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Haz click aquí para leer esta noticia en español. Neon lights, popcorn, and a collective energy you could feel from the moment you walked in. That was the scene on the night Profamilia Colombia's community celebrated four years since the decriminalisation of abortion in Colombia up to the 24th week of pregnancy. On 21 February 2022, the Constitutional Court issued ruling C-055, extending access to abortion by choice up to the 24th week of pregnancy. This historic milestone, known as 21F, was the result of years of coordinated work by activists, collectives and organisations such as Profamilia, a Member Association of IPPF in Colombia, to move beyond the three-grounds model that had been in place in the country since 2006. Until then, the model significantly limited women, girls, trans men and non-binary people, allowing abortion only when continuing the pregnancy posed a risk to the woman’s life or overall health, when there was a foetal malformation incompatible with life, or when the pregnancy resulted from sexual violence. Today, these three grounds remain in force for those who need to access abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. This celebration comes at a key moment. On the eve of 21 February, the mayor of Bogotá rejected — on grounds of unconstitutionality and illegality — a draft agreement that sought to create a "pro-life" route for pregnant women, nursing mothers and unborn children. The initiative posed new barriers to abortion access, exposing women and pregnant people to pressure and manipulation that violate their right to decide freely and autonomously. More than 140 activists, health professionals, representatives of international cooperation, academia and feminist organisations gathered to commemorate a milestone that strengthened autonomy, expanded access to healthcare and reaffirmed freedom of choice. The highlight of the evening was an intimate and powerful regional conversation focused on the current landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean and on building a collective agenda that promotes autonomy and keeps the green wave spreading throughout the region. The panel featured: • Marta Royo, CEO of Profamilia • Viviana Bohórquez, Director of Somos Jacarandas • Amaila de la Torre, Cooperation Architect at IPPF • Anabel Elizondo from the Ixchel Women's Association The agenda also included cinema and collective memory with the screening of Belén, a story that sparked the green wave in Argentina and continues to inspire movements for autonomy throughout the region. In Latin America and the Caribbean, abortion remains a deeply unequal right. Although countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile have expanded their legal frameworks over the past decade, most countries in the region still maintain restrictive legislation that limits access to abortion to specific grounds — such as Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela — or prohibit it in all circumstances, exposing women and pregnant people to criminalisation. The evening ended on a celebratory note: neon cocktails, music, flowing conversations and a shared certainty — autonomy is built, nurtured and celebrated collectively. This meeting was made possible thanks to the support of the IPPF Centre of Excellence, RIOS Rivers, El Proyecto La Lucha Sigue, the Government of Canada and the Jacarandas Foundation.  

Haz click aquí para leer esta historia en español. On January 15, le Planning Familial, IPPF’s affiliate in Guadeloupe, inaugurated the first solidarity shop dedicated to menstrual health and the care of women and infants in Pointe-à-Pitre. The opening of this space responds to an increasingly visible reality: the rise of menstrual poverty and the barriers that women and young people face in accessing basic hygiene products. In recent years, Planning’s social workers have observed a steady increase in needs related not only to menstrual health, but also to access to essential items for personal care and infant wellbeing. “Women are gradually breaking the taboo surrounding menstruation and denouncing the social, economic, health, and personal challenges linked to menstrual poverty,” said Carol Borel, Director of the Planning Familial de Guadeloupe. “When a woman has to choose between buying menstrual products and meeting other basic needs, she is putting her health at risk.” Located at the Rago Family Planning Centre, the shop aims to provide a concrete and sustainable response over time. There, users will be able to access a wide range of menstrual hygiene products at reduced prices, within a safe and trusted environment that is already part of their regular visits for medical check-ups, screenings, or sexual and reproductive health counselling. The space will also be open to students and young women, who often face tight budgets and must prioritize daily expenses. The initiative was born precisely from listening to these needs, with the goal of offering not temporary solutions, but ongoing support that contributes to ensuring dignity and wellbeing. With this opening, the Planning Familial de Guadeloupe reaffirms its commitment to equitable access to health and to the comprehensive support of women and people with the capacity to gestate, promoting community-based responses to structural inequalities that continue to limit the full exercise of their rights.

In the spirit of collective strength and shared values, during the IPPF 2025 General Assembly, the IPPF Courage Awards were presented, recognizing Member Associations, strategic partners, youth leaders, and volunteers whose bravery, leadership, and care continue to drive change across our Federation.  Among them, Jeffthanie Mathurin of the Haiti Midwives Association received the Member Association Staff Courage Award. A midwife and fearless advocate, she delivers essential maternal and reproductive health services in one of the world’s most under-resourced health systems, while also leading efforts to strengthen quality of care from within Haiti’s health response. Her work reflects the resilience, commitment, and community-rooted leadership that sustain sexual and reproductive health services even in the most fragile and complex contexts.  Just like Jeffthanie, IPPF ACRO Member Associations and the Secretariat stand together supporting, amplifying, and protecting the work being carried out on the frontlines, despite the context in which we operate continues to be deeply contested. Across the Americas and the world, civil liberties and sexual and reproductive rights face renewed pressure from political and policy shifts that threaten progress made over decades.   In our region, developments such as the expansion of the Global Gag Rule to cover not only abortion-related services but also programs related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender identity rights is indicating this won’t be an easy year. Fromthe U.S. imperialist intervention in Venezuela and threats to the sovereignty of some Caribbean states including Haïti; elections in Chile, Honduras, and Bolivia that have resulted in new ultra-right or conservative governments; pose serious challenges for global development and the rights to lives with health and free of violence for people – all these events create impossible choices for frontline providers and jeopardize essential care for the most vulnerable.  However, in 2026, we remain committed to advancing rights with courage, deepening humanitarian sexual and reproductive health programming, and building narratives that resonate with the values and lived realities of communities across 30 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean.  As affirmed at our recent General Assembly, Although the threats we face, from deepening inequalities to shrinking civic space, are real and growing, but so too is our capacity to resolve.  Together, we move forward clearer in purpose, stronger in federation, and more determined than ever to uphold human dignity and to be a source of hope and action for change.

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.   The GGR is a far-reaching, destructive American foreign policy, one that is deeply unpopular with the American people. It denies U.S. funding to organisations like IPPF if they use money from other donors to provide safe abortion services, counselling or referrals. It blocks critical funding for health services like contraception, maternal health, abortion care, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment for organisations that refuse to sign it.   When it has been enacted by previous Republican Presidents, evidence has shown that the GGR has led to an increase in maternal deaths, in unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions. It blocks access to health care for women and the most vulnerable people, silences SRHR advocates, reduces coverage of community health workers, and infringes on a country’s sovereignty. The Global Gag Rule’s reinstatement will result in an escalation in avoidable health crises, needless physical and emotional harm, a loss of dignity for women, and death.   IPPF anticipates it will lose $61 million USD for programs that provide sexual and reproductive health services for millions of women and youth. 13 countries and 16 healthcare projects worldwide are affected by the Global Gag Rule. Without funding, the people we serve will otherwise go without these vital services, including women suffering the burden of health and humanitarian crises.   Donald Makwakwa, Executive Director, Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM): "The reinstatement of the global gag rule will have devastating consequences for women and girls in Malawi, where access to sexual and reproductive health services is already limited. Projected funding cuts to FPAM will disproportionately harm women and young girls in Malawi, many of whom rely on these services to avoid unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths. It is a cruel policy that sacrifices lives and bodily autonomy."  The global gag is further insult to injury on top of other U.S. foreign policies that have a catastrophic impact on the communities in which our MAs work. Just yesterday, the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance sent a global cable that ordered an immediate pause on new foreign aid spending, as well as a stop-work order for existing grants and contracts. The new executive action targeting transgender, non-binary and intersex individuals has resulted in great fear for our communities.   We have already seen funding cut as a result of its new anti-DEI executive action. The US also announced it plans to renew its membership of the Geneva Consensus Declaration, an anti-abortion joint statement initially cosponsored by persons claiming to represent the governments of Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Uganda, and the United States. It was signed by persons from 34 countries on October 22, 2020.    It is clear foreign aid has become a political weapon, used to enforce hateful ideologies at the expense of women in all their diversity, and against LGBTQI+, poor and immigrant communities.     We cannot—and will not—deny life-saving services to the people we serve.  We urge other governments and donors to step forward and call out the damage and destruction of these destructive actions. We stand in solidarity with our community.  Now is the time for our movement to unite, to come together and to fight for a world of sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for ALL.  Learn more about Global Gag Rule here: The Global Gag Rule | IPPF   For more information, please contact [email protected] or +44 7918 845 944. 

As an organisation dedicated to promoting and protecting the health, rights, and dignity of all individuals, we must prioritise the safety and well-being of our community in every space we occupy.  After careful consideration, we have decided to leave the platform X, effective 20 January 2025. Unfortunately, X no longer provides the safe and supportive environment that our community deserves. The increasing prevalence of harmful discourse and the platform's failure to adequately address it have made this decision necessary.  We are also deeply concerned about Meta’s new policy updates announced in the beginning of January, which raise critical questions about privacy, misinformation, and the safety of vulnerable groups online, including women, migrants, transgender people and the LGBTQIA+ community. As advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights, we must ensure the digital spaces we engage with uphold the values of equity, inclusion, and accountability.  Our commitment to creating meaningful conversations and driving positive change remains steadfast. You can continue to connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or our website, where we will remain active and responsive. To never miss an update, follow us on Instagram and tap the bell icon at the top-right corner on our profile to turn on notifications!  link We thank you for your continued support and invite you to join us in advocating for safer and more equitable digital spaces for all. Together, we can build a world where everyone can thrive—online and offline.  #DigitalSafety 

To read the original article in Spanish, in FunDheg's website, click here. On December 10 of this year, and within the framework of International Human Rights Day, which coincides in Argentina with the Day of the Restoration of Democracy, FUNDHEG held a webinar to present the report "Tongues of Fire: Flames of Hate in the Democratic Fabric," as part of the project "Democracy in Your Body," developed in collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).  The presentation, which brought together a significant national and international audience, focused on the impact of hate speech on gender policies and human rights defenders. The report also highlights setbacks and the growing threats faced by sexual and reproductive rights, as well as the strategies needed to combat these narratives and policies through democratic and inclusive approaches.  A day marked by valuable testimonies  The event opened with remarks by Leticia Gauna, President of FUNDHEG, and Diana Cabral, the organization’s Executive Director, who underscored the importance of building a more inclusive and equitable society in the face of global challenges.  Alessandra Nilo, Director of External Relations at IPPF, provided an international perspective, emphasizing the role of global cooperation in protecting human rights. Meanwhile, Gabriela Ayala (Social Communicator) and Mariano Leiva (Journalist) presented the report, highlighting its key findings.  Among the voices that enriched the event were Verónica González Bonet, a journalist from the Network of Journalists with a Gender Perspective and the Network for the Rights of People with Disabilities (REDI), and Lenny Cáceres, feminist journalist and Director of the digital newspaper Femenino in La Pampa province. Both shared valuable experiences and perspectives on the threats faced by women and people with disabilities in public and digital spaces.  Manuela Calvo, a journalist from La Rioja, provided a profound analysis of the judicial persecution she faces in her province for addressing cases of violence against girls and adolescents. She emphasized the critical role of hate speech in these attacks.  Through a video message, Silvina Molina, journalist and founder of the International Network of Journalists with a Gender Perspective, stressed the importance of training in the use of social media as a tool for defense against hate speech, while calling for strengthened collective and network-based work. Along similar lines, Monique Aschult, a member of Mujeres por la Igualdad, agreed with Molina and proposed strengthening alliances with regional organizations as a key strategy to confront these issues.  Also present were Lidia Pérez and Diego Cazorla, former employees of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism (INADI), recently eliminated by the current administration. They emphasized that, in this context of hate speech propagated by the State, INADI’s functions have been rendered obsolete.  The event concluded with remarks by Esmeralda Alfaro, representative of the Las Crisálidas Association in Guatemala, who reaffirmed the importance of regional sorority and solidarity in defending human rights.  Reaffirming Commitments  The webinar was widely praised for its content and the quality of the reflections shared. The testimonies and analyses presented not only identified current challenges but also proposed transformative strategies based on new democratic narratives.  FUNDHEG and IPPF reaffirmed their commitment to continue working toward an inclusive, equal, and respectful society, especially during this critical moment for human rights in Argentina and the region. This event solidified itself as an essential space for dialogue, aiming to build democratic and equitable tools to confront the flames of hate.