3 Nov 2025
MDM,
My body belongs to me! My body, my choice—amplifying the power of feminist and women-led civil society organizations.
We are pleased to announce the launch of a bold new initiative—Movements for Reproductive Autonomy, Equality and Solidarity (MAREAS). A multi-country initiative across Africa and Latin America to amplify the power of feminist and women-led civil society organizations (CSOs).
“Women with disabilities are often excluded in information on sexual and reproductive health, including safe abortion and contraception.”
Ipas
Oct 2025
Disability Justice is reproductive justice.
Everyone has the right to make decisions about their body and health. But for people with disabilities, that right is often denied by health systems that ignore their needs and exclude them by design.
At Ipas, we know that reproductive justice is impossible without disability justice. That’s why we’re transforming programs, policies, and spaces to center accessibility and include the leadership of people with disabilities. Guided by our Feminist Principles for Partnership, we’re working to build abortion and contraception ecosystems that serve everyone.
Continued: https://www.ipas.org/our-work/advancing-disability-inclusive-abortion-care/
September 19, 2025
Ipas
When a 19-year-old in Ethiopia found herself pregnant, she made a chilling calculation. “I was sure [taking abortion pills] would either end the pregnancy or kill me,” she shared. “I preferred dying than my family hearing and getting angry with me.”
Her experience is captured along with that of many young people like her in powerful research exploring adolescent abortion care across Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zambia. Conducted by Ipas and partners—including the London School of Economics and partners across Africa—this groundbreaking study captures the voices and experiences of 313 adolescents seeking abortion-related care.
July 23, 2025
Ipas
In a landmark decision in June 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed that unplanned pregnancies resulting from rape, incest and other forms of sexual violence is a violation of the rights of women and girls.
“The ruling is a welcome development, as this is the first time a superior court in Nigeria has recognized that pregnancies arising from sexual violence not only harm a woman’s physical health but also her mental wellbeing,” says Lucky Palmer, director of the Ipas Nigerian Health Foundation. “The decision represents a critical legal precedent and a significant stride toward safeguarding the bodily autonomy and dignity of women and girls in Nigeria.”
Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/nigeria-affirms-right-to-abortion-for-survivors-of-sexual-violence/
Carolyne Okallo, Youth and Communications Advisor, Ipas Africa Alliance
May 9, 2025
In March 2025, a broad spectrum of key stakeholders gathered in Mogadishu, Somalia, to discuss how to build a sustainable ecosystem for maternal and reproductive health care. A strategic roadmap emerged from the multi-day event, along with a shared commitment by stakeholders to implement the plan and transform the country’s maternal and reproductive health landscape.
Overlapping climate crises and armed conflicts in Somalia have resulted in a high percentage of women and girls with urgent reproductive health needs. Within this context, Somalia’s Federal Ministry of Health hosted this groundbreaking dialogue, which was facilitated by Ipas Africa Alliance and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Attendees included government leaders, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, hospitals, academic institutions and media partners.
April 2025
For 52 years, Ipas has supported communities around the world to ensure access to abortion and contraception for all. We have a deep history and experience working on abortion in places in the world with very restrictive laws, and with health systems that face critical challenges. Ipas has survived extraordinary challenges in the past, and our mission, persistence, and expertise are more critical than ever in the current moment.
The United States’ drastic dismantling of its $79.5 billion foreign aid program has significantly impacted development and humanitarian sectors and created chaos around the globe. Health systems have been crippled, and countless lives and livelihoods have been disrupted. This is a moment of inflection in the global health and development community.
April 10, 2025
Ipas - Published in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health
A pilot program by Ipas, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, and the Oromia Health Bureau proved that private pharmacies can safely expand access to abortion with pills—making essential care more available and closer to home for women in Ethiopia.
Between December 2021 and March 2023, the program trained and supported 41 private pharmacies to offer abortion with pills and related counseling—to users both with and without prescriptions. To understand how well the model worked, implementers tracked client experiences through pharmacy records and follow-up phone calls 21 days after care.
The transformative terrain: An in-depth analysis of trends in self-managed abortion in India using NFHS-5 national data
Ipas
March 19, 2025
Conducted by researchers from Ipas Development Foundation and partners, this study examines national survey data to understand the growing use of self-managed abortion (SMA) in India. The research confirms that SMA—using abortion pills outside of a clinic—has become much more common and is a safe and effective option, especially in early pregnancy.
Main takeaway : More people in India are ending their pregnancies with abortion pills on their own, without seeing a doctor in person. The study found that self-managed abortion nearly doubled between 2014 and 2021, with no increase in reported health complications. This suggests that SMA can be a safe and effective way to access abortion—especially in early pregnancy and when people have the right information and access to quality medication. However, provider-assisted care is still critical, particularly for those who need abortion later in pregnancy. As India’s abortion law now allows abortion up to 24 weeks, it’s more important than ever to expand access to trained providers for those who need them.
March 7, 2025
Ipas
The fight for reproductive justice is facing especially hard times, and the path ahead will not be easy. But the truth is that we’ve already made incredible progress, and we know how to keep moving forward.
In the past 30 years, 60 countries have changed their abortion laws—and only four decreased access. We at Ipas worked in many of those countries that expanded abortion rights. We saw firsthand that the fight is never easy—and never over. Behind historic gains like abortion law change, health centers that offer high-quality abortion care, and communities that support every person’s bodily autonomy are years of hard work, resistance, persistence and advocates who continue, step by step, toward their goal—no matter what.
Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/7-changemakers-advancing-reproductive-justice/
IPAS
Feb 28, 2025
Early in his career, Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) director Dr. Jean-Claude Mulunda, then a coordinator with a refugee agency, was confronted with the plight of women and girls who had suffered sexual violence fleeing Central African Republic for refuge in DRC.
“In my report to the supervisor, I noted that over 60% of the women and girls were rape victims. Many of them, including little girls who could not be more than 12, were pregnant. They were also dealing with sexually transmitted infections and malnutrition,” he explains.
Continued; https://www.ipas.org/news/drc-safe-abortion-care-in-humanitarian-settings/
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