Member Associations

Guinea-Bissau is one tenth the size of its neighbour Guinea-Conakry, but its people suffer equally distressing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems. The Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar was established in 1993 to address the major issue in family planning: equipping couples to make active, informed choices about the number of children they would have, and when they would have them.   Since then, the Member Association’s work has expanded to embrace a full range of SRH concerns. It provides young people with information, education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication (BCC) around sexual and reproductive health; it works on the prevention, diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) includind HIV; it provides post-abortion care and support; it provides care for victims of gender-based violence (GBV); and it advocates strongly at government level for legislation to prevent GBV. Associação Guineense para o Bem Estar Familiar achieved these results through a small but committed team that operate over hundred service points, including static clinics and community-based service points. Despite the relatively small size of the organization, it is growing rapidly with strong central support from IPPF, influential government partnerships, and backing from non-governmental organizations including UNFPA.

Associação para o Planeamento da Família – APF (Association for Family Planning) is an NGO, established in 1967 with health purposes, whose mission is to help people to make free and responsible sexual and reproductive choices and to promote positive parenting. APF develops activities around Portugal national territory through its six regional delegations. The Member Association teams engage more than 100 professionals and voluntaries from several domains of social intervention: health, education, community and youth intervention. APF’s history has been always linked to the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Since its establishment, APF has played a leading role in matters concerning Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE), Safe Abortion, Prevention and Combat of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB), Early and Forced Marriages and Female Genital Mutilation. APF services target vulnerable people such as sex workers, drug users, migrants and ethnic minorities but also young people, families and professionals of several areas. The Member Association also promotes knowledge through investigation (diagnoses and new intervention strategies) and disseminates its results through their website, social networks, media and scientific events. Over the years, APF has been advocating in public policies concerning sexual and reproductive rights issues as human rights matters.