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28 March 2025 - Today, reproductive justice activists worldwide are mobilising for the Global Day of Action to Destigmatize Abortion. Over 180 feminist organisations and collectives are uniting to challenge harmful narratives, dismantle barriers, and demand safe, stigma-free abortion access everywhere.  Abortion stigma, fuelled by patriarchy, misinformation, and control, continues to block access, criminalise care, and force people into unsafe conditions. This global campaign demands an end to abortion bans, medical gatekeeping, and the cultural shame that silences those who seek care.  “Deciding whether to continue a pregnancy is our right. The only people who should feel shame are those forcing us into unsafe conditions.” – Mariana Gonzalez, the International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma (Inroads).  Abortion bans don’t just control bodies—they reinforce systemic racism and classism. Wealthy people will always find ways to access safe abortion care, while those from marginalised communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and low-income people—face the harshest consequences. These bans are rooted in a long history of reproductive oppression, targeting those already denied healthcare, economic stability, and bodily autonomy. Restricting abortion access isn’t about "protecting life", it’s about controlling who gets to make decisions about their future.  As anti-abortion movements gain momentum worldwide, this day of action is a rallying cry for bodily autonomy and real access to abortion care.  “Our fight has never been just about abortion—it’s about freedom. Who controls our bodies? We do. Anti-choice forces believe the state, the church, or the government should control us. But they will never stop us—and they will never stop abortion.” – Mara Clarke, Supporting Abortions for Everyone (S.A.F.E.)  “We refuse to be dictated to by anti-rights groups and governments that have seized power. We will continue to fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all—especially those who have been excluded and criminalised.” – Melissa Cockroft, Global Lead - Abortion, IPPF  Globally, 1 in 3 women will have an abortion in their lifetime. Every year, 73 million abortions take place, accounting for 61% of all unintended pregnancies. Bans don’t stop abortions from happening, they just make it more dangerous. Giving birth is 14 times riskier than having an abortion, yet anti-choice bans claim to care about safety while forcing many into unwanted pregnancies with far greater health risks.   “Abortion bans don’t protect anyone. They isolate people, fuel criminalisation, and put lives at risk. Everyone deserves access to care without fear or shame.” – Debanjana Choudhuri, WGNRR  The fight isn’t just about legality, it’s about access, dignity, and justice. While anti-abortion forces push for criminalisation, activists are building a global network of support that transcends borders, oppressive systems, and state control.  “We are constructing a new model for reproductive justice—one that is rooted in community, care, and the belief that everyone has the right to decide what happens to their own body.” – Lucia Berro Pizzarossa, WHW & Vecinas Feministas  Abortion is a human right, and we are claiming it.  ENDS  For media inquiries, contact:  Mariana, Communications Manager, inroads – [email protected]   Nerida Williams, Senior Media Advisor, IPPF – [email protected]  Notes:  In over 50 countries, abortion is still criminalized, putting lives at risk. Even where it is legal, stigma-fueled barriers limit authentic access and force people to navigate unnecessary restrictions, shaming, and delays.  Self-managed abortion is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as safe and effective. Studies show that 99% of people who use abortion pills successfully end their pregnancies, with 96.4% not requiring any surgical support. (National Center for Biotechnology Information)  Abortion is also essential for miscarriage care. The same medical procedures and medication used for abortion are critical for safely treating common miscarriages and preventing complications. Abortion bans put all pregnant people at great risk. (Mayo Clinic)   To commemorate this day, multiple resources & events are being organized and shared on the march28.org website. Abortion advocates and allies are invited to join the events and raise awareness on March 28th. 

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

On International Women Human Rights Defenders Day, a coalition of human rights organizations are launching a new set of guidelines for governments to protect frontline abortion rights defenders, including healthcare providers. Amnesty International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Ipas, MSI Reproductive Choices, the Organisation Pour Le Dialogue Pour L’Avortement Sécurisé (ODAS Centre) and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) published the Key principles and actions to safeguard abortion care providers as human rights defenders. The document provides a set of concrete recommendations for governments to guarantee that health professionals and other human rights defenders of the right to abortion care for women, girls and pregnant people, can do so without fear of attacks and intimidation. “Despite the global progress we have seen on sexual and reproductive health and rights over recent years, including steps to decriminalize abortion in many countries, defending abortion rights, which includes the provision of abortion by healthcare providers, remains a dangerous job,” said Fernanda Doz Costa, Gender, Racial Justice, Migrants & Refugees Programme Director at Amnesty International. “Abortion rights defenders are failed by many States. On the one hand, States are negligent in their obligation to protect them while, on the other hand, abortion continues to be restricted and criminalized. As such defenders are deemed less ‘deserving’ of support and protection and are actively targeted. The Key Principles show governments how to break this cycle,” said Melissa Cockroft, Global Lead on Abortion, IPPF. “Democracy, human rights, and abortion rights are under attack, and so too are the frontline defenders of these rights. They risk physical and verbal attacks, threats, smears and intimidation to ensure people have access to abortion – a critical and essential health care service. We stand with them today and every day in the fight for human rights, and call on the global community to do the same,” said Dr. Anu Kumar, President and CEO of Ipas. The Key Principles include practical recommendations to: Prevent violations by implementing specific protection protocols and establishing channels to report harassment and receive support;   Enable defenders to exercise their rights without fear by ensuring universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health, and decriminalizing abortion – as reinforced by the WHO’s Abortion guidelines; Safeguard defenders’ rights by protecting civic space and tackling abortion stigma; Provide redress, by stopping the criminalization of abortion defenders, and by bringing to justice those who attack them; “As the organized rollback of reproductive rights continues, the attacks being directed at healthcare providers are getting worse. It's time for States to uphold their duty and defend those who are risking everything to provide lifesaving care. We look forward to working alongside and together with governments, professional associations, donors, health facility managers, and civil society organisations to ensure frontline healthcare providers are given the support they deserve,” said Simon Cooke, MSI Reproductive Choices’ CEO. "Comprehensive abortion care is an essential health service. Midwives who provide these services are often subjected to discrimination, intimidation, and in some cases, even violence. In order to uphold women's right to safe abortion care, we need to protect and enable the midwives and health professionals who provide these services. To do this, professional associations, civil society, policy makers and governments need to implement the Key principles and actions to safeguard abortion care providers as human rights defenders," said Sandra Oyarzo Torres, ICM President. “We refuse to stay silent in the face of constant attempts to restrict and criminalize abortion and its defenders, and we commit to stand firmly with this fundamental human right,” said Kadidiatou SOW, Director of the ODAS Centre. An Amnesty International report in 2023 detailed the danger and difficulties faced by those who defend abortion rights and provide access to services, often in challenging circumstances, including midwives, doctors, nurses, doulas, activists and all those who help pregnant people manage their own abortions with medication. The report evidenced how many people working in healthcare settings are exposed to hostility and abuse from colleagues, employers, patients and others who oppose abortion.  Those working outside health facilities are also exposed to physical and verbal attacks, threats, smears and intimidation. Some are criminalized through prosecutions, investigations and arrests. The report also documents cases of stigmatization, isolation and ostracization, and restrictions on rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Attacks are more common in countries where abortion is stigmatized, restricted or criminalised. “Abortion is essential healthcare. Yet, as healthcare providers we are routinely faced with discrimination and violence for simply doing our jobs. Restrictive abortion laws and attitudes cause harm. They create hostile environments that feed abortion-related stigma that smears healthcare providers and those that seek abortion care as criminals. We all know colleagues, unfortunately, who have battled with stigma, career blocking, intimidation, physical attack, imprisonment, and even in the most extreme cases health care providers have been murdered,” said Dr Anne-Beatrice Kihara, President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). For more information or to organize an interview, please contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

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.     

The below is a joint press release between Amnesty International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, MSI Reproductive Choices, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), International Confederation of Midwives and Ipas. People who are defending the right to abortion and providing essential services are being stigmatized, intimidated, attacked and subjected to unjust prosecutions, making their work increasingly difficult and dangerous to carry out, said Amnesty International in a new report out today. The report, An Unstoppable Movement: A global call to recognize and protect those who defend the right to safe abortions, reveals how many healthcare workers, activists, advocates and accompaniers around the world face abuse, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment for supporting the right of women, girls and people to access abortions. Such an environment is prevalent including in countries where abortion is partially allowed by law. It is having a chilling, silencing and stigmatizing effect on all those defending access to abortion, as they live in constant fear of being attacked and prosecuted for providing abortion care, whether it is legal or not. It is also creating major barriers for women, girls and people who need abortion care – particularly those who are most marginalised. “The right to abortion is not an opinion. It is a matter of international standards and international legal norms. It is a right underpinned by many human rights, including the rights to physical and mental integrity, the right to health and the right not to be unlawfully and arbitrarily killed through the withdrawal of safe services. It is essential for the dignity of all women and girls, and of everyone who can become pregnant. Those who defend and enable exercise of that right deserve our respect and protection. Yet, many States around the world persist with policies of over-regulation and criminalization that generate hostile, even perilous environments for those who defend the right to abortion,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “Anti-abortion rhetoric, policies and laws stamp a target on the backs of health workers and advocates. Stigmatized, abused, discriminated against, criminalized, imprisoned, even killed - the rights of those who defend the right to abortion are under attack. But their human rights to work without fear, to provide essential services without threat, to exercise their professional skills without discrimination, must be respected and protected.” Isolated and unsupported While progressive abortion law reform continues, anti-abortion regressions impede access with the promotion of disinformation and toxic narratives - smear campaigns that hijack public discourse and agitate against the right to abortion and against those who defend it. “For many sexual and reproductive health providers this harassment and abuse has come to feel like just part of the job, but we cannot allow this to become the new normal,” said Sarah Shaw, MSI Reproductive Choices’ Head of Advocacy. “Enough is enough. It’s time to recognise abortion providers as human rights defenders and stand up for those who put their lives on the line to make choice possible.” Throughout the report, based on more than 40 interviews with abortion rights defenders from all over the world and with the support of global healthcare and grassroots organizations, people defending the right to abortion, particularly healthcare workers, explained how they often feel isolated and unsupported. Their work is not recognised, and they are left fearing the threat of criminalization, harassment, stigmatization, verbal threats and violence, as well as ostracization and burnout in the workplace. Some health workers have seen their personal details leaked online, while others are unsure whether they’ll make it home safely. For example: Venezuelan teacher and human rights defender Vannesa Rosales was criminalized for helping a woman and her 13-year-old daughter get access to abortion. In Poland, Justyna Wydrzyńska, a member of Abortion Without Borders and the Abortion Dream Team, was convicted for helping a woman access abortion pills earlier this year - a safe way of terminating a pregnancy. In Ghana, an advocate for sexual and reproductive rights said service providers have experienced physical violence and public shaming by members of the public, for educating people about contraception. “Violence against frontline sexual and reproductive health care providers is something that continues to happen unabated; it's about time the voices, experiences and concerns of our frontline defenders are heard,” said Alvaro Bermejo, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Director General. “As anti-abortion authorities around the world continue to deploy stigma, fear and hate-speech against those seeking and those providing services, we, as institutional champions of sexual and reproductive health and rights, commit to matching the courage of our frontline defenders.”

The recent approval of Japan's first oral abortion pill is an important step towards achieving gender equality and ensuring that women exercise their right to self-determination over their bodies, including pregnancy and childbirth. IPPF believes that true gender equality requires empowering women to be fully informed and in control of their bodies, thereby expanding their choices and enabling them to determine their own futures. Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), underlined the importance of this landmark milestone during a visit to Japan in April. Public support through public comments for the approval shows that the social situation in Japan is changing, with increased awareness of women's lives and health, reproductive freedom and women's rights. In its guidelines, the World Health Organisation (WHO) included oral abortion pills in the Essential Medicines Core List, in line with the evidence accumulated in the past, and removed the requirement of direct supervision by health professionals for their use as these pills can be used outside healthcare facilities without compromising safety and efficacy and the abortion process can be managed using the drug without direct supervision of health professionals. IPPF urges Japan to follow these WHO guidelines, including abortion as part of women's health care, and allow women to take safe oral abortion pills at home. Guaranteeing women in its own country access to these essential medicines is also in line with Japan's strong commitment and global pledge to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), ensuring that all women have access to medicines that save their health and lives, and that no one is left behind. IPPF looks forward to, and is committed to working with and supporting, Japan's future steps towards achieving a society that supports true gender equality, where women can exercise their right to self-determination over reproduction.

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.

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.”