IPPF European Network

The UK Government’s decision to cut life-saving support is a betrayal to the world’s most marginalised communities. Instead of investing in healthcare, rights, and justice, the UK is funneling money into military expansion—fueling the same cycles of war, displacement, and suffering that deepen global inequities. 📢 This will cost lives. At a time when conflict and humanitarian crises are escalating, cutting Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) while increasing defence spending is an unjust, short-sighted choice that abandons those most in need. We refuse to stay silent. IPPF stands in solidarity with the communities impacted by these cuts and demands that the UK government uphold its commitments to global justice, human rights, and reproductive freedom. ✅ Want more updates like this? Follow us & sign up for our email updates on SRHRJ & collective justice: https://bit.ly/4hwPoEx

The Dutch government’s decision to slash up to €2.4 billion from development aid in 2027 means that women, LGBTI+ communities, and the most marginalised will pay the price. This isn’t just a budget cut; it’s part of a far-right agenda sweeping across governments, from Trump’s Global Gag Rule to Giorgia Meloni’s nationalist assault on migrants and queer rights in Italy. Now, the Netherlands—a country that once championed gender equality and LGBTI+ rights—is turning away on the very movements it helped build. These cuts will strip funding from programmes that protect LGBTI+ people from violence and support survivors of gender-based abuse. Our partner in The Netherlands, Rutgers, warned, “This setback would seriously impact gender equality and the rights of women and marginalised communities.” We’ve seen this before - governments using nationalism as an excuse to defund human rights, silence activists, and erase progress. This is about more than money; it’s about controlling women’s bodies and policing queer identities. When governments slash funding for women’s and LGBTI+ rights, they are making a choice to deny millions the right to live freely and with dignity. Women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights, and sexual and reproductive freedom are not optional. If we don’t fight back now, more governments will follow. We cannot let this stand. Rutgers - For sexual and reproductive health and rights ✅ Want more updates like this? Follow us & sign up for our email updates on SRHRJ & collective justice: https://bit.ly/4hwPoEx

Devastating news from the UK, which is deprioritizing international solidarity👇

Three years on, conflict-related sexual violence remains a devastating reality in Ukraine. Survivors like Oleksiy are leading the fight for justice and support. His and other organizations are working tirelessly to ensure access to essential care. Sexual and reproductive health services are lifesaving. In order to uphold this work and secure its continuation, European donors and humanitarian actors must: 🔹Ensure a sustainable, coordinated, and localized humanitarian response by strengthening collaboration with civil society organizations. 🔹Prioritize sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) services for all survivors. 🔹Protect and support the most marginalized and underserved. 🔹Increase funding for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) care, including contraception, safe abortion, and maternal care. Survivors deserve justice. The world must act. 🩵💛 #UkraineWar #CRSV #SurvivorJustice #ProtectSurvivors #EndSexualViolence #SRHR #HumanitarianResponse #SolidaritywithUkraine #StandwithUkraine

#WeekInReview 🚀 MEPs relaunch Women’s Health group in the European Parliament to prioritise gender-sensitive healthcare and improve women’s health policies across the EU. A critical step forward for #WomensHealth: https://bit.ly/4bbgYEL ⚖️ LGBTQ+ rights at risk in Germany’s upcoming elections raise concerns about potential rollbacks. Far-right gains threaten hard-won protections. Crucial moment for #HumanRights in Europe: https://bit.ly/3X9DYhP 💊 600 abortion pills shipped to Malta in 2024, highlighting the demand amid one of the world’s strictest abortion laws. Advocates call for decriminalisation to ensure #ReproductiveRights: https://bit.ly/3QnKmhy 📊 ILGA-Europe’s #AnnualReview2025 is now live, revealing increasing restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights across Europe and Central Asia. Essential reading for all human rights advocates: https://bit.ly/41n5niT 🛑 Netherlands cuts ODA, posing critical setbacks for women’s rights and gender equality. Funding reductions threaten global progress in #GenderEquality and human rights: https://bit.ly/4kjgaSC ⏭ DSW’s Youth Action Plan video spotlights youth voices, advocating for health, rights, and equality at the EU level. A call to prioritise young people’s voices in policy: https://bit.ly/433fk6i 📈 Tracking What Counts report in action—spotlight on Italy reveals gaps between political commitments and financial support for SRHR. Insights into European #SRHR funding trends: https://bit.ly/4k6KlfK

Disappointing news from the Netherlands. The government is going to make major cuts in development cooperation and is cutting support for women's rights and gender equality. This is stated in the policy letter published today on the government's new development policy. At a time when the rights, safety and freedom of choice of women and girls are under pressure worldwide, this is an incomprehensible and irresponsible choice. Especially at this time, the Netherlands should be making a strong case for women's rights and the rights of marginalized groups worldwide, who are constantly under threat. Read more from Rutgers 👇

#LastWeekToday ⚠️ Authorities in Russia’s Vologda region are considering a total abortion ban, including private clinics—potentially the first of its kind in the country. Local restrictions are increasing, which is a worrying sign for reproductive rights: https://bit.ly/3Qgh8ky 🎯 Poland: A law enshrining the notion of consent into the definition of rape entered into force. This means that situations in which the victim was intoxicated or unconscious, or, for example, could not give informed consent because they were a person with a mental disability, will be criminalised: https://bit.ly/4b3O5KO ⏰ Germany’s Legal Affairs Committee fails to advance critical abortion law reform, stalling efforts to modernise outdated restrictions before the upcoming elections. A missed opportunity, but reproductive rights must remain a priority: https://bit.ly/3ExAdvX ✊ The European Commission commits to a Civil Society Strategy—a historic move to support, protect & empower civil society in Europe. A crucial step in reversing the erosion of civic space. Now, the details will determine its impact: https://bit.ly/4jY3foM 📉New Belgian government to cut 25% of #ODA—worrying developments to come: https://bit.ly/3X2U5xr ➕ Strong and pertinent opinion: "No money for development cooperation sounds abstract and decisive, a figure on a budget line. But in practice? It means that somewhere, right now, a doctor is administering his last dose of medication, knowing that there will be none left tomorrow."  https://bit.ly/41kyaV4 📑 CONCORD multi-annual budget paper outlines strategies for EU funding international cooperation: https://bit.ly/4aW1IM2   💻 Paris #AIActionSummit joint statement for #AI gender equality: https://bit.ly/42SkK3Z  #SRHR #HumanRights #AbortionRights #CivilSociety

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Poland: Justyna Wydrzyńska’s Trial to Continue – A Shameful Blow to the Fight for Reproductive Rights Today, instead of delivering justice, the court prolonged the legal persecution of Justyna Wydrzyńska by ordering a retrial. This is not justice—it is yet another attempt to exhaust and intimidate women human rights defenders (WHRDs) fighting for reproductive rights. "This isn’t about me, it’s about the whole movement. If we show we are afraid, then the whole movement will be afraid," said Wydrzyńska. While Poland’s restrictive abortion laws continue to harm women and deny them basic healthcare, this retrial forces WHRDs to waste precious time and energy defending themselves, taking resources away from supporting those in need. The case against Justyna is a deliberate distraction from the real issue: the movement for reproductive rights in Poland is only growing. 63% of Polish people support liberalising abortion access, and public opinion is shifting towards change. But without international support, those fighting for reproductive rights will continue to face intimidation, legal threats, and persecution. The European Union must take immediate steps to protect human rights defenders like Justyna and ensure that WHRDs, doctors, and those who provide abortion support are not prosecuted for acts of solidarity. Beyond that, the EU must step up to ensure greater access to abortion care across the Union.  Most importantly, Poland must fully and immediately decriminalize abortion care and align with international human rights and public health standards, to finally ensure safety and dignity for Polish women—no more delays. The world must continue to stand with Justyna, other frontline abortion activists, and with the fight she represents. The time to act is now.