The IPPF ACRO Regional Forum, held from September 9 to 13 in Mexico City, brought together more than 100 representatives of allies and IPPF Membership from the Americas and the Caribbean, including executive directors, board members, and youth representatives from 30 countries in the region. This closed-door event was crucial for strengthening our alliances and developing common strategies to advance access to sexual and reproductive rights for all, especially in a context of growing threats to these rights.
The week began with the ACRO Youth Forum, specifically dedicated to the youth representatives from IPPF’s member and partner organizations in the region. On Monday and Tuesday, participants not only delved into the role of the ACRO Youth Network in advancing the Federation’s strategy but also strengthened governance capacities to position the needs of youth. They also shared their needs with the Executive Directors of their organizations to continue focusing on the provision of services and political advocacy tailored to this population’s requirements.
During the Regional Forum, which started on Wednesday, September 11, we analyzed the threats and opportunities and explored how to leverage multilateral spaces to tackle these challenges. It was a powerful moment to reinforce the importance of staying united to achieve real and sustainable change in the territories.
In a special session, we heard from leaders of social movements, such as trans people, sex workers, and women living with HIV, who reminded us of the importance of uniting our agendas to advance collectively.
Marcela Romero, Secretary of RedLacTrans, inspired us: "It’s time to broaden the scope of political advocacy: trans women are mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters. For many years, we’ve been denied the right to form families because we don’t have laws that support us. Now, together, we can dream of addressing other issues that used to scare us but are also part of trans people’s lives."
Mariana Iacono from ICW Latina reminded us that "beyond reproductive rights, it is essential to guarantee the right to bodily autonomy. And the only way to achieve it is through solidarity. How can we connect to ensure access to rights for all women and pregnant people in our region?"
Meanwhile, Lucy Esquivel, Executive Secretary of RedTraSex, highlighted the importance of recognizing and addressing the complex needs of our communities, beyond health aspects: "To guarantee our rights, it’s not enough to just look below the waist. It’s necessary for the State, our allies, and governments to see my whole self—my self as a sex worker woman, composed of many aspects."
We dedicated time to collectively plan our advocacy in global events to advance sexual and reproductive rights. In this session, the executive directors of Fundheg, Gestos, and Profamilia shared key perspectives on strategically influencing the agenda at forums such as the G20 (through the C20), the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), the International Conference on Family Planning in 2025 (ICFP 2025), and other spaces like the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Participation in these forums is crucial to ensure our demands—from reproductive health and the rights of women in all their diversity to LGBTIQ+ people and climate change—are included on the global agenda.
Another important session was the "Dialogues for Action," where Membership organizations shared their expertise, achievements, and lessons learned on a variety of topics, such as: abortion care in restrictive contexts, youth engagement, financial sustainability, communication strategies and narratives to win hearts and minds, the engagement of LGBTIQ+ populations to achieve Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and humanitarian responses.
The organizations that shared their experiences—CEMOPLAF, the Family Planning Association of Guadeloupe, Fundheg, the Family Planning Association of Grenada, Fundación Llaves, Mexfam, the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Gestos, Colectivo Rebeldía, Famia Plania Aruba—gave us a glimpse into local realities, allowing us to identify common points and challenges that we continue to face in the region.
The Forum also included a session on anti-racism for Afro-descendant people, facilitated by Ana Barreto, director of Planned Parenthood Global, which provided a powerful space for reflection on how we can continue advancing toward greater equity and racial justice.
One of the outcomes of this meeting was the co-creation of IPPF ACRO’s priorities and strategies for the upcoming year. We worked together to define where, how, and with which alliances we will advance our political advocacy to promote laws, public policies, and financial investment that guarantee comprehensive well-being and life, social, economic, and environmental rights—and SRHR—free from discrimination and violence.
As Teresa Alarcón, executive director of Colectivo Rebeldía, our Collaborative Partner in Bolivia, said: "Our agendas are connected to life, dignity, and happiness, and it is our organizations and movements that work for lives free of violence, for the right to health, for autonomy, seeking a more just world where all people can live healthy and fulfilling lives."
For this reason, the Forum was also a space to celebrate the resilience and impact of our organizations. In 2023, IPPF ACRO provided more than 17 million sexual and reproductive health services, including safe abortion procedures, fertility care, STI treatment, and support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of our member associations to the well-being of their communities. In the end, we emerged from these days together, revitalized:
We are ready to face the challenges of 2024 and 2025, with common strategies, stronger and more united than ever!
when
region
Americas & the Caribbean