Haz click aquí para leer este comunicado en español. Port of Spain, November 25, 2024- The International Planned Parenthood Federation Regional Office in the Americas and the Caribbean (IPPF ACRO) proudly announces the launch of the campaign “What Kind of Man Are You?”, aimed at engaging men and boys across the Caribbean to take an active role in eliminating violence against women. This initiative, developed in collaboration with a Caribbean taskforce, emphasizes the importance of young men becoming allies in building a safer, more just society for all.    “We want men and boys to feel empowered to be part of the solution,” said Eugenia Lopez Uribe, Regional Director of IPPF ACRO. “This campaign speaks directly to the men we care about, inspiring them to step up and join us in creating a world where women can live free from violence. A world of social justice cannot exist without their active participation.”   The campaign highlights that violence against women is a crisis that deeply affects the Caribbean region. According to UNFPA Caribbean, 27–40% of women in countries like Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago have reported experiencing violence at the hands of their partners. The forms of violence are wide-ranging and include intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and sexual violence.    Traditionally, campaigns addressing violence against women have positioned men as bystanders or perpetrators rather than allies. "What Kind of Man Are You?" flips this narrative, calling on men to become their best selves—not only for the women they care about but for their entire communities.    Through this campaign, IPPF ACRO emphasizes that building a world free of violence requires the participation of everyone, especially men who want to ensure better futures for their daughters, wives, sisters, and friends.    The campaign is launched to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, marking the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This annual campaign runs until December 10, International Human Rights Day, and calls for global action to end atrocities such as intimate partner violence, digital violence, child marriage, female genital mutilation, and rape.    IPPF ACRO, alongside its partners in Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago, has a longstanding commitment to preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based violence. Together, they provide essential services, including safe shelters, counseling, and prevention and response programs for survivors.        For media inquiries or further information about the campaign, please contact:   Andrea Alcalá, Communications, Voice, and Media Officer, IPPF ACRO at [email protected], or +52 33 1409 6790.  

Rio de Janeiro, November 2024 – The International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Americas and the Caribbean Regional Office (IPPF ACRO) has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts, urging the G20 to address the escalating crisis in Haiti. During the Civil 20 (C20) Engagement Group discussions, IPPF ACRO played a key role in driving forward a joint statement that calls on the G20, under Brazil’s presidency, to take decisive action to support Haiti amidst its deepening humanitarian emergencies.  The statement, delivered to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, highlights the alarming political instability and escalating violence in Haiti, which have severely impacted vulnerable populations. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 35,000 people have fled their homes since early 2024, and over 600,000 Haitians are now displaced. The compounded crises have severely threatened fundamental rights, particularly the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in all their diversity, who face heightened risks of gender-based violence.  Throughout this year, IPPF ACRO has consistently championed the inclusion of Haiti’s crisis on the G20 agenda. “The situation in Haiti is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by the Caribbean in the face of climate change, political instability, and deep-seated inequality,” said Alessandra Nilo, C20 Sherpa and IPPF ACRO’s External Relations Director. “We pushed for this statement because it is imperative that the G20, especially under Brazil’s leadership, acknowledges the urgent need for action. Women and girls in Haiti are bearing the brunt of this crisis, and they cannot wait any longer for the international community to act.”  Jeffthanie Mathurin, midwife, Member of the Board of Trustees and spokesperson of the Midwife Association of Haiti, IPPF Member Association in the country, further emphasized the urgency of the situation: “The time has come for social solidarity to transition from words to actions, from statements to safeguards, from declarations to transformations. Stand with Haiti, stand with our midwives, with our women and girls, and with every community affected by this crisis. Together, let us ensure that our shared humanity does not turn into a fleeting ideal, but rather a strong force for peace, dignity, and justice for all Haitians.”  IPPF ACRO remains committed to centering the voices of local organizations and communities in the response to Haiti’s crisis. “We believe in a response that prioritizes the rights and needs of those most affected, particularly in access to critical maternal health care and sexual and reproductive health services,” emphasized Eugenia López Uribe, Regional Director of IPPF ACRO. “We call on the G20 leaders to recognize that true resilience and recovery for Haiti must be rooted in ensuring the fundamental rights of its people, especially women and girls.”  The joint statement by the C20, Women 20, and Labour 20 Engagement Groups calls on the G20 to speak out in favor of restructuring Haiti’s healthcare system, including essential maternal health care and sexual and reproductive health services. The statement urges G20 leaders to include a commitment in the official Communiqué for zero tolerance towards sexual and gender-based violence and immediate protection measures for women, children, and those most at risk in Haiti.  “At a time of multiple global crises, we cannot forget Haiti,” added Nilo. “Decades of colonial exploitation, compounded by climate impacts, have created the conditions for today’s instability. The G20 must step up and commit to a future where human rights are protected, and no one is left behind.”      About the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Americas & the Caribbean Regional Office (IPPF ACRO)  IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952 at the Third International Planned Parenthood Conference. Today, we are a movement of 150 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 146 countries. we have focused our work on advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights across the region, with a special focus on abortion, contraception, maternal health, comprehensive sexuality education, child marriage and early unions, LGBTQ+ people, and HIV care.  At the IPPF Americas and the Caribbean Regional Office (IPPF ACRO), we take pride in being local through our Member Associations and Collaborative Partners ,present in 30 countries of our region:  Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Ecuador, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Granada, Guyana, Haïti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States of America.  For more information: Andrea Alcalá Frutos +52 (33) 1409 6790 

The Fight for Reproductive Rights Continues    Today, we recognize the steadfast advocates for people’s rights, particularly reproductive rights, who showed up to vote in the U.S. elections, exercising their power to affirm bodily autonomy and defend freedom. In Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York, voters upheld reproductive freedom. Their votes are a testament to an enduring commitment to safeguarding reproductive rights and personal agency over one's body, life, and future.  We also commend the tremendous work of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, our dedicated Member Association in the U.S., whose tireless campaigning has highlighted what was at stake in this pivotal election. Their unwavering advocacy has empowered countless individuals to protect and advance our shared values.  We know this is a moment to be concerned. The outcome of this election deals a heavy blow to the Sexual and Reproductive Rights Movement. IPPF anticipates significant setbacks, including funding reductions and workforce cuts impacting SRHR defenders globally. This election result is devastating for the millions who will rely on sexual and reproductive health care over the coming years and beyond.  But it is exactly because of this that we need to be stronger than ever: many more people will need us. Therefore, let’s assure the world that IPPF Member Associations and Collaborative Partners across the Americas and the Caribbean remain resolute in our mission to ensure comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.   Let there be no doubt: we will continue the fight for our right to make autonomous decisions about our reproductive lives, to live our sexuality freely, and to access inclusive health services that meet the diverse needs of our communities, whether in contraception, fertility, transgender care, HIV prevention and care, or beyond. And we will continue to strengthen our alliances with progressive social movements around the region and the globe.    In this critical moment, we call on all governments, donors, and international agencies to step up in the face of the upcoming assaults on human rights that will come with the Trump administration, because activists, communities, and civil society organizations are on the frontlines but should not fight these battles alone.  This is an election that particularly affects the Latin American and Caribbean region. We are part of the Green Wave, and we won’t give up. Therefore, it is time to intensify efforts and demand fully funded social movements, including sustained funding for our SRHR champions and their unwavering efforts to counter the ongoing attacks on rights in the field.   Now more than ever, it is imperative to support those defending bodily autonomy and freedom, ensuring they have the resources and backing required to resist, persist, and advance the rights of all people.    We will not be deterred. Our commitment to the millions of people we assist and support, communities, and allies stands firm. Together, we will continue to resist and build a world where everyone can live free from violence and fully exercise their right to shape their present and future.    Image credit: BBC

The International Planned Parenthood Federation in the Americas and the Caribbean (IPPF ACRO), made up of 30 organizations in 29 countries, met in Mexico City with a common goal: to co-create strategies to advance access to sexual and reproductive health services and advance laws and public policies that guarantee comprehensive wellbeing and lives free of discrimination and violence for all people. Together they are an impressive force in this sector. In 2023 alone, IPPF ACRO provided more than 17 million sexual and reproductive health services, including safe abortion procedures, fertility care and sexual and gender-based violence, and invested millions of dollars in the region. Globally, IPPF, a 72-year-old organisation, is active in 152 countries. In 70% of them, we are the leading provider of sexual and reproductive health services. As Teresa Alarcón, executive director of Colectivo Rebeldía, IPPF's Collaborative Partner in Bolivia, says: ‘In the face of the advance of hate speech and regression in public policies and laws, IPPF's work in Bolivia is not only a matter of the future, but also of the future of our country: ‘It is our agendas that are connected to life, dignity and happiness and it is our organisations and movements that work for lives free from violence, for the right to health, for autonomy, for a more just world, where all people can live healthy and fulfilled lives. ‘The organizations that come together in IPPF ACRO bring sexual and reproductive health to people directly every day, they are experts in their contexts not only in health, but in social and legal aspects,’ said Eugenia Lopez Uribe, director of IPPF's Americas and Caribbean office. ‘This week, we are meeting to bring what we have learned this year, to exchange common ground, both achievements and challenges, and to strategize on advancing access to safe abortion, the adoption of comprehensive sexuality education programmes, gender-sensitive mitigation of the climate crisis, and funding to advance this key agenda. In addition, ‘we will do so with populations hard hit by the absence of sexual and reproductive rights, such as youth, women living with HIV and transgender people.’ This is very important work considering the current situation: 18 million women in Latin America have an unmet need for modern contraception, even though, in terms of investment, it is more efficient to meet that need than the consequences of lack of access to it. Moreover, 1,500 hospitals specialising in maternal health and family planning are in coastal areas prone to natural hazards, which will further impede access to them in the face of the growing climate crisis. In addition, only 7% of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track, highlighting the lack of attention and investment that governments around the world and the region have put into ending inequalities and leaving no one behind. IPPF in the region works as a priority to advance access to safe abortion, the adoption of comprehensive sexuality education programmes, gender-sensitive mitigation of the climate crisis and funding to advance this key agenda. And to achieve this, they partner with key populations to connect lessons learned with the direct needs of groups such as youth, women living with HIV and transgender people. Members and Collaborative Partners of IPPF in the Americas and the Caribbean are located in Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Ecuador, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Grenada, Guyana, Haïti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States of America, and Venezuela.

Today, the Congress of Aguascalientes, a state in Mexico, has taken a serious step backward for sexual and reproductive rights by reducing the legal limit for abortion from 12 to 6 weeks of gestation. This decision directly violates the rights of women and people who seek abortions and contradicts the ruling of the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice, which mandates the repeal of laws criminalizing voluntary abortion in the State Penal Codes. We reaffirm IPPF ACRO's commitment to the sexual and reproductive rights of all people and will continue to advocate for the freedom to choose an abortion without time restrictions. With deep solidarity, we embrace the local organizations, collectives, and activists who have fought to guarantee access to safe abortion in Aguascalientes and across the country. We join their efforts: we will not allow a regression in rights that have already been recognized, and we will move forward together to ensure that cis women, trans men, non-binary people, and other dissidents are included in abortion legislation. Together, we will continue to build networks of rights, care, and resistance!    

Haz click aquí para leer este boletín en español.   IPPF expresses our concern about the situation in Venezuela and our total solidarity with its people, who on 28 July received the news from the National Electoral Council (CNE) that the current president, Nicolás Maduro, was elected for a third presidential term. There are serious allegations of a lack of transparency in the process and we join the international community in demanding the publication of the election results, because, as of today, July 31st, the CNE has not shown the results of the election to prove the victory of Nicolás Maduro.    It is worrying that the state security forces have responded with violence and repression since the beginning of the mobilisations, which continue, with hundreds of people arrested and a growing number of deaths. In addition to the current emergency, inequality, gender inequality and lack of access to health services, including sexual and reproductive health, have been on the rise for the past 25 years.    It is impossible to forget: in Venezuela, the number of femicides has doubled in the last 6 years; 28.7% of people of sexual and gender diversity have been victims of violence by state security forces; 91.5% of complaints of violence against women are shelved or dismissed; legislation on abortion is extremely restrictive and services are very limited; in addition, 7.7 million people have been forced to move because of the socio-political context.   With extreme concern, IPPF in the Americas and the Caribbean condemns the Venezuelan government's repression and violence against citizen mobilisations. It is unacceptable that while exercising their right to protest and free expression, Venezuelans are victims of criminalization and physical and political violence.  IPPF ACRO joins the Venezuelan society in their demands for respect of democracy because the will of the people through authentic elections is a right and must be guaranteed by the State.    ‘The situation in Venezuela further exacerbates the escalation of authoritarianism and violence in our region,’ said Alessandra Nilo, Director of External Relations at IPPF ACRO. ‘Democracy is conducive to states that guarantee and advance rights, including sexual and reproductive rights which, we know, in times of high tension and crisis, are the first to be violated. At this difficult time, we demand that the Venezuelan State returns to the democratic path, strengthens its institutions and respects the rights and wishes of its people. It is essential to protect the dignity and hope of all people, especially girls and women in all their diversity.’    ‘IPPF ACRO and Member and Partner Associations in the region are attentive to the development of events, we remain committed to Venezuelan people and their integral wellbeing, and we will continue to provide sexual and reproductive health care and services in Venezuela and, given the projected intensification of the migration wave, also in surrounding countries such as Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.’    Header image credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria