Global commitments

Private sector engagement has received increasing focus in development discourse and practice in recent years, including with regard to sexual and reproductive health. Engagement with the private sector in sexual and reproductive health takes a variety of forms and involves a diverse set of stakeholders, ranging from global corporations to...

As the COVID-19 pandemic reaches regions with weak health systems and emerging economies, its impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is already massive. This is due to the de-prioritization and disruption in the provision of SRHR services as well as mobility restrictions and changes in health-seeking behaviours.

Gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women will not be possible without the realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). 

SRHR services are critical for women and girls to have healthy lives, to address violence and power relations in their lives, to be...

According to the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) annual report, in 2018 the EU and its Member States continue to be the world's leading provider of ODA with an overall amount of EUR 74.4 billion. 

The European institutions alone remained the fourth biggest...

Despite some increases in financial support for SRHR in emergencies, funding is still inadequate to meet the needs of the growing number of crisis-affected communities and rarely prioritised. In that light, Countdown 2030 Europe committed to work to increase financial and political commitments by European donor countries to SRHR in...

The newest analysis done by Countdown 2030 Europe shows that financial and political commitments have been solidified in 2018-2019, and support was championed in many global fora. The majority of European countries under review (10 out of 12) either increased or maintained funding to SRH/FP, even where in...

European donors have continuously demonstrated commitment towards promoting universal access to sexual and reproductive health and family planning (SRH/FP). This agenda is advanced through introducing or reinforcing policy and funding commitments, following pledges as part of FP2020 and other initiatives, such as SheDecides. This is also the case for some...

In this issue we launch a new interactive tool tracking European donor countries' commitments on reproductive safety and care; we look at the next steps after the inclusion of sexual and reproductive heath in the UN's political declaration on Universal Health Coverage and we consider the new faces of the...

The first UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting (HLM) on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a major political opportunity to progress the achievement of the SDGs and to contribute to the fulfilment of the right to health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally. It offers the prospect of...

Despite the global backlash against SRHR and an increasing anti-women’s rights sentiment entering European decision-making spaces, the past year saw financial and political commitments of European donors being solidified. SRH/FP funding largely remained protected, even where cuts to Official Development Assistance were made. 

This factsheet looks at...

This new Tracking report by Countdown 2030 Europe analyses the most recent trends in SRH/FP policies and funding by European donor countries, collected by Countdown 2030 Europe’s national partners. The report shows that, despite the backlash against SRHR and an increasing anti-women’s rights sentiment entering our...

In this summary briefing we outline critical areas that need to be addressed and included in the conversations in the lead up to the High-Level Meeting (HLM) on universal health coverage (UHC) to achieve universal sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

In a complex global funding...

In the spirit of the international aid effectiveness agenda, the EU is committed to better coordinate, align and harmonise its development assistance with that of its Member States and other like-minded donors. But how does this coordination look like at country level? And how might it benefit sexual and reproductive...

Access to Family planning is essential to ensuring women and girls meet their full potential. When women and girls have access to family planning, they are able to complete their education, create or seize better economic opportunities, and achieve their own goals, and dreams. As a result, entire families,...

The world is facing a contraceptive funding crisis. This leads to women having to choose between feeding their families or accessing family planning services. If funding from donors and governments doesn’t increase beyond current levels, the cost burden on women will become even greater.

Countdown 2030 Europe...

The European Union (EU) is a unique actor in the development cooperation field - contributions from EU institutions and its 28 Member States make it the biggest multilateral provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA) worldwide.

The EU has been, and still is, one of the strongest supporters...

This new Tracking report by Countdown 2030 Europe analyses the most recent trends in SRH/FP policies and funding by European donor countries, collected by Countdown 2030 Europe’s national partners. The report shows that, despite an overall slight decrease in financial expenditure to population assistance and UNFPA in 2016 compared to...

The Global Financing Facility (GFF), a financing mechanism in support of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, is currently active in 16 focus countries. In September, the GFF launched the first replenishment for its Trust Fund with a funding target of USD 2 billion. If reached, this will...

This factsheet is a synopsis of our analysis on European donor financial and policy support to SRH/FP across 12 European donor countries, collected by Countdown 2030 Europe national partners. We have seen a 12% increase in funding to FP despite considerable challenges posed by falling levels of ODA and a...

You wouldn’t expect access to contraception to be an issue in EU countries like Spain, would you?

But too many girls and women are still being denied the freedom to make their own reproductive choices. And it is vulnerable people who face the greatest obstacles when it...

Countdown 2030 Europe participated at the Family Planning Summit in London on 11 July, 2017, which created a renewed energy around family planning, building on the efforts of the vibrant sexual and reproductive health community. An estimated $5 billion was pledged to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services,...

This report, commissioned by Countdown 2030 Europe, provides an initial overview of the commitments to date by Countdown 2030 Europe's country governments as part of the SheDecides initiative. 

The analysis showcases that so far, €84 million Euros has been committed by six Countdown 2030 European governments, and...

Many of the world's least developed countries struggle with high fertility rates and low development.  The current demographic boom means we have the largest generation of young people in history.

This contributes to an economic surge in countries where there are increasing numbers of young people in employment,...

This paper builds upon a previous version jointly written by Countdown 2030 Europe and Action for Global Health. It seeks to show how the World Health Organisation (WHO) definition of universal health coverage (UHC) and its vision of the social determinants of health underpinning UHC relate to sexual and reproductive...

We are halfway to 2020 — the year the global community promised to have delivered modern contraception to more than 120 million women and girls who needed them, but lacked access to them in 2016. To deliver this commitment, we must ensure contraceptive security.

On 26 October 2016, Countdown 2030 Europe,...

The Global Financing Facility (GFF) is a financing mechanism in support of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health that was launched at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa in 2015. It is currently active in 16 focus countries. The GFF Investors Group, which...

Access to family planning information, supplies and services is essential to women’s health, to gender equality, to human rights—and to sustainable global development. When women and girls can decide freely the number and spacing of their children, if any, they are more likely to finish education, participate in paid employment...

This short film raises the voice of marginalised in hard to reach areas and the impact lack of family planning has on their life. It also describes governments efforts to reach their FP2o20 and the urgent need to invest resources and work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure that everyone has...

Joining voices: The women of Kanai Mahila Mandal in India

A guide for civil society organisations showing the linkages between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and FP2020 and guidance how to advocate for family planning in the SDG implementation.

Sustainable Development Goals and Family Planning 2020

FP2020 progress for youth in Benin. In this interview youth champion Kader Avonnon, Regional President and National Treasurer, Mouvement d’Action des Jeunes Bénin, reflects on Benin's commitments to FP2020 and role of young people.
"We, young people of Benin, need a decree that will ensure free modern contraception for adolescents...

In September 2015, UN Member States adopted an ambitious new global framework – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the centre of the Agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 goals and 169 targets across social, economic and environmental areas of sustainable development, which UN...

Countdown 2015 Europe’s factsheet for reproductive health and family planning (RH/FP) community highlights European donor country support for RH/FP in 2015.

In 2015, European countries continued to firmly support RH/FP through their policy commitments in international cooperation.
Globally this contributed to RH/FP featuring prominently within the Sustainable Development Goals. In...

The 2016 High Level Political Forum (HLPF) will be the first since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. Accordingly, much focus will be on discussing plans and strategies for implementation of the 2030 Agenda and approaches for translating the SDGs to national contexts. The HLPF’s theme Ensuring That No One...

Universal and comprehensive access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is needed to save lives, realise human rights, achieve gender equality and achieve sustainable development.

The world remains far from achieving SRHR for all, and the continued neglect of SRHR only exacerbates an already dramatic reality. Read...

This is a powerful video produced in Zimbabwe. It shows the contrasting lives of families that do and do not have access to rights based family planning. It explains how Zimbabwe can increase contraceptive prevalence rate and reduce unmet need for contraceptives.

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a framework of 17 goals and 169 targets across social, economic and environmental areas of sustainable development, which United Nations (UN) Member States have committed to making a reality over the next 15 years.

The purpose of this paper is to set out what...

Countdown 2015 Europe’s latest factsheet for FP/RH community stresses the importance of working jointly on accountability at different levels to increase impact.

It highlights the key elements of accountability and explores strengths and weaknesses of accountability at different levels, using examples of Countdown 2015 Europe Consortium work in Europe.

Read...

This documentary shows the benefits of working with Community Based Distributors to provide contraceptives to people who live in remote areas of Zambia.  It shows an example of Peter and Felistus who are farmers in a rural area in Zambia. Every 3 months, Felistus walks for more than 4 hours...

10 advocacy tools developed by Joining Voices advocacy project: ‘Spotlight on Family Planning’.

These two-page snapshots from ten countries - Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan - demonstrate progress governments towards FP2020 commitments that were made at the London Family Planning Summit in 2012. They...

This is documentary describes challenges faced in supporting the rights of women and girls in Pakistan.  This film unveils a role of Ms. Mehtab Rashidi a champion of Rahnuma-FPAP who challenged religious leaders and gained support from political powers on the early child marriage act.  Mrs Rashidi is a highly...

Countdown 2030 Europe recommendations on open consultation on indicators proposed by IAEG-SDGs following IAEG-SDGs meeting 26-28 October 2015 consultation on Green Indicators. Read full recommendations. 

Joining Voices: The ‘very good men’ of Priyo Utomo, Indonesia

Joining Voices: The innovative women of Nuansa Mandiri, Indonesia

The film is based in Liberia and shows the main barriers to access to family planning due to traditional beliefs, public sentiment and lack of education.  It includes stories from two families, one that has access to family planning and the other it doesn’t.  The films showcases the important role...

‘No More Early Pregnancies’  conveys a story of adolescent girls and teenage pregnancies.  Many adolescents in Benin are sexually active and require Comprehensive Sexual Education and choice of Family Planning methods.  The film reveals the challenges women face in accessing rights-based family planning in a country where 35% of adolescents...

Womb in Resonance film reveals the challenges women face in accessing rights-based family planning in the Philippines.  The film showcases stories from few families living in rural settings and the impact unwanted pregnancies have on their lives.  Over 30% of maternal mortality in the Philippines can be removed with the...

IPPF and the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) have summarised the key points relating to family planning and SRHR in the ‘Consultations on updating the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: Perspectives on the Global Financing Facility’ report authored by The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health...

Joining Voices: Delivering family planning in Kenya

Is your government delivering on its FP2020 commitment? Joining Voices has developed a FP2020 Postcard with three key action points, designed to be a concise resource which you can hand to your parliamentary representative.

Postcard to your Member of Parliament

"If I had known" tells the story of Beatrice Akoth in Kenya who has had no access to family planning and has struggled to cope with 9 children. Her daughter is determined to have a different life and has been happy with the family planning services she received from IPPF’s...

 “The Unmet Need for Family Planning: Handbook of Advocacy Tools for Stating the Case for Meeting the Need" is designed for advocates in Europe to promote increased European donor support for addressing the need for familyplanning in developing countries. It may be useful for advocacy with a wide range of...