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.

The Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial (MFPF) runs 40 clinics in France and delivers services to over 350,000 people annually. Half of its clients are under the age of 20.   MFPF provides counselling on a range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems, including physically and emotionally traumatic incidences of rape, marital violence and female genital mutilation. It runs training courses and produces material for health personnel covering a whole range of SRH issues. MFPF is lobbying for improved administrative procedures with regard to the abortion law (to cut down on delays), it provides support to young girls denied parental authorization for abortion, and it has been highly active in challenging opposition to fertility regulation. MFPF is a leading member of the High Council for Information on Sex, a national umbrella entity for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the broad field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). It has also conducted solidarity campaigns with immigrant women, and with sexual and reproductive health organizations in other European countries (such as Bosnia and Poland) where women's sexual and reproductive rights are violated.   Contacts Website: www.planning-familial.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfederationPlanningFamilial Twitter: https://twitter.com/leplanning