About IPPF and IPPF ACRO

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global service provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all.

Globally, IPPF, an organization with a 72-year history, is present in 152 countries. In 70% of them, we are the leading provider of sexual and reproductive health services. Our work is wide-ranging and includes comprehensive sexuality education, contraceptive provision, safe abortion and maternal care, and response to humanitarian crises. At the heart of our mission is the provision of integrated healthcare (and advocacy for it) for anyone in need, regardless of race, gender, sex, income, and, most importantly, no matter how remote the area may be.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation of the Americas and the Caribbean (IPPF ACRO) is made up of 29 organizations from 29 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America, and Venezuela.

 

Consultancy Approach

This call for consultant is to produce a briefing paper about the impact of climate change on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a region marked by socio-economic diversity and specific climate vulnerabilities.

One of the richness of the IPPF’s 2028 Strategy is the multimovement advocacy perspective it brings and for the years 2024 and 2025, ACRO’s membership defined that we hould strengthen the collaboration with climate change movements, while fostering a feminist perspective in the field. This brinfing paper will set the basis for IPPF ACRO advance in our collective response to this climate urgency and disasters that undermine people’s access to sexual and reproductive services.

We aim to strengthen our responses in the LAC region before, during, and after climate crises, and build resilience over the long term. For that, IPPF ACRO will continue focusing on marginalized groups, through human rights‑based approaches to advance health and strengthen resilience, in the field.  

 

Background:

• Climate Change and Social Effects: Recent data indicate that the frequency and intensity of natural disasters are increasing due to climate change, affecting access to health services in disaster-prone areas. On average, global temperature has risen by approximately 1°C since the pre-industrial era, contributing to extreme climate events (IPCC, 2018). In 2024, the global temperature was significantly higher than average, with record-breaking temperatures in several months.
• Impact of Natural Disasters on SRHR: In affected areas, infrastructure destruction can reduce access to critical sexual and reproductive health services, particularly impacting women, young people, and marginalised groups. Research in the USA links exposure to extreme heat with increased premature births and risks to maternal health, as well as mental health impacts and increased gender-based violence in crisis contexts.
• Gender Inequality and Vulnerability: Women and girls, especially in contexts of inequality, are disproportionately affected. In situations of crisis and displacement, they are more exposed to gender-based violence.
• IPPF’s vision is of a world where all people are free to make choices about their sexuality and well‑being, without discrimination. This vision is threatened by the climate crisis.  Since 2021[1], IPPF has clear priorities for advocacy and engagement on the intersections of SRHR and the climate crisis, particularly through our strengths as healthcare providers and advocates.
• As a major healthcare provider and advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights, IPPF is still more committed to support communities to adapt and respond to the effects of the climate crisis while calling for inclusive, human rights‑based, and gender‑transformative action to address the climate crisis and its impacts at all levels.
• Through the years, IPPF’s presence in many countries severely impacted by the climate crisis had guided our humanitarian actions: as local organizations with well‑established networks of service delivery points, our Member Associations are uniquely placed to provide a comprehensive range of services in humanitarian crises.
• However better preparation and capacity is necessary, particularly considering that LAC is one of the region’s most vulnerable to extreme climate events, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts, especially in the Caribbean and coastal areas of Central America. The region also faces long-term risks, such as sea level rise, affecting small island states and densely populated coastal cities.
• Besides that, health infrastructure in affected areas, which may already be limited, is even more vulnerable to natural disasters, restricting access to contraceptive services, maternal health, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections. In rural and peri-urban zones, where access is already limited, these effects are even more severe.
• Gender inequality and socio-economic and racial discrimination intensify these groups’ vulnerability to climate change, limiting their access to essential reproductive health services in emergencies and recovery periods.
• The Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals include relevant targets for SRHR, but implementation remains limited due to resource shortages and lack of support in some countries in the region.

 

Objectives of the Consultancy:

To inform IPPF ACRO’s tailored approach to address the Impact of Climate Change on SRHR, considering the needs and strengthens the LAC region has. Strengthening these efforts will not only support the promotion of health and well-being of vulnerable populations but also contribute to more resilient and adaptable communities across the region in the face of an evolving climate crisis.

Therefore, this consultancy has the general objective of:

To produce an updated and data-oriented briefing on the challenges/opportunities to respond to the SRHR needs in the climate crises context, considering the countries where IPPF ACRO operates, while highlighting the responses our members are implementing to build resilience and adaptation to climate change, at local, national and international levels.

To consider that analyses should include, but not be limited to:

• Criteria for Vulnerability: Based on data regarding the frequency of natural disasters, health response capacity, and socio-economic indicators, countries such as Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and Caribbean islands (Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic) emerge as highly vulnerable.
• Direct and Indirect Impacts on SRHR: In Haiti and Honduras, for instance, frequent hurricanes and flooding directly impact access to healthcare, with limited infrastructure and large rural populations. Caribbean islands face threats of submersion, and sexual and reproductive health is particularly compromised in situations of evacuation and population displacement. In Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) women were more exposed to violence when looking for support and shelters.
• Health Systems and Community Resilience: Many countries lack robust health systems to withstand disasters, exacerbating the lack of SRHR services during and after climate emergencies.

When describing the work of IPPF-affiliated NGOs in LAC in strengthening SRHR and resilience initiatives for climate change consider and be no limited to:

• Local Resilience and Community Partnerships approaches: if they have invested in local partnerships and awareness campaigns about the impact of climate change on sexual and reproductive health, with special attention to women and young people in risk areas.
• Sexual Health and Resilience Programmes: For instance, in countries like Guatemala and Honduras, NGOs implement programmes focused on strengthening sexual health in vulnerable communities, offering contraception services and health education even in crisis settings. Through rural healthcare networks and community mobilisation efforts, these NGOs work to broaden access to reproductive health in remote and disaster-recovering regions.
• Education and Awareness: what kind of campaigns are done. In collaboration with schools and communities, family planning and sexual health rights education campaigns are promoted, emphasising the importance of these rights in climate change adaptation and natural disaster response.

 

Key Deliverables:

The briefing: The Impact of Climate Crisis in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean should be structured with at least the following 5 chapters:

• Introduction (with data) on the impact of climate nowadays over the SRHR and the global trend.
• Climate Change and SRHR in Latin America and the Caribbean, underscoring the critical need to embed Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) within climate policies, addressing the unique vulnerabilities and socio-environmental challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
• Brief analysis of the 29 countries where IPPF ACRO operates to identify those where the impact of climate change most affects SRHR;
• In these identified countries, description of the work done by the member Association or collaborative partner. It can include advocacy strategies: having SRHR recognized as an essential component of climate adaptation and resilience strategies, can allow policymakers and organizations to foster more equitable and comprehensive responses to climate impacts.
• Biography and Methodology (very brief) note.

 

Deadline to deliver the paper:

31 of December 31, 2024.

 

Consultant Profile, Knowledge and competencies:

• In-depth knowledge of SRHR and Climate change relation, particularly in the LAC context.
• In-depth knowledge of power dynamics and global politics surrounding access to SRHR services in humanitarian sets.
• Be a feminist activist with a recognized background in SRHR.
• Experience in writing briefing papers
• Proven ability to work independently and remotely with a multicultural team based in different countries.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Experience on analysing civil society work.

 

Personal Qualities:

• Possess excellent team spirit and be able to work in a multicultural environment.
• Commitment to the mission and principles of IPPF.
• Highly organized and efficient, with great attention to detail.
• Collaborative approach and ability to work effectively as part of a small team.
• Comfortable working independently and managing own workload with tight deadlines.

 

Recruitment Process

Please send CV and your financial proposal to [email protected] before November 12, 2024. Please use ‘IPPF ACRO Climate & SRHR Consultancy’ in the subject line.