The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has launched the CAD48 million "EmpowHER" project in partnership with Global Affairs Canada. The initiative aims to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for marginalised women, girls, and underserved communities across at least 11 countries. EmpowHER will enhance access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, deliver comprehensive sexuality education, and combat growing threats to SRHR through policy reform and advocacy. This partnership aligns with Canada’s commitment to gender equality and empowering young people to make informed choices about their well-being. Ensuring Inclusive SRHR Delivery for Women, Girls and Marginalise Communities (EmpowHER), is a large-scale initiative that will strengthen access to SRHR for the most marginalised and underserved groups, particularly women and girls. It will support millions of women, girls, and vulnerable communities in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mauritania, Sudan, Zambia, Uganda, Togo, Colombia, Ecuador and Pakistan. Through an intersectional, human rights-based feminist approach, EmpowHER will increase access to much needed rights-based SRH care, including access to person-centred safe and legal abortion care. It will deliver critical comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to empower young people to act on their sexual and reproductive rights (SRR) by expanding their access to quality, rights-based, and gender-sensitive CSE. Furthermore, this initiative will also counteract the growing threats to women’s and girls' sexual and reproductive health rights, by providing urgent support to improve policies and strengthen the capacity of movements and coalitions. Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General of IPPF, emphasised the critical need to protect and expand access to SRHR. “This new project will continue our mission of empowering women and girls, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa, to make informed decisions about their bodies. We will not only increase access to much needed SRHR services including safe and legal abortion but will also deliver CSE to young people and tackle the rollback of SRHR rights.” “We’re grateful to the Canadian Government for their support and continued partnership.” The funding, unveiled during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), is part of Canada’s 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights and aligns with its Feminist International Assistance Policy. Canada is committed to securing a more gender-equal world in which young people are empowered to exercise their rights and make free and informed decisions about their sexuality and well-being. "By supporting the EmpowHER initiative, Canada is taking another step towards achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls, in all their diversity, worldwide. This project will not only improve access to vital sexual and reproductive health services, but also ensure that the most marginalized communities can exercise their rights and make informed choices about their health and future. Together, we will strengthen partnerships that champion these rights and protect the progress we've made", said the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, Canada.

Commonly dubbed “the digital generation”, young people are driving innovative digital solutions to lead critical conversations related to sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice (SRHRJ). These solutions do not come easy, as many young people still feel the brunt of the gender digital divide which further marginalises women, girls, and gender expansive people. Young people also face challenges in navigating social media platforms whose content moderation policies increase censorship on content related to SRHRJ, particularly comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). Navigating this, young content creators have created new slangs and euphemisms that help convey their messages without experiencing the impact of censorship. They also use a range of platforms to build and sustain communities of practice that enable knowledge sharing, solidarity, and best practices for delivering CSE and promoting youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in hostile contexts. Youth Day 2024 honours the resilience of young people who are creating digital pathways for sustainable development. The United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) has partnered with several UN agencies to highlight the role of young people in driving change. Actions like these are critical to affirming the power of young people who are collectively working to overcome the barriers they face daily, to increase access to information for all. It is no secret that young people, across various cultural and social contexts, are demanding comprehensive sexuality education and SRH services. Research has also shown that CSE is important for developing young people particularly in creating positive identities and sense of self and wellness, increased knowledge of their rights, and decision making. Globally, CSE is not delivered in its entirety as some topics are seen as taboo. To challenge this, youth-led organisations, inclusive of regional youth networks of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, are producing innovative digital solutions to meet their needs. From social media advocacy campaigns to virtual out-of-school CSE delivery, they are filling the gaps to improve the quality of learning for youth and ensuring that no one is left behind. "Delivering CSE in digital spaces is beneficial as it helps to foster transnational solidarity while also demonstrating the similarities in contexts and realities. More importantly, it can create a safer space to ask questions without the fear of being judged. These solutions are becoming increasingly important as across several contexts, the classroom is an unsafe space for learners, particularly of those who have been historically marginalised; LGBTQIA+ learners, learners with disabilities, and racialised people. While there are several concerns of the replacement of digital tools for real life educators, there is significant opportunity to use these tools to ensure a holistic and safe experience for learners, adequately meeting their needs and countering the spread of misinformation and disinformation."- Ashlee Burnett, Global Lead, CSE This learning brief provides an overview of the work led by youth and for youth to engage in digital advocacy and delivery of CSE in their contexts. It shows strategies for using digital solutions as a supportive tool for diverse types of CSE delivery, displaying the power of innovative digital solutions in further advancing CSE. It offers a list of five recommendations of best practices to ensure successful efforts and five case studies across four regions.

Aik Ahmed Easa, 26, has been involved with IPPF’s Member Association in the Maldives - the Society for Health Education (SHE) - since he was just 12 years old. Introduced to the organization by a friend, Aik was invited to join a peer educator program with his older brother, who was 13 at the time. Aik shares his history with SHE, “I started working as a peer educator, and traveled a lot around the Maldives. After that, I went into training other peer educators”. Although he was one of the youngest volunteers to join the program, he is also one of the most dedicated and is currently on the Board of SHE. After spending some time overseas for his higher education, Aik returned to the Maldives and decided to run for the SHE board. He recalled, “It was an easy win because at that point I had been with the organization for 12 years. I decided that I would not dilute the number of youths on the board. Even though I was a youth then, I decided to run against the older members for a general seat and reserve the youth quota for the juniors I had trained. That’s how we have the majority of youth on the board now”.

IPPF condemns the multiple school arsons across the French-speaking Wallonia region in Belgium over the past week, which have been connected to public protests against the compulsory “education in relationships, affective and sexual life” (EVRAS) program. These targeted attacks are evidence of a growing movement opposed to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) curricula, and the duty of states to support and protect children in their sexual development. IPPF is deeply concerned that a small cadre of those with extremist views are targeting schools with violence, which serve as vital safe spaces for children and young people to become educated, empowered citizens.  In the face of global misinformation campaigns and attempts to silence the organizations and institutions providing high quality comprehensive sexuality education, IPPF affirms that these programs empower children and young people to protect their health and well-being and support them in developing healthy and positive relationships throughout their lives.  Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF Director General said:  “The violent attacks on schools in Belgium are proof of how anti-rights campaigners are multiplying around the world and fuelling divisions by spreading false or misleading information about existing education curricula. We know from decades of research and our own programmatic experience in this area that comprehensive sexuality education helps children and young people to understand and enjoy their sexuality, take responsibility for their own sexual and reproductive health and rights and respect other people’s. We stand with the educators in Belgium who are delivering on a sex education curriculum that promotes children and young people’s rights.”  Research shows that parents and young people agree that sexuality education should be offered in schools, and that parents are willing to join these programs, particularly as they help their children to navigate relationships and sexuality amid the complex challenges of the digital era. Many governments around the world, including Belgium, are making sexuality education programs a national priority to protect all children and young people from harm.  IPPF stands with the schools and educators delivering this vital education in Belgium and around the world, and we remain committed to providing children and young people with the knowledge to protect and promote their safety, health and wellbeing.  For media inquiries, contact [email protected]   Banner image: Shutterstock

The International Planned Parenthood Federation expresses its disappointment that the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), held from 10-14 April 2023 at UN headquarters in New York, did not result in a resolution on the theme of Population, Education and Sustainable Development.   The Chair’s draft resolution for consideration on 14th April was the result of many weeks of intergovernmental discussions and represented a compromise to address the positions of all delegations. It was a balanced text based on previously agreed language and included critical elements related to this year’s priority theme, including ensuring a comprehensive response to the learning crises the world is facing today. Key issues including the need for gender-responsive policy development, a focus on marginalized communities, youth and adolescents, sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights were consensually included in the draft resolution, demonstrating global consensus on these issues. However, consensus on the document was unfortunately broken by a small minority of Member States who were unable to accept language pertaining to comprehensive education on human sexuality, which was language adopted at this very Commission in 2014, and which comes from the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action itself. It is disappointing that these few Member States found it more important to block agreed language than to adopt meaningful advancements in the area of education. The ramifications of the failure to adopt this resolution will have an impact on billions of young people, adolescents and girls worldwide who have experienced the largest disruption of education systems in history, where more than 90 % of the world’s children have had their education interrupted by COVID-19 and 263 million children and young people are still out of school (1 in 5). IPPF is, however, encouraged that the negotiations on this resolution, which took place over several weeks, demonstrated the on-going commitment of Member States to the the ICPD Programme of Action (PoA), the key actions for its further implementation, the declaration on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, and resolutions and work of the Commission on Population and Development. We also welcome the plenary program of the 56th session of the CPD, which featured strong data on comprehensive sexuality education from UN agencies as evidence of its beneficial impact on children, adolescents and  young people. In addition (or equally important), the experience of national programs and the passionate voices of young people reaffirmed that comprehensive sexuality education is an essential tool to empower young people and adolescents to make informed choices about their bodies, lives and futures.  With a view towards the 30th anniversary of the ICPD PoA in 2024, we appreciate the commitment of Member States to continue working to deliver on the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and look forward to engaging in the national, regional, and global processes of ICPD+30, culminating in next year’s 57th session of the Commission on Population and Development.

My name is Chanel Contos and in February 2021 I started a campaign called Teach Us Consent to advocate for mandatory consent-based sex education in my hometown of Sydney, Australia. Originally, I intended to get only my old school and a few nearby schools to teach consent, but it became a national campaign almost overnight. After a year of tireless advocacy in schools and with parents and politicians, consent education was mandated in every Australian school from Kindergarten to year 10.  If you’re passionate about consent based sex education and would like to see change in your local community or in your country, here are a few tips from my experience to support you in your activism.   1. Don’t be scared to ask for meetings with ‘important’ people Just because you’re young doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve to be talking to ‘important’ people. You’re the future of your community! Request a meeting with your Principal or community leader or with the local/state/federal politician in your electorate. Or all of them! More often than not, they’ll be thankful that you took the initiative to share your thoughts and insights with them.   2. Collate your research  If you’re an advocate for consent-based sex education, many of the facts and statistics surrounding sexual violence may seem obvious to you. But for others, this information might be new and shocking. People may ask to see the research that you’re referring to, so it’s helpful to have a one- or two-page document that’s simple to read and well-referenced. You can even include a ‘further reading’ list to encourage them to learn more about the benefits of consent education.   3. Keep the narrative about culture and change, not about individuals The media can be ruthless to victims of sexual violence. They love to dramatize them, and use their story to sell papers or to get clicks. If you’re passionate about consent education, there’s a good chance you or someone close to you has had an experience that has made you so. But it can be difficult to ensure the media doesn’t frame sexual violence as isolated or one-off instances. The need for consent-based sex education is due to a culture which has created an epidemic of sexual violence, so try to portray the importance of this distinction to the media. This is also where your collated research will come in handy.  In the same vein, whilst you may want to name perpetrators as part of your campaign, make sure that individuals are not scapegoated as the sole problem. We are all responsible for upholding rape culture in one way or another. That means we should all be responsible to dismantle it. Consent-based sex education is a good place to start.   4. Remind people that this is preventable It’s important for people to understand that the vast majority of sexual violence is preventable with education. Not utilising that tool is a tremendous shame. Being complacent is being complicit in the culture when there is research that shows how consent education can effectively reduce rates of sexual violence and dismantle rape myths. It’s also helpful to remind people that consent education can be adapted and taught in culturally sensitive ways.     5. Ask for advice Don’t go into it alone. Set up an advisory group of people who are committed to the campaign and to your wellbeing.  Think of people that you look up to, who have run similar campaigns or who are leaders in the field and ask them for 20 minutes of their time to share their learnings with you. Curate a list of people that have different and complementing skill sets, and that you can call whenever you need them for on-the-spot advice.    6. Protect yourself Sexual violence is a draining topic. It’s important to prioritise and protect your mental health by limiting the amount of time you spend engaging with specific instances of sexual assault and instead using your time towards advocating for structural change. Make sure you switch off whenever you need to and take care of yourself. I found long showers therapeutic after a long day.  You may also need to protect yourself legally. I faced many defamation threats and legal issues through the Teach Us Consent campaign. Try to find a pro-bono lawyer before starting any sort of public campaign and make sure you can call them up for legal advice. Lastly, make sure you block people who are sending you hate messages. It’s one thing to engage with people with varying opinions for the purpose of debate and learning, but you don’t need to read hateful messages while you do this important work.  Good luck, and thank you for advocating for a better future!  Header image credit: Sakina Saidi (@heyimsakina) via The Greats

Today, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is helping launch the second report of the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit, also known as the International Conference on Population and Development 25 (ICPD 25). The Commission is an independent advisory board comprised of 26 members from different sectors tasked with monitoring progress on the ICPD Programme of Action and Nairobi Summit Commitments. The programme of action contains commitments from 179 countries to put the rights, needs and aspirations of individual human beings at the centre of sustainable development, part of which includes achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all. The report - ‘Sexual and reproductive justice as the vehicle to deliver the Nairobi Summit commitments’ - highlights sexual and reproductive justice as the key to the realization of the Nairobi Summit commitments. Sexual and reproductive justice is a universal concept. It includes the right to have or not have children, the right to parent one’s children in safe and sustainable environments, and the right to sexual autonomy and gender freedom. Monitoring the implementation of life-saving sexual and reproductive health and gender-responsive services is crucial to ensure accountability and human rights for all. However, while some progress has been made, many barriers persist, and millions worldwide still do not realize their sexual and reproductive rights. Progress on Nairobi Summit Commitments: Numerous country commitments made at the Nairobi Summit align with a sexual and reproductive justice framework. They pay explicit attention to marginalized and vulnerable populations, notably people with disabilities, refugees, migrants (particularly migrant women), young people and older persons. Indigenous peoples, people of African descent and other ethnic minority groups have received less attention. A slew of new reproductive rights legislation followed the Nairobi Summit, suggesting a basis for a sexual and reproductive justice framework. The high number of commitments prioritizing sexual and gender-based violence offers a powerful entry point for promoting sexual and reproductive justice. On the Summit’s Global Commitments, some improvement is evident in meeting unmet need for family planning. But no region has registered positive movement towards zero preventable maternal deaths. Greater access to family planning has yet to translate into better maternal health outcomes. There is some progress in offering comprehensive and age-responsive information and education on sexuality and reproduction and adolescent-friendly, comprehensive, quality and timely services. Certain regions and countries have advanced in providing timely, quality and disaggregated data. More must be done, but this creates opportunities for ensuring that data capture intersecting challenges and are used to inform laws, policies and programmes. Domestic and international finance is critical to sexual and reproductive justice but persistently lags commitments. More than 4 billion people globally will lack access to at least one key sexual and reproductive health service during their lives Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said:

Today, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is helping launch the second report of the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit, also known as the International Conference on Population and Development 25 (ICPD 25). The Commission is an independent advisory board comprised of 26 members from different sectors tasked with monitoring progress on the ICPD Programme of Action and Nairobi Summit Commitments. The programme of action contains commitments from 179 countries to put the rights, needs and aspirations of individual human beings at the centre of sustainable development, part of which includes achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health for all. The report - ‘Sexual and reproductive justice as the vehicle to deliver the Nairobi Summit commitments’ - highlights sexual and reproductive justice as the key to the realization of the Nairobi Summit commitments. Sexual and reproductive justice is a universal concept. It includes the right to have or not have children, the right to parent one’s children in safe and sustainable environments, and the right to sexual autonomy and gender freedom. Monitoring the implementation of life-saving sexual and reproductive health and gender-responsive services is crucial to ensure accountability and human rights for all. However, while some progress has been made, many barriers persist, and millions worldwide still do not realize their sexual and reproductive rights. Progress on Nairobi Summit Commitments: Numerous country commitments made at the Nairobi Summit align with a sexual and reproductive justice framework. They pay explicit attention to marginalized and vulnerable populations, notably people with disabilities, refugees, migrants (particularly migrant women), young people and older persons. Indigenous peoples, people of African descent and other ethnic minority groups have received less attention. A slew of new reproductive rights legislation followed the Nairobi Summit, suggesting a basis for a sexual and reproductive justice framework. The high number of commitments prioritizing sexual and gender-based violence offers a powerful entry point for promoting sexual and reproductive justice. On the Summit’s Global Commitments, some improvement is evident in meeting unmet need for family planning. But no region has registered positive movement towards zero preventable maternal deaths. Greater access to family planning has yet to translate into better maternal health outcomes. There is some progress in offering comprehensive and age-responsive information and education on sexuality and reproduction and adolescent-friendly, comprehensive, quality and timely services. Certain regions and countries have advanced in providing timely, quality and disaggregated data. More must be done, but this creates opportunities for ensuring that data capture intersecting challenges and are used to inform laws, policies and programmes. Domestic and international finance is critical to sexual and reproductive justice but persistently lags commitments. More than 4 billion people globally will lack access to at least one key sexual and reproductive health service during their lives Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, said: “Three years on from the Nairobi Summit and while we have seen some progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights across countries like Colombia, Mexico and Thailand, globally, we remain far from reaching the commitments made at ICPD 25 - that all women and girls will have autonomy over their bodies and lives through universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). “With the devasting loss of abortion rights across the U.S having a disproportionate impact on poor women and women of colour, ongoing humanitarian crises across countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Ukraine creating unliveable, unsafe and unsustainable conditions for millions, and the loss of billions of dollars of funding severely affecting access to sexual and reproductive health care for those most in need, 2022 continues to demonstrate the critical need to champion sexual and reproductive justice for all - recognizing the importance of intersecting oppressions on people’s ability to make decisions about their bodies, lives and futures. “At the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), we remain dedicated to helping countries deliver on the Nairobi commitments as we approach ICPD 30. Using our unique position as a locally-owned, globally connected organization, we will continue to work in solidarity with donors, governments, partners and communities to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can access high-quality SRH care, especially those who are most often excluded, locked out and left behind. “IPPF also urges governments to heed the Commission’s call to action and do more to achieve sexual and reproductive justice. This means tackling the economic, social and legal barriers that prevent its implementation, more financial investment, including in universal healthcare, increased solidarity with partners and the sense of urgency needed to get the job done. The lives and futures of millions depend on it.” 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 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 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.

There are more young people in the world than ever before. With this in mind, sex education – or as we call it, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) – is critical for young people to realizing and claiming their human rights. Sexuality is a fundamental aspect of human life. Being able to express one’s own sexuality freely and openly is central to being human and is important to young people’s well-being, happiness and health. When young people are supported to become critical thinkers, empowered in their sexuality, and informed about their sexual and reproductive choices, the positive impact is felt across society.  Without great CSE, young women and girls in particular can experience severe forms of inequalities – including sexual violence, child, early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and other harmful practices. So you get the point – CSE is absolutely vital, and this is what it looks like around the world when it’s done brilliantly: Ethiopia Every Saturday, about 40 people gather at a youth center in Mekelle, Ethiopia, to hear about a subject they don’t get taught in schools, and don’t want to discuss with their parents – sexual and reproductive health.  This youth center, located in the Tigray region, is run by the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia. It has a playground and library at the front for studying and socializing, and in the back lies a clinic offering free contraceptives, abortion care, and STI testing. The center is aimed at people aged between 10 and 24 years old and runs a range of activities, including weekend group sessions where young people usually do some performance art based on a particular SRH subject, and hold debates and discussions around a coffee ceremony – a traditional Ethiopian social gathering. “I’m proud of this work because I am educating my friends and my family and protecting them,” says Teklehaimanot, a young volunteer at the center. Learn more about the Mekelle center 

In line with the IPPF Humanitarian Strategy 2018–2022, we present promising practices to guide IPPF Member Associations and partners in the provision of CSE, specifically when operating in protracted humanitarian crisis environments and call the humanitarian community to action to recognize and adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) needs and rights in emergency response programming. This technical brief is available below in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish.