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Haz click aquí para leer este posicionamiento en español. WASHINGTON D.C., United States, 3 February 2025 – The Trump administration is using foreign aid as a deadly political weapon, ILGA World and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) said today, and millions of people are already in dire straits because of its policies. The executive order implementing a 90-day pause in US foreign development aid is wreaking havoc on the lifesaving work of human rights, civil society, and grassroots organisations —according to ILGA World and IPPF. Sexual and reproductive health services suddenly were forced to suddenly stop or drastically cut operations, including those further impacted by the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule, leaving millions of people without access to lifesaving care. The funding suspension initially impacted also the over 20 million people living with HIV directly supported through the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Later, however, a life-saving humanitarian assistance waiver” walked back the decision, yet excludes activities related to abortion or family planning, gender or DEI programs, gender-affirming  surgeries, and other activities deemed to be “non-life saving assistance.” IPPF anticipates it will lose US$61 million from cuts due to refusing to sign the Global Gag Rule. Programs affected - mainly in Africa - provide sexual and reproductive health services for millions of women and youth, many of whom will be forced to continue with a pregnancy they did not want or have an unsafe abortion they may not survive. United Nations agencies have begun cutting back their global aid operations as a direct consequence of the 90-day foreign aid suspension. Without guaranteed funding, implementing organisations will have no choice but to lay off thousands of health workers and programme staff. Even if funds are reinstated after the “assessment of consistency with US foreign policy”, the bottoming out of the health sector means there are no guarantees that  organisations will be able to continue serving our communities. “The US, currently the largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA), is choosing to leave behind the already most marginalised people across the world, in the name of far-right regressive policies,” said ILGA World and IPPF.  “This is a war on development. People will die because the Trump administration is using life-saving funding as a leverage to advance a hateful  dystopia.  American aid with further conditionality will be unable to reach the most vulnerable populations, undoing decades of progress on health, security and human rights.” “This devastating blow to foreign aid risks worsening humanitarian crises, violence, conflict, and political instability,” ILGA World and IPPF conclude. “This is the opposite of building ‘harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries’ that the Trump administration claims to seek.” “Now more than ever, we are in solidarity with our global movements. We will continue to fight alongside them. We will not be fearful or silenced; but instead use this moment to galvanise our communities. But we need to be prepared: vital resources and life-saving programmes may not come back — at least not without severe limitations and exclusionary conditions.”  “We call on more States to step in with development aid, listen to the needs and priorities of grassroots communities, and provide them with a lifeline.” Note to editors ILGA World is a worldwide federation of more than 2,000 organisations from over 170 countries and territories campaigning for the human rights of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics. 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. Founded in 1952, it is now a movement of 150 member associations and collaborative partners with a presence in over 146 countries.  For ILGA World: Daniele Paletta (communications manager); [email protected]; time zone: UTC+1 For IPPF: Nerida Williams (senior media advisor); [email protected]; time zone: UTC+7 Alice Ackermann (communications advisor); [email protected]; time zone: UTC+1

January 21, 2025—The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) strongly condemns the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO). This executive order will have devastating consequences for Americans, global health and the communities we serve. This decision, which gives a one-year notice before taking effect, will severely undermine the WHO’s capacity to carry out its critical mission and will cost lives.  As the largest single contributor to the WHO, the United States provides approximately 18% of the organization’s funding, with the current two-year budget for 2024-2025 set at $6.8 billion. The withdrawal of U.S. funding will create an unprecedented financial shortfall, threatening essential health programs, partnerships and global public health.  Since its establishment in 1948 as part of the United Nations, the WHO has been at the forefront of global health initiatives. From combatting malaria and tuberculosis to improving women’s and children’s health, nutrition, and sanitation, the WHO’s role in coordinating international health policy, prevention and disease eradication is indispensable. Today, it serves as a vital hub for research, technical support, and health trend monitoring, addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.  The global maternal mortality ratio has stagnated since 2016 at around 223 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births. Only one WHO region (the South-East Asia Region) has recorded a significant decline in maternal mortality, while all other regions have recorded either a stagnation or an increase. "Defunding the WHO is a direct attack on the health and well-being of millions, especially the most vulnerable,” said Dr Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF’s Director-General. “Donald Trump’s decision to strip the WHO of its funding, before the expansion of the Global Gag Rule, adds further insult to injury. The health community has collectively endured unprecedented attacks against health care workers, patients and clinics, made possible with the previous US administration. Peace is the best medicine; we urge the Trump Administration to reconsider its position. The world needs a thriving WHO. Women, girls and LGBTQ+ people all over the world need a thriving IPPF. IPPF stands in solidarity with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and with the WHO. We will continue to resist, and we will continue to fight for peace, and for sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for ALL.”  IPPF calls on the international community to stand in solidarity with the WHO and to work together to mitigate the catastrophic impact of this funding withdrawal. The lives and health of countless individuals are at stake, and we must act urgently to ensure that global health systems remain strong and resilient.  For more information please contact [email protected] - +44 7918 845944 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. 

PRESS RELEASE 8 November 2024: Donald Trump has been announced the winner of the U.S. election, threatening reproductive health and rights around the world. A return to Trump’s policies - and the potential implementation of Project 2025 - will cause millions of people to lose access to contraception, abortion, and other critical healthcare services, both in the US and around the world. Trump will reinstate the Global Gag Rule (GGR) upon coming to office in January next year. The GGR causes significant and specific harm to IPPF, and will amount to an approximate loss of US$60 million in USAID funding.  Regardless of who is in office, the United States does not fund abortions abroad, as stipulated by the Helms Amendment, which has been in effect for more than 50 years. But the GGR takes those restrictions much further: The last version that was in place during the Trump administration's first term from 2017 - 2021 forbid non-US organisations that take U.S. global health funding from any abortion-related activities -  regardless of the source of funds they use to provide those services. Abortion service delivery and advocacy are core components of our mandate, and we consider them non-negotiable human rights. IPPF has never, and will never, sign the GGR.  Thirteen of our MAs would lose USAID funds, with six MAs currently managing multi-million dollar funding, namely Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mauritania and Togo. In Malawi, the Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) is the main family planning and adolescent health partner for two major USAID integrated health projects. Their work has improved equity in access to contraceptive services. In Ethiopia, the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE) is the lead local FP partner on USAID’s youth, nutrition, and health communication projects. IPPF is also leading ExpandPF, a large multi-country USAID project in Francophone West Africa, which started in 2023 and is planned to continue until 2028. It is expected to reach nearly 1.2 million contraceptive users.  Abruptly cutting this work short will have tragic consequences for the local population, clinics, outreach, and community services and programs.  Under Project 2025, Trump’s policy advisors have proposed an extreme new expansion of the GGR to include all foreign assistance to US and non-US organisations, including humanitarian funding.  Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Regional Director for the Africa Regional Office of IPPF:   “Global NGOs, reproductive health advocates, and women’s rights groups like our own were closely watching the US election, hoping for a more progressive stance for comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare. The wider impacts of the GGR on our movement and sexual and reproductive health and rights access and progress harms everyone in the ecosystem.”  Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation:  “We are now facing a future where the alt-right are further emboldened, and without urgent opposition by civil society to the current course of action, the Trump-Vance Administration will expand the pathway already prepared. The threat to the sexual and reproductive justice agenda now demands a deliberate, and unified, effort from IPPF and our global movement. We remain committed to a future where your choices, your identity, and your freedoms are protected.”  For media inquiries, or to arrange an interview with our spokespeople, contact IPPF’s press office at: [email protected]     About the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)  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 contraceptives, 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.    Photo credits: Rutgers/Esther Ruth Mbabazi/Uganda - IPPF/Moctar MENTA - IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch/Ukraine - IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch/Cook Islands - Wara Vargas - IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch - IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch/Maldives  

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.     

Texas judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, has suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the abortion pill Mifepristone in a horror move for abortion access across the United States. The decision will result in a nationwide ban on Mifepristone in seven days, with the FDA given one week to appeal the ruling. While the ban also affected access in states that have secured abortion post-Roe v Wade, a conflicting ruling from Judge Thomas O. Rice from a federal court in Washington state ordered the FDA to maintain access to Mifepristone in 17 democratic states and Colombia District – effectively putting access to the pill into limbo. Mifepristone, which has been FDA-approved for more than 22 years and has a safety record of over 99%[i], is taken alongside the drug Misoprostol during medical abortion procedures. Since then, it has been used by over 5 million[ii] Americans and was used in more than half of abortions nationwide last year. While Misoprostol can be used alone in medical abortion, people should have access to the full spectrum of abortion care options. Mifepristone is also used in the medical management of miscarriage and second and third-trimester pregnancies when the fetus has died before birth. While the ruling does not prohibit the FDA from making a new authorization for Mifepristone, this will likely take many months. Severe disruption to abortion care services, healthcare services and supply chain issues are expected as healthcare providers and pharmacies grapple with legality, stock, retraining and reeducation. Beth Schlachter, Director of Global Advocacy for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: "For 22 years, Mifepristone has been safely used in medical abortion care across the U.S., allowing healthcare providers to deliver safe, practical and discreet care to people who have chosen to end their pregnancies, regardless of their economic status or ability to travel. "In one fell swoop, anti-abortion extremists have once again stripped people of their rights in another blow to liberty. This horror ruling based on junk science, wilful distortion of fact and extreme political agendas will profoundly affect the lives of millions of people already struggling to access the care they need, especially in states where abortion is already banned." Anti-abortion extremists deliberately filed the case against the approval of Mifepristone in the Amarillo division of the Northern District of Texas — a single-judge division where cases are automatically assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative judge appointed by former President Trump. The group claim that: "the statutory basis on which the FDA's approval of Mifepristone was issued 22 years ago is invalid" - an assertion both the Government Accountability Office and FDA have previously investigated and put to rest "an 1873 vice law that made it illegal to send "obscene, lewd or lascivious" material through the mail applies to abortion pills" - federal courts have consistently ruled it doesn't apply to lawful abortions "the drug's original approval wasn't supported by evidence of safety and efficacy" — a claim that medical and policy experts have continuously discredited Beth Schlachter, added: "The implementation of a national ban on Mifepristone via a state court debunks one of the principal anti-abortion arguments in the Roe v Wade case  - that the ruling curtailed state freedom and that abortion rights should be defined on a state-by-state basis. "This weaponization of federal courts by anti-abortion extremists proves just how dangerous the overturning of Roe v Wade is for everyday Americans, whose access to healthcare now lies in the hands of fanatical religious extremists determined to disrupt, harass and deceive until they end access to abortion care and long-held sexual and reproductive rights for good." The International Planned Parenthood Federation's local partner, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, will continue to provide abortion care where safe and legal to do so. Those seeking medical abortion can also access care via AidAccess and WomenonWeb. At least two abortion networks, Trust Women and Whole Womans Health, have also announced that they will not immediately stop prescribing Mifepristone and will await a directive from the FDA – a move known as a conscientious provision which refers to providers who continue to provide care despite the legal parameters.   Alongside its partner and other reproductive health organizations, IPPF will keep fighting for access to abortion care, freedom from stigma and freedom from criminalization until everyone, everywhere, is free to make choices about their sexuality and well-being. [i] https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/42/8a/428ab2ad-3798-4e3d-8a9f-213203f0af65/191011-the-facts-on-mifepristone-d01.pdf [ii] Ibid For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey at [email protected] or [email protected]   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 118 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 have 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.  

The Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Dr Alvaro Bermejo, is in Australia this week for high level meetings with Australian Government Ministers and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). He is joined by Ms Tomoka Fukuda, Regional Director of IPPF’s East and Southeast Asia and Oceania Region (ESEAOR) and Ms Phoebe Ryan, IPPF’s Chief of the Australia and New Zealand Office. In Australia, Dr Bermejo has been privileged to meet with Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy. Together, they discussed how Australia can play a leadership role in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights through Australia’s international development cooperation. Last week, Dr Bermejo and Ms Fukuda visited IPPF’s Member Association in Solomon Islands, the Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA). In Solomon Islands, they witnessed SIPPA’s life-saving and critical work delivering sexual and reproductive healthcare on the ground, including mobile outreach in remote communities of Malaita Province. Australia has been a long-standing and critical partner to IPPF, supporting programming to reach women, girls, and marginalized groups across the development–humanitarian continuum around the world, with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific. In December 2022, IPPF and DFAT signed a new four-year global funding agreement for 2023 to 2026, part of which includes dedicated support to programming across the Pacific. AUD 19 million is dedicated as global funding towards the delivery of IPPF’s Strategy 2028, along with a further AUD 5.7 million to support the delivery of IPPF’s Pacific Niu Vaka Strategy, Phase 2. This generous investment will enable IPPF to reach an anticipated 1.8 million people in the Pacific over the next six years with 4.2 million essential sexual and reproductive services. IPPF is proud to stand alongside our Pacific MAs as they continue to advocate for the health and rights of those most underserved and excluded, reaching communities with essential information and high quality, person-centred sexual and reproductive health care.     In 2021, IPPF reached over 72 million people around the world with more than 155 million sexual and reproductive health services and contributed to 121 policy and legislative changes in defence of SRHR. IPPF is grateful for Australia’s ongoing support in enabling this impact. IPPF’s Director General, Alvaro Bermejo shared: “IPPF are delighted to be working with the Australian Government to continue improving the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls across the globe. We are grateful to them for helping us deliver more services and support at a time when inequalities are deepening, the opposition is growing, and humanitarian crises continue to place the lives of millions, particularly women and girls, at risk. As we look to build the future with our new strategy, continued support from global partners is crucial to achieving a world where everyone has access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. We hope DFAT’s strong global commitment will inspire other global leaders to take action.” For media enquiries, please contact Karmen Ivey on [email protected] or Phoebe Ryan on [email protected]    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 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.

Profamilia – an IPPF Member Association and the leading sexual and reproductive rights organization in Colombia – is celebrating the first anniversary of the decriminalization of abortion across the country. The move - Ruling C-055 - which allows abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation under any circumstance is saving lives across Colombia, and means those who have an abortion no longer face prosecution or criminalization. A historic step for the rights of women and pregnant people both in the country and across Latin America. Over the last year, Profamilia via its nationwide network of more than 50 clinics has helped guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights, focusing on providing safe abortion care services in person as well as the provision of telemedicine for rural women.   For a country which sees 132,000 cases annually of complications from unsafe abortions and 70 women lose their lives each year – the shift in focus to abortion as a public health issue means healthcare providers can now focus on providing life-saving care and ending unsafe abortion. Alongside the ruling, the Ministry of Health, has also regulated abortion services throughout Colombia via Resolution 051, reiterating that abortion is an essential and urgent health service, which women, including migrant women, and pregnant people (transgender men, trans masculinities, non-binary people, among others) must be able to access without restriction and for free. Further rulings also embeds the provision of sexual and reproductive health information into Colombian health services. Marta Royo, the Executive Director of ProFamilia, said: "Profamilia's commitment will always be to provide comprehensive, humanized and safe services that allow free and informed decision making, and we reiterate this today” "After one year it is possible to see the progress the country has made in terms of reproductive autonomy and rights for women and pregnant people. However, we must move from text to action, and ensure that decriminalization means healthcare. Profamilia's commitment will always be to provide comprehensive, humanized and safe services that allow free and informed decision making." Eugenia López Uribe, Regional Director of IPPF for the Americas and The Caribbean.

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 [email protected] or [email protected]   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.

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 [email protected] or [email protected]  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

The International Planned Parenthood Federation has joined an international network to promote and sustain improved health and agency in low- and middle-income countries through Agency for All Project The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has funded a $38 million, five-year project led by the Center on Gender Equity and Health (GEH) at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science. The project is an international, multi-institutional effort to understand and promote agency for individuals, communities and local organizations in low- and middle-income countries. “Agency for All” is intended to develop and foster social and behavioral research resulting in a better understanding of how to promote the voices of local people within their own communities and within health and development programming. It addresses multiple dimensions of health and well-being, including maternal and child health, infectious disease, HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health. The program will work with diverse populations across the globe, with a focus on Africa and South Asia. GEH will coordinate the consortium of global, regional and local leaders to conduct research and implement solutions, informed by local priorities and agendas, said Rebecka Lundgren, PhD, an applied anthropologist and associate professor of infectious diseases and global public health, who will serve as project director.  “Agency for All will look at the complex questions of ‘agency,’ and what that means for different people, organizations and systems around the world, as well as for our own consortium partners,” said Lundgren. “We are honored to bring together a global consortium of world class researchers and implementers to discover what works to convert intention into action within social and behavior change programs and make it work for real people.” The initiative will concentrate on three geographical areas or hubs in East Africa, West Africa and South Asia, collaborating with specific organizations and networks in those regions. In addition to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, these partners include the Centre for Catalyzing Change (India), Evidence for Sustainable Human Development Systems in Africa (Cameroon), Makerere University (Uganda), Matchboxology (South Africa), Sambodhi (India), Shujaaz, Inc. (Kenya), University of Witwatersrand (South Africa), CORE Group, Promundo-US, Save the Children and Viamo. “These locally-led partnerships are critical,” said Paul Bukuluki, PhD, director of research for Agency for All and an associate professor at Makerere University. “We hope to develop context-specific mechanisms for measuring agency, and more effectively evaluate the approaches that help us improve the quality of life of women and men at the margins of society.” About the Center on Gender Equity and Health  The GEH conducts multidisciplinary research to understand and eliminate gender inequities, specifically in the areas of child marriage, unpaid labor, gender-based violence and gender social norms.  It is directed by Anita Raj, PhD, professor of infectious diseases and global public health in the UC San Diego School of Medicine.