Right wing policies threaten gender equality and health security

Young people call for all sexual and reproductive health services including safe abortion rights

SHOBHA SHUKLA – CNS
08 Feb 2025

Donald Trump’s presidency is likely to have far-reaching consequences for sexual and reproductive health, bodily autonomy and human rights worldwide. He has already withdrawn USA’s financial support to the UN health agency World Health Organization (WHO), and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer share its invaluable expertise with the WHO.

Also all ongoing (as well as future) projects funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been put on immediate hold. Many of these are lifesaving health programmes, including those directly related to sexual and reproductive health services.

Continued: https://kashmirtimes.com/opinion/comment-articles/right-wing-policies-threaten-gender-equality-and-health-security

The Trump administration has launched a “war on development”, leading human rights organisations say

3 Feb 2025

Joint statement by ILGA World and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

GENEVA – The Trump administration is using foreign aid as a deadly political weapon, ILGA World and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) said today, and millions of people are already in dire straits because of its policies.

The executive order implementing a 90-day pause in US foreign development aid is wreaking havoc on the lifesaving work of human rights, civil society, and grassroots organisations —according to ILGA World and IPPF.

Continued: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/trump-administration-has-launched-war-development-leading-human-rights-organisations-say

IPPF – Our Statement on the Reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule

Global Gag Rule (GGR) violates our core principles, and IPPF cannot and will never sign it.

IPPF
25 Jan 2025

On 24 January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Global Gag Rule (GGR).

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) - a federation of members and partners in 153 countries - fights for the right of every individual to decide about their own health, well-being and life. IPPF will never support policies which actively restrict or violate an individual’s right to bodily autonomy, including the right to safe abortion.

The GGR - also known as the Mexico City Policy - violates human rights by forcing women to continue with an unwanted pregnancy or into unsafe abortion, and IPPF will not tolerate it.

Continued: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/our-statement-reinstatement-global-gag-rule

Maternal Mortality: Nigerian experts applaud as IPPF launches free online medical abortion course

October 14, 2022
By Sola Ogundipe

Top Nigerian medical experts have applauded the launch of a free online medical abortion training course by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), aimed at stemming the tide of unsafe abortion and its complications globally.

Welcoming the development, the experts said the course which is specifically designed to equip healthcare workers with the necessary skills to provide care for women seeking medical abortion up to 13 weeks gestation, would go a long way in correcting the misinterpretation and misconception about safe abortion, legal abortion, medical abortion, and allied issues.

Continued: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/maternal-mortality-nigerian-experts-applaud-as-ippf-launches-free-online-medical-abortion-course/

Ukraine war: Volunteers deliver emergency contraception pills

By Annabel Rackham, BBC News
Apr 29, 2022

Charities are working to deliver emergency contraception into Ukrainian hospitals as reports of rape rise.

Nearly 3,000 packets of morning-after pills have been sent to areas of the country most affected by the Russian invasion.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has provided the pills, which volunteers are delivering.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61269792

Care and compassion over colonialism: Namibia must protect women and girls seeking abortions

By Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry and Bience Gawanas
21 Oct 2021

Namibia’s parliament is debating reforms to the abortion law that would bring the country in line with international standards on sexual and reproductive health rights. Activists, medical doctors and public health experts are urging lawmakers to ensure that ‘every pregnancy in Namibia should be a wanted pregnancy’.

This past week, we have watched with great interest and hope as Namibia’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development and Family Affairs held its first four days of public hearings on whether to reform its Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975.

Continued: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-10-21-care-and-compassion-over-colonialism-namibia-must-protect-women-and-girls-seeking-abortions/

UK accused of ‘Trump tactics’ after ‘devastating’ £131m cut to family planning aid

Millions of the world’s poorest women and girls will ‘pay the price’ of the UK government reneging on its commitments, say aid workers

Kerry Cullinan
30 April 2021

The UK government has been accused of “using tactics reminiscent of the Trump era” after cutting millions in aid for family planning.

Boris Johnson’s government is set to slash its commitment to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by 85% – from an expected contribution of £154m to just £23m – in an enormous blow for women and girls in the poorest countries where health services have already been decimated by COVID-19.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/uk-accused-of-trump-tactics-after-devastating-131m-cut-to-family-planning-aid/

End of US ‘global gag rule’ raises hopes for women’s healthcare at crucial time

‘The gag rule has had a trickle down impact by affecting access to other lifesaving services.’

28 January 2021
Claire Porter Robbins

When the Trump administration reinstated the “global gag rule” in 2017, the
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) lost some $100 million in funding in the following years, impacting a spectrum of healthcare projects in 32 countries and going well beyond the intended goal of preventing abortions.

A health clinic in Haiti’s southern coastal town of Jacmel was one of the first casualties.

Continued: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2021/1/28/global-gag-rule-abortion-access-biden-mexico-city-policy-haiti-namibia

Polish women’s lives at risk as illegal near-total abortion ban takes effect

28th January 2021

As of yesterday 27 January, a near-total ban on abortion has become the reality for women in Poland as the October 2020 judgement of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal was published in the journal of laws.

This unlawful judgement would remove the possibility for women to access abortion in cases of severe and irreversible foetal defects, and threaten doctors who provide abortion care with 3 years in prison. The wording, which dismisses women’s wellbeing as a valid reason for termination of pregnancy, opens the way to potential further bans of abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Continued: https://www.ippfen.org/news/polish-womens-lives-risk-illegal-near-total-abortion-ban-takes-effect

Family Planning And Safe Abortion Services Made ‘Essential’ In India During Lockdown

Family Planning And Safe Abortion Services Made ‘Essential’ In India During Lockdown

By Abhinav Pandey
24th May, 2020

I have been listening to various news debates, participating in webinars, zoom calls, online meetings and conference calls since the nation has been under lockdown amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. There has been a wide range of ideas and opinions from people across disciplines. The point I want to raise here is that women are facing a lot of issues during this lockdown that need to be addressed as soon as possible in order to curb the pressure on them.

After attending so many calls and participating in several online conferences, I came to know that a huge population of women are facing an issue of unplanned pregnancies and all sorts of violence within their households. According to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), 47 million women might lose access to contraception if the lockdown carries on for six months, and about 24.55 million couples might lose access to contraception along with 9 lakh abortions, thereby increasing the chances of pregnancy-related deaths.

Continued: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/05/family-planning-and-safe-abortion-services-are-made-essential-during-lockdown/

24.05.2020