to stop their activities because of the imminent risks they face as women living in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.” On this International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, IPPF calls for zero tolerance toward any form of SGBV and demands the immediate protection of Haitian women, children, and those most at risk. We strongly call for unhindered humanitarian access to allow aid into Haiti. This aid must be designed and controlled by local NGOs and aid workers, and any foreign peacekeepers must safeguard and protect local communities - in particular their sexual and reproductive rights - so mistakes of the past are not repeated.  Let’s not forget: Haiti's poverty and instability has been shaped by decades of foreign occupation and colonialism. The international community owes Haiti more than mere condolences; they owe an unwavering commitment to a future where human rights, including sexual and reproductive health rights are respected and protected, and nobody is left behind.     

Another horrendous attack by Israel on displacement camps in Rafah, Gaza, has occurred this week, ignoring the orders of the UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to halt its offensive. Thousands of innocent people are sheltering for their lives in this area, having been told to move there for their safety by Israeli authorities. Instead, they were attacked as they slept, with men, women and children facing nightmarish deaths.    The deaths, displacement and destruction in Gaza must stop. We stand in support of Palestinians who have endured decades of apartheid, land dispossession, and gross human rights violations. The injustices faced by Palestinians are deeply rooted in colonialisation and lack of accountability. Our international systems, which were created to ensure international rule of war, must apply evenly to all member states – including those in the Global North.    Over 37,000 people have now lost their lives. Women and girls that survive are facing a myriad of challenges, deprived of sexual and reproductive health services, sanitary and hygiene products. There must now finally be a critical mass of people of conscience saying enough is enough. Every single person needs to mobilise to end this, by calling on their governments to demand unhindered humanitarian aid access, and to call to trial any governments who have supplied weapons to Israel, aided in Israel’s impunity, and failed to call for a ceasefire.   We call for an immediate end to Israel’s military offensive in Rafah and the ongoing atrocities across the Gaza Strip.   Ammal Awadallah, Executive Director of the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association, said:   “Every second, every minute that passes a horrific and devastating situation becomes worse. More and more people are being killed and seriously injured. Pregnant women are fearing the worse for their own fate and that of their pregnancies, what should be a happy time for expecting mothers has become for thousands a living nightmare.   Women and girls are living in a state of anxiety and trauma of getting their period and not having access to menstrual pads, clean water or any sort of hygiene supplies. We need all people and governments to take a stand for what is right for humanity recognizing that the Palestinian people have a right to live with dignity and respect with full access to safe and sufficient health care. There is no justification, that this tragedy continues for millions of Palestinians in Gaza. An immediate and full ceasefire is the only option.”  Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of IPPF, said:    “In Rafah, nearly all hospitals in Rafah have been forcibly evacuated, and are either out of service or barely functioning, leaving no possibility for the provision of or access to medical care for pregnant women about to give birth.    We are inspired by our health workers in Gaza, who continue to provide sexual and repreoductive healthcare to those in need, but our concern for them, and all Palestinians, will not stop until a permanent ceasefire is reached.    All our humanity is on trial right now. Our organisation is committed to anti-colonialism, anti-racism, and liberation for all, we will speak out in defence of civilians facing peril every day. Silence is not an option.”   For media enquiries, or to speak to our staff member in Palestine, please contact media@ippf.org Click here to donate to IPPF's emergency appeal for Palestine. About PFPPA Established in Jerusalem in 1964, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) is locally registered as an independent, non-profit and non-governmental association with headquarters in Jerusalem. PFPPA has service delivery points located in the West Bank Areas of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Halhoul, in addition to one in the Gaza Strip, which has yet to be relocated after it was destroyed following an Israeli airstrike on 8 October. Furthermore, and in cooperation with local partners, PFPPA is also responsible for 3 safe spaces to provide Gender Based Violence (GBV) related services in the Jerusalem area. About the International Planned Parenthood Federation IPPF, through its 149 Member Associations and collaborative partners, delivers high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare and helps advance sexual and reproductive rights, especially for marginalized people with diverse needs that are currently unmet. IPPF's Member Associations and partners are locally owned, independent organisations, which means the support and care they provide are informed by local expertise and context. IPPF advocates for a world where people have the information they need to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and their 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 sexual and reproductive freedom. We deliver care rooted in rights, respect, and dignity for all - no matter what.   Photo credit: IPPF/Samar Abu Elouf/Palestine

London, 23 May 2024: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday announced the next general election will take place on 4 July 2024, bringing with it an opportunity for the elected government to restore UK aid spending to pre-pandemic levels.   In 2023, UK aid spend was £15.3 billion, an increase of £2.5 billion (20.2 per cent) on 2022, representing 0.58% of gross national income. However, this still falls short of the UN target for developed countries to allocate a minimum of 0.7% of their GNI to overseas development assistance (ODA). The UK government has a statutory duty to meet this target.   In addition to this, the UK is spending over a third of its aid budget inside the UK; the party-elect could and should go further to restore its reputation and international impact, including making clear that the parliamentary and legal commitment is to spend aid internationally on poverty.  The FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) states it is committed to gender equality and working with partners around the world to ‘shift the dial’ on progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The dial can only be shifted when long-term commitment is taken seriously – including fiscally – to SRHR partners.    The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is grateful for FCDO’s commitment to the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme, and its successor WISH Dividend. This has enabled IPPF, and our Member Associations, to expand our footprint and service delivery and ensure regular capacity building support to governments.  Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of IPPF, said:  “This election will take place at a time when the world is experiencing more inequality, more divisiveness, and more crises than ever before.   “Cuts to bilateral and multilateral ODA on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) since 2020 have had a negative impact upon the aid recipients of SRHR programmes, particularly on women and girls and those belonging to marginalised groups. Nearly every UK development partner has faced four successive years of cuts.   “Previous aid cuts have left millions of women around the world with less control over their bodies and their futures. Our hope is that the successful party in this election understands the key role of the UK in empowering women and girls and providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to those in greatest need. It is critical now more than ever that the UK government restore its aid budget to at least 0.7% as soon as possible if there is any hope of reversing the impacts of the cuts.”  For media enquiries and to arrange interviews with staff, please contact 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 72 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. 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 boldly 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.