Stories

Over the past 30 years, more than 60 countries and territories have liberalized their abortion laws. Only four have regressed, including the United States. Abortion rights are increasingly becoming recognized as fundamental human rights for millions of people worldwide. The global landscape of abortion rights continues to evolve in 2024, with new legislation and feminist movements fighting for better access. Let's take a trip around the world to see the latest developments.

Lisiane Messine is a CIFWA youth volunteer and formally the CIFWA Youth Representative for the East South East Asia and Oceania (ESEAOR) region of IPPF. She is also the Senior Probation Officer for the Cook Islands Government. Originally from the outer island of Aitutaki, she moved to New Zealand to complete her undergraduate studies. On return to Cook Islands, she became a CIFWA Youth Volunteer, and went on to become the first Cook Islands youth representative to gain a position on the ESEAOR Youth Executive Committee.  For International Volunteer Day, we are sharing part of Lisiane's story, in her own words. “I was born in Rarotonga (the main island of the Cook Islands) but raised in Aitutaki (a small outer island). I was raised by my auntie and uncle. I was given to them after they lost two of their children, one was an infant when it died, and one was a miscarriage due to my aunt’s job harvesting in the plantation the chemicals she was exposed to doing that. My biological mother was only 17 years old when she had me, so they decided that my auntie would raise me, and I am grateful and blessed she made that decision. I feel blessed to have two sets of parents. It’s quite normal in the Pacific for this practice to happen. We call them our ‘feeding family’.   Neither of my parents made it to university, they are both self-employed and sell vegetables for a living. My dad funded my university (Bachelor in Applied Social Worker) in New Zealand himself, all from selling vegetables. I’m just grateful. Living in NZ opened my eyes to talking openly about abuse in the family, sexual and reproductive health, relationships. My views changed.   I ran my first workshop for CIFWA at 15 years old. They had come to Aitutaki to run a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) workshop and I thought ‘Oh my gosh all these things I am not allowed to talk about with my parents’ so as soon as I moved to Rarotonga, I visited CIFWA to see how I could get involved. Now I am seeing the young ones I have seen growing up since they were in nappies having a different experience to me.   I have friends who experienced things that I didn’t know how to deal with, so I thought if I were to learn how to help, I can help my younger friends, family and children not deal with these things and be safer. I was always the ‘go-to’ person for my friends to talk about things so I wanted to learn how to approach it with them.   In 2018, after I became the Youth Rep for CIFWA, we travelled to Malaysia with the other youth reps from around the Pacific, some of whom had never travelled that far before. I took on the role of unofficial ‘mama’ for the group and taking care of the group. It was my first time travelling that far too, but my English was better, so I wanted to take on the responsibility to make sure they were okay. I miss all the other Youth Reps!   During this trip in 2018, we held an election, where nine of the youth reps were elected to the ESEAOR Youth Executive Committee, and I was elected. I felt privileged because I was new, just a girl from Cook Islands, and it made me feel good. I had doubts because I come from a small nation and doubted my experience in SRH and being a youth rep. But after talking to my fellow Pacific Island youth reps, I thought this is a perfect opportunity to put the Pacific on the map in IPPF. The top two positions were both awarded to Pacific Youth Representatives, and I was voted in as Deputy Chairman for the period of three years.   I admired the other youth reps from SE Asia so much, they were so vocal and outspoken. Over my three years in this position, we recommended that those of us that age over 25 should become mentors to the younger youth reps who come in. Our next trip was to the IPPF General Assembly in India, and I remember thinking ‘this is big, this is really big. There must be something that people recognise in me that I don’t even see in myself.’   That experience built my confidence and leadership skills so much’.  

It’s a scene like many others around the world: a loving family pour over childhood photos, giggling and reminiscing about the memories. This particular scene takes place amongst the swaying palm trees and soft breeze rolling over the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and the child they are cooing over – then named Nathanial – is now a beautiful transgender woman, Natalia.   Born in New Zealand to Cook Islanders parents, 36-year-old Natalia (Talia) Lajpold, says she has always known she was female. Talia grew up in Australia and began her transitioning process at the age of 15. In the last year of her schooling, Talia decided to wear the girl’s uniform to school but was met with disapproval from the school authorities.   “A lot of people think [being transgender] is a choice but if I had a choice, I would choose for things to be normal, the way I was born. Because it’s really hard. High school was hard,” Talia recalls.

The Cook Islands has removed a law that criminalizes homosexuality, in a huge victory for the local LGBTI+ community.  Our local Member Association, the Cook Islands Family Welfare Association (CIFWA), has been integral to the advocacy around this law reform, which has faced many hurdles since the movement kicked off in 2017. Staff and volunteers at CIFWA have worked in step with Pride Cook Islands and the Te Tiare Association (TTA), two of the biggest LGBTI+ advocacy organizations in the country, to end discrimination and promote human rights. Meet some of the inspiring people behind this historic movement.

On the island of Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, a little white van makes its rounds on the palm-tree lined circular road. The van, run by the Cook Islands Family Welfare Association (CIFWA), stops off at condom distribution points along the way, refilling the condom stock.  Dean Tangata, a 26-year-old humanitarian focal point for CIFWA and a registered nurse, is behind the wheel.  "Our condom dispensers get emptied so quickly!” said Dean. “We refill them twice a week.”   On Rarotonga, the locals refer to a system called ‘coconut wireless’ - a local phrase meaning to communicate quickly by word-of-mouth. This means that discretion is key to encourage people to practise safe sex and use condoms.  According to the Cook Islands Ministry of Health 2014, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common in the Cook Islands. A study conducted in 2006 showed a 22% prevalence rate of chlamydia; 46% of these cases were in people between the ages of 15 and 29 years. After a robust intervention campaign, a repeat survey in 2012 showed a 50% decrease in prevalence. This is why CIFWA instigated a condom dispenser system, placing handmade dispensers (that an industrious staff member made from cutting holes in piping) inside bathrooms in restaurants around the island. “We’re the ‘sex people’ - the ‘sex workers’ who roll up in our condom car,” says Dean, smiling.

It wasn’t the group meetings, the testing services or the health facilities that attracted Manny Norman, it was the offer of a free subway card and a bite to eat. A friend who was also a substance use told him about the workshops in a basement at a nearby community centre. Manny focused on the subway card which would be worth a few dollars if he sold it on. “I just wanted something to eat,” he says. “I hadn’t eaten in probably 20 hours. And the idea of getting more drugs without stealing sounded good to me.” Thirteen years later and he is still attending the Safety Counts meetings run by Planned Parenthood’s Project Street Beat, and credits them with helping him rebuild a life shattered by drug abuse. At the time, he explains he was neglecting his young family, stealing from them to buy crack cocaine and alcohol. His wife would call the police or lock him out of the home on an almost daily basis. “I was on crack and alcohol, the drugs that led me to dereliction, that led me to stealing, being unmanageable, not responsible, without a care in the world,” he says. “(I) didn’t want to work. I just wanted to feed my drug addiction.” Starting a new life But when he walked into the Safety Counts meetings, he says now, he realised he was among people who understood his life. “They met me where I was at,” he says. “They could tell I was under the influence. They could tell I was hurting, that I wasn’t doing the right thing and they made me feel no less than and no different. They gave me hope to come back the next week.” At first, he just went with the flow, focusing on the food and the subway card, not taking much notice of the services on offer. But eventually, he realised there were other people in the room he had come out the other side and rebuilt their lives. “We talked about harm reduction,” he says. “I could identify with the stories other people were telling. Lying, cheating, stealing, borrowing money knowing you wouldn’t pay it back.” Detox and rehab followed. He used the facilities of the projects mobile medical unit to get himself tested for Hepatitis C and HIV and has managed to stay clean, even training as an HIV outreach worker, and has rebuilt his family life. “It’s a happy home now,” he says. “My daughter got her father back, my wife got her husband back. Most of all I got myself back, thank God.” Without Project Street Beat he says his life would have continued its downward spiral. He would most likely be in prison today. Instead, he works as a supervisor for a cleaning company. And when he bumps into one of his friends from the old days he knows what to do. “When I walk down the street and see someone I know – someone I took drugs with or drank with – I let them know exactly where the mobile might be at,” he said. “I have cards in my pocket I give out to people and let them know this is the new way.” Watch Project Street Beat in action

A young man stops by a pile of rubbish at the side of the road. He fiddles with an abandoned umbrella, snapping off one of its broken ribs and slipping it into his backpack. Eric Fairchild spots the signs. The HIV prevention specialist greets the man like an old friend. “We got condoms, leaflets, testing right here,” he says standing in front of Planned Parenthood’s mobile medical unit. The man refuses initially, stepping into a nearby grocery store, before returning a few minutes later with his girlfriend to hear about the services on offer. The umbrella rib, says Mr Fairchild later, was a giveaway. It makes a perfect tool for scraping the residue from a substance pipe. Understanding and overcoming Eric has worked for Planned Parenthood for 12 years, using his experience growing up in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Brownsville to help spot others who are in need of help. “I was part of the streets,” he says. “I was a substance abuser. Never injected, but I smoked, sniffed... stuff of that nature.” He has been clean for 26 years but explains that his experiences help him connect with other users. “The first thing I do when I have hardcore substance abusers sitting in front of me, I first show them identification,” he says.  “I let them know I understand just how they feel. I’ve been there feeling hopeless, helpless, confused about where to turn.” Some occasions might mean he has to use the training and education he has received as an outreach worker. Other times it is a case of using his 60 years’ experience of life in Brooklyn. “That’s my benefit to the programme,” he says. “I’m street savvy as well as educated in the classroom. I have the best of both worlds.” Eric already had an extensive background in community work before joining the project, prompted by a desire to learn more about HIV prevention following the death of a relative and a friend died from the illness. He is often the first point of contact for clients, handing out pamphlets on the street corner, conducting HIV tests and explaining Project Beat Street– and the facilities available on the mobile unit to wary newcomers. From there he can offer advice and guidance on other services, from home care managers to sources of funding for people with HIV and setting up appointments at clinics. He follows up with phone calls and meetings, often at every step of a client’s progress. “I saw when they came in,” he says. “I saw them come in from a struggling situation, uncomfortable with their lifestyle at the time. Going from being an unproductive member of society to taking better care of themselves and being in a healthier situation that they were before. I am always happy to know I was part of that process.” Watch Project Street Beat in action