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.

Contributing towards the elimination of cervical cancer is a core part of IPPF’s mandate. Through our 120 member associations around the world, we provide comprehensive cervical cancer prevention information and services to save lives, strengthen health equity, and fulfill the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people. We adopted a Cervical Cancer Strategy 2020–2024 to ensure women, girls and other affected populations can access cervical cancer information and services.  Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women in the world. All countries are affected, particularly low- and middle- income countries. In 2018, 19 of the top 20 countries with the highest cervical cancer burden were in sub-Saharan Africa. The higher rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in these countries reflects the limited equitable access to high-quality information, vaccination, screening, treatment and cancer management. But as we’ve seen in countries from Nigeria to Bermuda, and Albania to Indonesia, there is evidence that we are on the right track to preventing, treating, and ultimately eliminating cervical cancer.  Here we highlight the incredible work of some of our regional member associations:

Maryam was 13 years old when she was traded to her husband’s family in exchange for $2000. She was young and therefore worth a good price. “The younger you are, the better the price is!” she exclaimed. Incidents of child marriage and teenage pregnancies are fairly high in Afghanistan. With 28% of women being married before the age of 18 years, teenage pregnancies continue to persist in the country.  At the age of 15, Maryam was already seven months pregnant and could not sustain the pregnancy. Like many others, Maryam would have died giving birth if she didn’t have access to a midwife who came on time and taught her about the use of a safe-delivery kit (which consists of soap to wash hands and clean perineum, gloves to ensure hygiene and prevent germs, a plastic to provide clean delivery surface, a razor to cut the cord and a thread to tie the cord). As a result, she was able to deliver her premature baby with the help of a midwife. However, unlike Maryam, thousands of young girls die every day- mostly due to their young age and the lack of proper health infrastructure in Afghanistan. 

There was hope at the start of 2022 that this year would bring more security and stability than in the previous year.  Instead, we’ve been presented with some enormous challenges to sexual and reproductive health and rights - from conflicts, to climate crises, to the rollback of rights and the rise in opposition movements in many countries around the world. But at IPPF, we won’t let the opposition define us. We choose not to remember 2022 solely for its setbacks. Here, we highlight some stories of positive change from our colleagues, clients and partners around the world.

Two years ago, Poland brought into force one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, banning it in almost all circumstances. Protests against this cruel, regressive ban erupted across Poland, and peaceful protesters were met with excessive force, with authorities using tear gas, pepper spray, and physical assault. Two years on, we are seeing escalating attacks against women’s human rights defenders – often orchestrated and encouraged by the Polish authorities.  Marta, Klementyna, and Justyna of the Polish Women’s Strike face prison sentences for exercising their right to peaceful protest. The prosecution is using the pretext of the pandemic to disguise politicized attacks and drag them to court.  These are their stories.

The civil war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia began in November 2020, causing tens of thousands of people to flee. There are currently over 21,000 refugees in Um Rakuba camp, where the Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) has established a sexual and reproductive healthcare clinic for refugees and the host community. Community mobilizers visit the camp daily to let women know about the clinic, which provides pregnancy testing, pre- and post-natal care (including ultrasounds), HIV and STI testing and care, and both long and short acting contraceptives. This collection of portraits captures the strength, grace, and dignity of the women, despite the horrendous trauma they have experienced and the circumstances they now live in.   Photography ©IPPF/Hannah Maule-Ffinch.