Ipas

Building a world where reproductive justice prevails for all! Our survey revealed that 70% of individuals with higher education were comfortable discussing abortion with friends, while comfort levels were significantly lower among those with minimal or no education. Education not only increases awareness of reproductive rights but also facilitates more open conversations about previously taboo topics Read our report for more such insights: #RaisingVoiceForChoice

At the recent National Consultative Forum on Digital Solutions for Future-proofing ICPD beyond 2030, organized by the National Council for Population and Development with support from the Alliance, key stakeholders came together to assess progress and explore innovative strategies to drive the ICPD Programme of Action (PoA) goals forward. Marking nearly three decades since the 1994 ICPD Cairo and five years post the Nairobi Summit, the forum highlighted five critical themes: Demographic Diversity, Population Data Systems, Digital Future-proofing, Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH), and the Climate Crisis. In collaboration with #AskNivi, Ipas Africa Alliance presented digital tools focused on supporting post-pregnancy contraceptive uptake and utilizing AI and behavioral science to empower individuals in achieving their health aspirations. The event fostered valuable exchanges with stakeholders like Reproductive Health Network Kenya, Marie Stopes Kenya, PS Kenya, Girl Effect, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), all working towards scalable solutions in education, food security, health, and climate adaptation. Ipas is contributing towards shaping a future where technology accelerates change - in Reproductive Health #ICPD30 #SRH #DigitalInnovation #SustainableFuture Anu Kumar Steve Biko Sigu Carolyne Odhiambo - MPRSK Jackline Cheruiyot

This week Ipas Ethiopia convened to review the year 2024 and assess what lies ahead in 2025. Staff from all over the country attended the Ipas Ethiopia annual review meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and discussed, the triumphs, challenges and lessons of the year. The forum was an opportunity to analyze individual efforts and collective results towards contributing to the sexual reproductive health and rights of Ethiopian women and girls. Having returned with a multitude of successful endeavors, coordinators and program/project managers from Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, Sidama, Central Ethiopia and Southwest regions, asserted their resolve for an even more successful fiscal year in 2025. Ipas Ethiopia Country Director, Dr. Demeke Desta, expressed his gratitude to all Ipas staff members all of whom contributed towards a successful year, forwarding especial appreciation to regional staff who managed to achieve everything they planned and beyond even through the most trying security conditions.

NEW: We’re joining Global Justice Center, Amnesty International & Foley Hoag LLP to file an amicus brief challenging Idaho’s abortion ban as a human rights violation that threatens the health and lives of Idahoans. Following the Supreme Court’s refusal to rule definitively earlier this year on whether federal law preempts Idaho’s abortion ban to require abortions when pregnant individuals face life or health threatening conditions, the people of Idaho and many across the United States were left in limbo as to the status of their access to emergency abortion care. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson lamented in her dissent, “While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position.” Our brief makes it clear that Idaho’s ban is exacerbating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, resulting in a human rights crisis that worsens by the day. Read the brief here: https://bit.ly/40hUeQe

Most people in Nepal are unaware that climate change has an impact on their sexual health, and these issues are not of main concern to them. Extreme weather events (such as landslides and floods) often disrupt health facilities and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, highlighting the need for climate-resilient infrastructure. The effect of climate change on women’s sexual and reproductive health is petrifying. Read more about the intersection of climate change and SRHR: https://lnkd.in/dWzzE_Qw #ClimateJustice #SRHR #GenderEquality #ReproductiveHealth #IpasNepal

Exception-based abortion laws don’t work. These “exceptions” have proven impossible to implement. Pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or that threaten the life or health of the pregnant person, are forced to continue.

With abortion being talked about in the news, on podcasts and on social media so much these days, it felt like a good time to look a little deeper. Bodily autonomy is so much more than a "women's issue". Access to reproductive freedom has wide reaching impacts, in terms of equity and the economy.

"We need to pay attention to the anti-rights movement…they are after undermining and undoing the human rights framework" —Ipas President and CEO Anu Kumar at the 12th PMNCH Accountability Breakfast during the UN General Assembly. Watch the event video here: https://bit.ly/3ZSLGPA

Reproductive justice goes beyond borders. During our UNGA reception, #SheDecides champion, Anu Kumar (Ipas) highlighted that with the upcoming United States elections much is on the line for the reproductive freedoms of those within the country. The ripple effects will be felt across the globe, where the future direction of US foreign policies and funding will strongly impact sexual and reproductive health and rights in countries across the world. #AbortionSolidarity #ReproductiveJustice