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.

For the first time, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has adopted Agreed Conclusions on the theme of Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. IPPF actively engaged in the process by providing technical input and raising awareness about the interlinkages between SRHR, digital technologies, gender equality, and the empowerment and human rights of all women and girls. IPPF was well represented at the Commission with the following member associations actively involved in advocacy efforts and included on national delegations: the Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA), Rutgers (Netherlands), Profamilia Colombia, and RFSU (the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education). This was the Commission’s first in-person convening since 2019. During the global Covid-19 pandemic, civil society space was limited at the CSW as the sessions were conducted entirely online or only open to a limited number of civil society organizations (CSOs). This year’s session therefore constituted the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that many CSOs could meet and mobilize in person; the session welcomed a record number of 8000 participants to CSW. The experience and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic highlights the importance of ensuring transparency and adequate access to civil society as well as the need to ensure that restrictions that were enforced under Covid-19 do not hamper access for CSOs going forward.   Geopolitical landscape The negotiations were led by the Ambassador of Argentina and culminated in over weeks of negotiations between Member States on this new and important theme. For the first time, the facilitator and the Bureau decided to launch negotiations with some paragraphs containing previously agreed language “closed” so delegates could instead focus on advancing language and normative standards that related to this new priority theme. The geopolitical backdrop to this year’s negotiations was, at times, extremely divided, with key issues such as the right to development, transfer of technology, sexual and reproductive health and rights, comprehensive sexuality education, multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, family-related language and the issue of foreign occupation causing political stalemate at times. Nonetheless, in the end, a consensus was reached, and strong Agreed Conclusions were adopted in the early morning hours on the last day of the Commission. Overall, gains were made on the important and ever-evolving area of technology, innovation, education and gender equality.  Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights IPPF welcomes strong references to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), health care-services, and sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights: in particular, preambular paragraphs 67, 69 and operative paragraphs (0), (p), and (ll). IPPF welcomes the CSW’s recognition of the important role of digital health, including digital health technologies, digital tools, telemedicine, and mobile health, to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information, and education. We also welcome that CSW recognises the need to ensure that such technologies and tools are developed in consultation with women and, as appropriate, girls, and that these technologies are science and evidence-based while protecting personal information, including health information and doctor-patient confidentiality, and prioritize consent and informed decision-making (1). Member States were able to agree on a new operative paragraph on SRH-care services which constitutes a gain beyond what was achieved last year. Digital technologies and new innovations are already having an impact on SRHR and education, for example, by the provision of sexuality education, online information, and the use of telemedicine and apps to provide people with counselling and SRH-care. The consensus reached at this year’s Commission reflects the broad-based support of Member States to take steps to address the opportunities and challenges that arise in the context of SRH and innovation, technological change, and education. Adolescents  We also welcome the Agreed Conclusion’s strong references to adolescents, including preambular paragraph 19, which is a standalone paragraph that discusses the disproportionate discrimination and violence that adolescents face and that occur through or are amplified by the use of technology. We also welcome references to adolescents in PP53, PP66, (ll), (uu), and (ee), including pregnant adolescents, young mothers, and single mothers to enable them to continue and complete their education and provide catch-up and literacy, including digital literacy. Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination  We regret that references to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination were contested by some delegations, especially given the relevance to this year’s theme. It is well documented that women, adolescents, and girls facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination (MIFD) are more likely to face discrimination and violence through or amplified by technology. They also lack access to technological opportunities and advancements. We regret that the Agreed Conclusions do not have a standalone paragraph linking the priority theme to MIFD, which also constitutes a setback from last year’s agreement, where there were three references to MIFD, as opposed to this year’s text which only includes two.  Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) The text includes a standalone paragraph on comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in operative paragraph (ll), which is language that has previously been adopted at the Commission. Though there were attempts to build on this language and advance on normative standards relating to CSE, these proposals were ultimately dropped at a late hour due to the inability to reach consensus on suggested new language. We regret that discussions stalled on CSE, as this is an area that has been well documented by UN agencies as an effective preventative and evidence-based intervention that can improve the health, well-being, and lives of young people, as well as prevent the incidence of gender-based violence and sexually transmitted infections. This is especially unfortunate, given this year’s priority theme and the focus on education.  Technology-facilitated gender-based violence The discussions on the phenomenon of technology-facilitated gender-based violence became politically contested, with some delegations insisting that this terminology constituted a new technical term, requiring a comprehensive definition were it to be referenced in the text. It was, therefore not possible to have a reference to the term in the text even though the phenomenon was well described and prioritized therein. In this regard, we welcome the numerous references to gender-based violence and particularly the recognition that girls are often at greater risk of being exposed to and experience various forms of discrimination and gender-based violence and harmful practices, including through the use of technology and social media (2). Furthermore, we welcome references to ‘non-consenual’ in preambular paragraph 56 and operative paragraph (uuu), as this concerns critical violations of rights and freedoms that women, adolescents, and girls are subject to. These well-documented abuses can be exacerbated by technology; in this regard, the principle of non-consensual is critical to acknowledging the autonomy of women, adolescents, and girls in decisions affecting their sexual, reproductive, and intimate lives.  Right to privacy and personal data Greater need for practices and laws that guarantee the protection of sensitive personal and health data has increased alongside the rise of digital technologies. We therefore welcome the Commission’s recognition that women - and particularly girls - often do not and/or cannot provide their free, explicit, and informed consent to the collection, processing, use, storage, or sale of their personal data (3). We also welcome the Commission’s emphasis on the need to address the digital divide for migrant women and girls and ensure their online connectivity and equitable access to services while upholding the protection of personal data and their right to privacy (4). Finally, we also welcome that the Commission underscores the importance of applying standards for the collection, use, and sharing of data, retention, archiving, and deletion to ensure the protection of women’s and girls’ personal data and to strengthen their ownership of their own personal data (5). Human rights references We welcome the strong references to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women and girls in the text. In particular, we welcome acknowledgement of the risks and opportunities that the evolving nature of technology brings in terms of realizing the human rights of women, adolescents, girls, and other marginalized groups and the action required by Member States and relevant stakeholders to mitigate against risks and protect, respect, and fulfil the human rights of all women and girls. This year’s Agreed Conclusions has almost double as many references relating to the human rights of women and girls. This constitutes a huge advancement and is testament to the resounding cross-regional support for upholding the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women and girls.  Putting the Agreed Conclusions into practice Despite intensive and, at times, difficult political deliberations around key issues, the adoption of Agreed Conclusions signals the strong cross-regional support for the mandate of the Commission and its priority theme. It also reflects cross-regional support for key issues, including SRHR, human rights, preventing, addressing and eliminating gender-based violence, especially gender-based violence occurring and being amplified through technology. The importance and success of the Agreed Conclusions lie in its implementation at the national level. IPPF and its member associations are well placed as a locally owned, global Federation to work to ensure the implementation of the Agreed Conclusions at national, regional, and global levels. This will ultimately and most importantly benefit the lives of women, adolescents, girls and other marginalized groups in the communities where they live.  (1) PP69 (2) PP52 (3) PP39 (4) PP82 (5) OP qqq  Photo Credit: UN Women/Ryan Brown 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 70 years, IPPF, through its 108 Member Associations and 7 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.

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.

Today, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), IPAS Partners for Reproductive Justice (IPAS), and MSI Reproductive Choices (MSI) launched “Defend the Frontline Defenders of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights” - a joint initiative to strengthen protection of frontline sexual and reproductive health workers and advocates.  The five global organizations called on the wider health sector and authorities around the world to step up efforts  to ensure that all health workers and advocates are able to go about their daily work without stigma, fear, threat or intimidation.a joint initiative to strengthen protection of frontline sexual and reproductive health workers and advocates.  The five global organizations called on the wider health sector and authorities around the world to step up efforts  to ensure that all health workers and advocates are able to go about their daily work without stigma, fear, threat or intimidation. Hostility directed against frontline healthcare workers and advocates reportedly occurs most often at the hands of patients and their families and visitors.  Notably however, those working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) often face hostility also from their colleagues, institutions, local communities and public figures too.   The five organizations, global leaders in the field of SRHR, highlighted that in their experience, wherever stigma is associated with provision of, or advocacy for, services and information about, for example, safe abortion, contraception, HIV/AIDs, or LGBTQI+ persons, that stigma also attaches to the professionals concerned. The organizations stressed that, around the world, health workers and advocates face greater discrimination, harassment and, at times, even physical attack, in settings and contexts where laws, public policies, government leaders and other public authorities are hostile to sexual and reproductive health and rights.   Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: “IPPF sexual and reproductive health service providers around the world are regularly subjected to threats and abuse as they tirelessly work to deliver life-saving services. This is an unacceptable situation that must stop. Anti-rights and anti-gender perpetrators should not prevent people from accessing essential care or from making decisions about their sexuality and reproduction. All human beings should enjoy bodily autonomy to the full. As a major service provider and leading advocate of SRHR with members in over 120 countries, IPPF joins this call to action and urges Governments to ensure the safety of all health care providers and advocates as human rights defenders, without harassment, discrimination and abuse” Public debates about SRHR and associated health services are among the most ideologically charged. Narratives opposed to SRHR from political and community leaders, alongside regressive policies and laws, mean greater hostility directed against those who provide, protect and promote SRHR for us all.  Facing discrimination, belittlement, harassment and even violence not only against themselves, but their places of work, and even their families, frontline SRHR workers and advocates, across the globe, must draw on their own reserves of courage, commitment and resilience just to continue their daily work. Dr. Jeanne Conry, President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, explained: “It is unacceptable that those on the frontline providing essential sexual and reproductive health care are on the receiving end of discrimination and violence for simply doing their jobs. We all know colleagues who have battled with stigma, career blocking, physical attack and other forms of harassment, forfeiting their mental and physical health and wellbeing in the process. This cannot go on. Alongside our partners, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) is determined to raise awareness of this issue, and commits to effecting change for our colleagues providing sexual and reproductive health services around the world.”    Designed to help strengthen support and protection for the human rights of those on the frontlines, providing and advocating for sexual and reproductive health services and the needed policy and legal reforms, this new joint initiative aims to: Establish better standards for workplace response to hostility against workers and advocates in recognition of their human rights to work without stigma, discrimination, threat, attack etc.;  Initiate closer global monitoring of the incidence and prevalence of such threats and attacks; and,  Raise public awareness of the consequences of unchecked public hostility against SRHR for frontline workers and advocates Dr. Franka Cadée, President of the International Confederation of Midwives, said: “ICM is in regular communication with many of its more than 140 midwives' associations located in over 120 countries. We know that every day, midwives suffer from gender-based abuse and harassment on the job and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this type of discriminatory treatment in new ways. When midwives’ rights are abused or taken advantage of, women and girls everywhere suffer. Robust investments are needed in policies, pay and protections that allow midwives to perform their full scope of practice.” This new joint initiative - “Defend the Frontline Defenders of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights” will also undertake ground-breaking research to establish better understanding of what public hostility to SRHR means for those on the frontlines.  While there is anecdotal evidence across the sector, to date little data has been gathered on the extent of the hostility faced, and none on its direct causes and consequences.  Nor has there been benchmarking against which to assess global trends over time.  Dr. Anu Kumar, Ipas President and CEO, said: "Around the world, abortion providers and advocates bring dedication, compassion and courage to their work--often in the face of harassment, stigma, and even violence. Just as sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential, the people who care for us are essential. Frontline SRHR defenders are our partners for reproductive justice, and at Ipas we are committed to ensuring their human rights are respected and protected." Frontline workers provide services essential for us all, explained the five organizations, recalling how vital health workers were shown to be throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.  Ensuring SRHR workers and advocates are safe, treated with respect, and are able to go about their work with dignity, means respecting their fundamental human rights, including their labour rights and their rights to redress when attacked.  It also means challenging the impunity more often enjoyed by those who incite such attacks.  The five organizations issued a Call To Action, published by BMJ Global Health, urging the wider health sector to join them in stepping up attention and focus on the dignity of their staff, particularly in circumstances and contexts of hostility to SRHR.  It is past time for our sector to also tackle directly the impunity enjoyed by those who, through speech and action, fester hostility to SRHR and thus to frontline workers, the organizations said. Kate Austen, MSI Reproductive Choices’ Institutional Resilience Lead, said: “At MSI, we are committed to expanding access to reproductive choice because we believe in every woman’s right to make choices about her body and her life. This work is only possible because of the courage of our frontline healthcare workers who work tirelessly to protect sexual and reproductive rights despite facing daily harassment, stigma and abuse.  It’s time to say enough is enough. Alongside our partners, we pledge to do everything we can to step up, respect and protect the rights of our colleagues to work and advocate free from fear, threat, and intimidation.” 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.