The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has welcomed today’s announcement by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) that an IPPF-led consortium has been selected within the UK Aid Connect programme under the theme of promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). 

The consortium is comprised of IPPF, Frontline AIDS, Internews, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, The Open University, and the Women’s Refugee Commission. This partnership brings together powerful expertise in programme delivery, research, capacity building, advocacy and communications, ensuring vital information, education and services reach marginalised populations and people in complex and challenging environments. 

Approaches in Complex and Challenging Environments for Sustainable SRHR (ACCESS) will leverage the consortium’s expertise to design and test innovative solutions that enable the most marginalised and under-served people to access comprehensive, evidence-based SRHR. The project seeks to bridge the gap between research and programming by drawing on existing and emerging evidence to inform the design of the programme through an adaptive, people-centred approach.  

Penny Mordaunt MP, UK Secretary of State for International Development said:

“Some of the most marginalised women and girls in the world are those living in conflict and crisis areas. Together we are pushing for a humanitarian system that responds to women and girls’ specific needs, but also sees them as active agents of change.”

IPPF Director General, Dr Alvaro Bermejo welcomed the partnership. He said:

“We bring distinct areas of expertise and are united by a shared commitment to improving the lives of the most marginalised populations. We critically need to work together to develop new and innovative approaches for bringing sexual and reproductive health and rights for those most in need.” 

The partners of the SRHR Connect programme were announced at a Women Deliver pre-conference event at the Canadian High Commission in London, UK. IPPF, Frontline AIDS, and the Women’s Refugee Commission are NGO Sponsors for the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, being held in Vancouver, Canada on 3-6 June 2019; the world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women.