With support from the Government of Japan, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Member Associations in five countries, namely Afghanistan, Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, will provide urgent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to communities affected by natural disasters and conflict situations.  These IPPF Member Associations will: Provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and maternal and child health services for women and girls and marginalized communities in six remote and flood affected provinces in Afghanistan; Provide urgent sexual and reproductive health services to communities affected by the escalating violence in Palestine; Improve accessibility of services and community sustainability to decrease sexual and reproductive health-related mortality and morbidity of women and girls in three States with high internally-displaced populations in Sudan; Restore health facilities and access to maternal health services in conflict affected areas for populations affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine;  Provide critical sexual, reproductive and maternal health care to internally displaced people and local communities in Yemen. This vital funding from Japan will help with provision of badly needed but currently missing health services, especially for women, so that they can live with dignity and free from unwanted pregnancies, death of themselves and their newborns, and reproductive ill-health. It will allow us to provide essential and quality SRH and maternal and child health services in the communities, prevent and manage the consequences of sexual and gender-based violence, including the clinical management of rape, equip community-based midwives with skills to provide high quality obstetric and neonatal services and strengthen health information systems to collect high quality data to respond to the needs and priorities of women and girls’ health. IPPF Director General, Dr Alvaro Bemejo, said, "I offer heartfelt thanks to the Government of Japan for their  unparalleled generosity to enable IPPF to respond to the needs of women and girls caught up in crises around the world. This generosity will allow IPPF and our local partners to provide a critical lifeline to the growing number of people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance."   By the end of December 2024, IPPF, through our local partners in the five countries, will aim to deliver health services and information to at least 239,000 people in total.   For further information, please contact Yuri Taniguchi, IPPF London Office, at [email protected].   Photo Credits: IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch/Sudan

On 17 January 2023, Japanese House of Representatives member Dr Toshiko Abe and Ambassador Yoichi Nakashima, Ambassador of Japan to Palestine and Representative of Japan to Palestine, visited the activity sites of the project "To improve human security in Palestine: bringing life-saving sexual and reproductive health services to those who need them most", which is being implemented by IPPF’s Member Association in Palestine, the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) with support from the Government of Japan. They visited al Namsawi Neighbourhood in Khan Younis, a particularly marginalised area in northern Gaza, where health services are working very hard to reach for the local population. Dr Abe observed a medical campaign run by a PFPPA team together with staff of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The medical team consisting of a gynecologist, a pediatrician, a nurse, a social worker and volunteers, provides services such as treatment of sexually transmitted infections treatment, anemia, sexual abuse and harmful sexual practices, attempted unsafe abortion, GBV screening and counselling to the target population. PFPPA was established in Jerusalem in 1964, and is an independent, non-profit, and non-governmental association working in both Gaza and West Bank. PFPPA focuses on the provision of comprehensive and diverse sexual and reproductive health, including that related to SGBV. Their focus is on women and girls, the vast majority being served within a humanitarian context. The project will continue its activities in Gaza and the West Bank (Halful, Bethlehem and Ramallah) until the end of August 2023. More information about the project can be found here. More information on PFPPA can be found here.  

On 8 June 2022 in Ramallah, Palestine, there was the inauguration of the project “Improving Human Security in Palestine Through Life-saving Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Services for People Most in Need," funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association, which is IPPF’s Member Association in Palestine.  Recent studies indicate an increase in the number of cases of gender-based violence in Palestine, which requires rapid and timely interventions in terms of psychological and social support, medical services, women and child health services, and sexual and reproductive health services for survivors. This project will seek to address these unmet needs, by providing quality clinic-based SRHR services for women, youth and vulnerable communities in Gaza and the West Bank. It will also expand access to high-quality, life-saving sexual and reproductive health services to communities.  Mr. Masayuki Magoshi, Ambassador of Japan for Palestinian Affairs, said, “We believe that having to living in fear of violence and sexual abuse are core issues of universal human rights. Peace in the region will never be attainable or sustainable in the long term if we do not apply a gender lens to issues. This project is significant in terms of Japan’s continuous commitment toward Palestinian people, especially women. I would like to reaffirm our commitments in line with international solidarity to Palestine, to ensure the implementation of the targets for the 2030 Agenda on maternal, newborn and maternal health in emergencies and ensuring that women have access to comprehensive health care.”  Dr. Amal Hamad, the Palestinian Minister of Women Affairs, said, “the health sector plays a major role in providing comprehensive primary health care to all members of the society, especially services which are directed to women. We are committed to the SDGs especially SDG 3 and SDG 5 in particular and we will keep working to promote for them.” Mr. Sami Natsheh, the Board of Directors President for the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association, said, “The project aims at enabling vulnerable and underserved Palestinian women and girls living in difficult humanitarian environments to access and promote sexual and reproductive health services and rights, including services to reduce and combat sexual and gender-based violence by increasing the provision of high quality sexual and reproductive health services.” Dr Fadoua Bakhadda, Regional Director, IPPF Arab World Regional Office, said, ”This project is like a life jacket for women in Palestine, especially those in protracted crisis areas. This funding will ensure the continued provision of essential sexual and reproductive health services, including safe delivery, pregnancy care, family planning, HIV and disease prevention, sexually transmitted infections and their treatment, quality post abortion care, and psychosocial support for survivors of gender-based violence”. Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA): Established in Jerusalem in 1964, the PFPPA is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental organization registered locally and IPPF’s Member Association in Palestine. PFPPA has service delivery points, located in the West Bank Areas of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and Halhoul, in addition to one in the Gaza Strip. In cooperation with local partners PFPPA is also responsible for 4 safe spaces to provide Gender Based Violence (GBV) related services in the Jerusalem area. PFPPA is focuses specifically to provide people with diverse options of SRHR services and is the only organization (GO or NGO) that provides contraceptive implants as a FP method. PFPPA is pioneer in the Harm Reduction module for the provision of Abortion Related Services and has provided Technical Assistance and shared their experience on this module with other local like minded organizations in addition to other IPPF Member Association’s as well. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Arab World Office: 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. Today, we are a movement of over 120 autonomous member associations and 23 collaborative partners with a presence in 146 countries. Established in 1971 the IPPF Arab World Region (IPPF AWR) is one of IPPF’s six regional offices. Based in Tunis, it is the leading Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) service delivery organization in the North Africa and the Middle East, and the leading Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. For further information, or to arrange an interview with PFPPA’s Executive Director, Ms. Ammal Awadallah, please contact Ms. Abeer Dahbour, Communications Officer, PFPPA at [email protected]

In a landmark verdict today, the High Court of Malindi has ruled that safe abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers, for seeking or offering such services, is completely illegal. Specifically, the Court ruled that: Abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers seeking or offering such services is illegal. Protecting access to abortion impacts vital Constitutional values, including dignity, autonomy, equality, and bodily integrity. Criminalizing abortion under Penal Code without Constitutional statutory framework is an impairment to the enjoyment of women’s reproductive right. For years, women and girls in Kenya have faced sustained and pervasive discrimination hampering their access to seeking reproductive healthcare services; the 1963 Penal Code criminalizes all abortion care, including those allowed under the Constitution 2010, which guarantees the right to healthcare, including access to reproductive health services. The Constitution only permits safe abortion if in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is at risk/in danger. The court case in question, filed in November 2020, involved PAK, a minor 16 years of age from Kilifi County. PAK experienced complications during pregnancy and immediately sought medical care at a nearby clinic where a trained clinical officer attended to her. Upon examining her, the clinical officer determined that she had lost the pregnancy and proceeded to provide her with essential and life-saving post-abortion care. Policy officers stormed the clinic, in the midst of the treatment, stopping the medical procedure and confiscating PAK’s treatment records. They then proceeded to illegally arrest both PAK and the clinical officer. Both were taken to Ganze Police Patrol Base where PAK was not allowed to access further medical care for the next two days and was forced to sign a statement which was contrary to PAK’s description of the events. The police also forced PAK to undergo another detailed medical examination at Kilifi County Hospital to obtain evidence to prove the alleged offence of abortion. The clinical officer was detained for one week while PAK was remanded to a juvenile remand for more than a month, whilst she and her family sought to secure the cash bail for her release. The Malindi High Court has further directed the Parliament to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Kenyan Constitution. Additionally, the Court has confirmed that communication between a patient and the healthcare provider is confidential, which is guaranteed and protected under the Constitution and other enabling laws, save for where the disclosure is consented to by the patient or is in the public interest in line with the limitations as provided for in the Constitution. In its decision, the Court also ruled that PAK was recovering from medical procedure and police did not have the medical qualifications to determine and confirm that she was medically-fit to leave the clinic, regardless of her admission status at the clinic. Additionally, the Court found that PAK’s arrest was inhuman and degrading, and being a minor, she ought not to have been interrogated without legal representation. Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Africa Regional Director from the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: “We are absolutely delighted to hear this news and applaud the High Court of Malindi's ruling confirming that abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers for seeking or offering such services is illegal. We are also very pleased to hear that the Court has directed Parliament to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Constitution. This is a victory for women and girls not only in Kenya, but across Africa! Access to quality abortion is essential to guarantee the health and reproductive rights of women and girls everywhere. At IPPF, we are committed to reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods for fear of arrests and harassment. We will continue to supply and support safe and legal abortion services and care for women and girls everywhere.” The petitioners were represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights a network of reproductive health providers whose member was the second petitioner in this case and a collaborative partner of IPPF. The advocates were Martin Onyango, Head of Legal Strategies for Africa, and Prudence Mutiso, Legal Advisor for Africa. Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK), , welcomed the court’s decision: “Many qualified reproductive healthcare practitioners continue to be arrested, detained, and prosecuted for providing legal medical care. The court’s decision confirms that prosecution against health providers cannot hold where the prosecution has not established that; the health professional in question was unqualified to conduct the procedure; the life or health of the woman was not in danger or the woman was not in need of emergency treatment,” Ms. Munyasia said. Evelyne Opondo, Senior Regional Director for Africa at Center for Reproductive Rights said: “Today’s victory is for all women, girls, and healthcare providers who have been treated as criminals for seeking and providing abortion care. The court has vindicated our position by affirming that forcing a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term or to seek out an unsafe abortion is a gross violation of her rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. Further, the continued restrictive abortion laws inhibit quality improvement possible to protect women with unintended pregnancies.” Center fact sheet: “The Impact of the Misalignment Between Kenya’s Constitution and the Penal Code on Access to Reproductive Health Care”

18 July, Durban: Gender Based Violence (GBV) must be recognised and addressed if we are to end HIV and AIDS urged the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) at a panel during the International AIDS Conference Monday. The impact of HIV among women and girls in all their diversity is significant and alarming. Women’s greater physical vulnerability to HIV is compounded by social norms, gender inequalities, poverty and violence. Women living with HIV are also more likely to face stigmatisation, infertility, and even abuse and abandonment, contributing to their disempowerment. In East and Southern Africa, the risk of HIV among women who have experienced violence maybe three times higher In Uganda and South Africa studies found women who experienced intimate partner violence were 50 per cent more likely to have HIV than women who had not experienced violence. In many countries in Africa, getting married is among the ‘riskiest’ behaviour for women, where they may be exposed to unprotected sex with a husband who has multiple sexual partners, and to underlying power dynamics between men and women that prevent women from accessing condoms and then insisting on their use. Julia Omondi, a 24 year old advocate from Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK) highlighted the most common root causes of gender based violence and HIV, ‘I work with a group of 50 young girls like myself, called the 3E advocates to prevent girls from child marriage; support girls who are living with HIV to understand their rights, make parents and communities aware of the laws that protect girls from child marriage. We need to raise our voices to stop child marriage and turn the tide against HIV’. “Empowerment + Engagement = Equality” is a joint project supported by UN Women and IPPF implemented in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda to address HIV vulnerability among adolescent girls and young women by engaging and empowering them. Traditional leaders like the senior chief Theresa Kachindamoto from Malawi spoke of her role to change harmful gender related practices, she said, ‘Chiefs as custodians of culture should be  at the forefront to end cultural practices that negatively affect people’s health like sexual cleansing (Fisi), chief blanket. My village is now a model for others and my fellow chiefs come to learn about the change I have brought to Dedtza district in Malawi.’      Nazneen Damji, Policy Advisor- gender equality, health and HIV/AIDS at UN Women, highlighted the recognition by global leaders on the importance of addressing GBV and HIV. “Violence, and the fear of violence, can play a major role in women’s reluctance to know her HIV status and seek care.  Fortunately, the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS adopted in June at the UN General Assembly and the Resolution on women, the girl child and HIV adopted at the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women both call on governments to intensify efforts to end all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful practices that contribute to the spread of HIV amongst women and girls” ‘Civil society organisations like IPPF play an important part in holding governments accountable.  We shouldn’t underestimate our role as advocates to inform national, regional and global policies. If we are to address the dual epidemics of GBV and HIV we need to have progressive polices where perpetrators can be brought to justice and laws and policies uphold gender equality’  said  Zelda Nhlabatsi, the executive director of Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS). The session was sponsored  by IPPF Africa Region, UN Women and the Ford Foundation.