We, civil society organizations working to promote women’s and young people’s human rights, call on
world leaders on the eve of the “Family Planning Summit”, hosted by the UK Government and the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights are at the
centre of all efforts to meet reproductive health needs, including family planning.
Contraceptive information and services – “family planning” – form an essential part of the health
services that women need throughout their lives. Any steps to increase demand for contraceptives must
actively support efforts to improve comprehensive and integrated sexual and reproductive health.
Contraceptives must be provided through primary healthcare, with full regard for women’s human
rights and the specific needs of young and unmarried women and other groups.
Our experience, built over decades of work around the world, has taught us that the failure to take
actions guided by women’s human rights – to health, to life, to live free from discrimination among
others – can have devastating consequences. Policies that accept or tacitly condone forced sterilization,
the coercive provision of contraceptives, and the denial of essential services to the young, poor and
marginalized women that need them every day have violated, and continue to violate, women’s human
rights.
Nearly twenty years ago, governments at the International Conference on Population and Development
agreed that respect for women’s reproductive autonomy is the cornerstone of population policy. Any
return to coercive family planning programs where quality of care and informed consent are ignored
would be both shocking and retrograde. The Family Planning Summit must ensure that the clocks are
not put back on women’s human rights: women’s autonomy and agency to decide freely on matters
related to sexual and reproductive health without any discrimination, coercion or violence must be
protected under all circumstances.
In order to expand contraceptive access with full respect for women’s human rights, we urge
governments, donors and other actors supporting the Family Planning Summit to:
- Take all possible measures to ensure that this initiative is designed with quality of care and
human rights at its core, so that no coercive measures are introduced in the provision of contraceptives;
- Ensure that meaningful participation by women, including young women, is built into all stages
of program design and implementation to ensure that services are responsive to their needs and to
prevent any human rights violations;
- Ensure that the provision of contraceptives is integrated into existing and new sexual and
reproductive health services, and that a full range of contraceptive methods is offered;
- Design and implement a system for monitoring, evaluation and accountability to track and
measure its impact on the human rights of women as this initiative is rolled out, and urgently make
necessary corrections should violations come to light;
- Commit to tackling the existing legal and policy barriers that hinder access to contraceptive
information and services, without which efforts are likely to be ineffective and exacerbate disparities in
access.
In 2012, nothing less will do.
Endorsed by:
Center for Reproductive Rights - International
Amnesty International - International
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) - International
International Women's Health Coalition - International
Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ) - International
Women and Children First (UK) - UK
Sexuality Policy Watch - International
Cynthia Rothschild - USA
AIDOS, Associazione italiana donne per lo sviluppo - Italy
Aids Orpans care and support program (AOCASP) - Kenya
Charlotte Soulary - France
Catholics for Choice - International
Fundacion Huesped - Argentina
L'association Tunisienne des femmes democrates (ATFD) - Tunisia
Fiji Women's Rights Movement - Fiji
Women's Action for Change - Fiji
National Council of Women’s Organizations - USA
Voice for Change - Papua New Guinea
Lice Cokanasiga - Fiji
PROMSEX - Peru
Generation Initiative For Women and Youth Network - Nigeria
Rosia Koian - Papua New Guinea
ICW Global - USA
ICW North America - USA
Michelle Redman-MacLaren - Australia
New Zealand Family Planning Association - New Zealand
Space Allies - Japan
Women and Media Collective - Sri Lanka
Pamoja Communications - UK
World YWCA - International
YP Foundation - India
SUTRA - India
Beth Tinning - Australia
Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) - Cameroon
Susan Paxton, PhD - Australia
Women's UN Report Network - WUNRN - USA
Devika Biswas - India
Renu Khanna - India
Women Living Under Muslim Laws - United Kingdom
Common Language - China
Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) - International
Grupo de Informacion en Reproduccion Elegida, A.C. (GIRE) - Mexico
Melanie Hughes McDermott - USA
Diana Tietjens Meyers - USA
Marsha Freeman - USA
ICW Asia Pacific - India
SAHAYOG - India
National Alliance on Maternal Health and Human Rights - India
Healthwatch Forum Uttar Pradesh - India
Ramon Torre Canal - Spain
Teenagers Plus CBO - Kenya
Global Exchange - USA
Osez Le Feminisme! - France
Observatorio de Genero y Equidad - Chile
Charlotte Bunch - USA
Cook Islands Womens Counselling Centre/Punanga Tauturu Inc - Cook Island
Centre for Secular Space - International
United and Strong Inc - Saint Lucia
Donna Shavlik - USA
Pramada Menon - India
Center for Women's Global Leadership - USA
HIV Young Leaders Fund - USA/Thailand
Intersect Worldwide - USA, India, SA
Shirkat Gah –Women’s Resource Centre - Pakistan
Preeti Tanwar Anand - India
Eva Fager - Sweden
Teresa Cunha - Portugal
Instituto Papai - Brazil
Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies - India
Youth Peer Education Network - Pakistan
Nauru National Youth Council - Republic of Nauru
Smita Elena Sharma - Malaysia
Marjorie Mbilinyi - Tanzania
All Women's Action Society - Malaysia
Tour Operation et Initiatives /ONG - Democratic Republic of Congo
Network of East-West Women - Poland
Child In Need Institute - India
EFI - Espace Femmes Internationale - Switzerland
FOKUS - Forum for Women and Development - Norway
Tumaini Women Group and Mary Youth Support Group - Kenya
Women for Women's Human Rights (WWHR) - NEW WAYS - Turkey
The International Alliance of Women/Alliance Internationale des Femmes - International
Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) - Lebanon
Flying Broom Women's Communication and Research Association - Turkey
Instituto Nupef - Brazil
Community Safety and Mediation Center - Romania
Romanian Women's Lobby - Romania
Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP) Program at Hampshire College - USA
Sasha Taner - USA
CREA - India
International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific - Asia Pacific
PODA-Pakistan - Pakistan
Foundation Kinderen Centraal -Suriname
MADRE - USA
Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA) - Asia and the Pacific
Ipas - International
Nanette Funk - USA
Engender - South Africa
GESTOS- HIV+, Communication and Gender - Brazil
TARSHI (Talking About Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues) - India
Pathfinder International - USA
Susan Herrman - USA
CEDPA - USA
Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) - USA
ASRAD-MALI - Mali
Hampshire College Population and Development Program - USA
Anamitra Roychowdhury - India
Conseil Economique Et Social Du Benin - Benin
Equidad de Genero: Ciudadania, Trabajo y Familia - Mexico
Red por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos en Mexico - Mexico
Foro Nacional de Mujeres y Politicas de Poblacion - Mexico
American Association of Universiity Women - USA
Gillespie Foundation - USA
PDHRE, People's Movement for Human Rights learning - USA
California National Organization for Women (NOW) - USA
Susan Setae - Papua New Guinea
Papua Hahine Social Action Forum Inc - Papua New Guinea
Positive Women's Network - South Africa
Maria Cuvi Sanchez - Ecuador
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) - USA
Mary Wohlford Foundation - USA
Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights - International
Red Flag Women's Movement - Sri Lanka
Action on African Women Foundation - Ghana
Isaac otchere - Ghana
Nell Rasmussen - Denmark
Gail Lerner - USA
Elsa Gomez - USA
Drodrolagi Movement - Fiji
Gamcotrap - The Gambia
Cevahir Ozguler - Turkey
EngenderHealth - USA
SAKBE, Comunicacion y Defensa para el Cambio, AC - Mexico
CLACAI Latin American Consortium Against Unsafe Abortion LAC
Sahiyar (Stree Sangathan) - India
BPW ISTANBUL Business and Professional Women Association - Turkey
Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) - India
Nepal-International Consumers Union - Nepal
Reseau des Associations et Groupements des Femmes Handicapees du Tchad (RAGFHT) - Chad
ELA - Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Genero - Argentina
Popular Education Programme - South Africa
REDRESS Jovenes - Peru
Maria Raguz - Peru
Women and Law in Southern Africa Research Trust Mozambique (WLSA Mozambique) - Mozambique
Foro Regional por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos Arequipa - Peru
Fundacion Desafio - Ecuador
Grupo Medico por el Derecho a Decidir - Colombia
BPW Turkey: The Turkish Federation of Business & Professional Women - Turkey
Fundacion ESAR - Colombia
Women and Media Collective - Sri Lanka
Kumudini Samuel - Sri Lanka
Jayanthi Kuru Uthumpala - Sri Lanka
Sepali Kottegoda - Sri Lanka
Sarala Emmanuel - Sri Lanka
Chulani Kodikara - Sri Lanka
El Colegioc de Mexico - Mexico
Susana Lerner - Mexico
Sisterhood Is Global Institute - Jordan
Helen Ridsdale - USA
Netherlands Council of Women - Netherlands
Women for Women's Human Rights (WWHR) - New Ways - Turkey
MYSU, Mujer y Salud en Uruguay - Uruguay
Ipas Pakistan -Pakistan
Mariana Romero - Argentina
The Planned Parenthood Association of Thailand (PPAT) - Thailand
Coast Women In Development (CWID) - Kenya
Gender Alternatives Foundation - Bulgaria
Eskişhir Business and Professional Women –Eskişhir BPW - Turkey
Conseil National des Femmes du Luxembourg - Luxembourg
Center for Equality Advancement - Lithuania
Red ACTIVAS - Spain
Dr. Nisha Gupta - India
WoMen Against Rape Trust - Botswana
Dr Divya Bhagianadh - India
Ipoade Omilaju - Nigeria
Carol Bradford - UK
YouAct - European Region
Anne-Marie Rey - Switzerland
Euroregional Center for Public Initiatives - Romania
Občn, demokracia a zodpovednost (Citizen, Democracy and Accountability) - Slovakia
Servicios Urbanos y Rurales para Mujeres de Bajos Ingresos-SURMUBI - Peru
African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) - Kenya
Fundacion para Estudio e Investigacion de la Mujer -FEIM - Argentina
Mabel Bianco - Argentina
FIAN International (Foodfirst Information and Action network) - International
Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat) - United Kingdom
Organizacion de Mujeres Tierra Viva - Guatemala
Adrienne Germain - USA
Gender and Development Network - UK
Sex og Politikk - Norwegian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights - Norway
Colectivo Feminista Mujeres Universitarias - Honduras
Mujeres Latinoamericanas de New York - USA
Pierre M. LaRamee - USA
El Foro Ciudadano de Participacion por la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos -FOCO - Argentina
WIDE - Austria
Rede Naional de Promocao e Controle social em Saude das Lesbicas Negras - Brazil
Feministas en Accion Argentina - Argentina
South Asia Forum for Human Rights - India
Foro por los Derechos Reproductivos - Argentina
Ipas Mexico - Mexico
Susana Checa - Argentina
Uiala Mukaji Sociedade das Mulheres Negras de Prenambuco - Brazil
Human Rights Watch - International
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) - USA
Christina Zampas - Sweden
Federacion de Planification Familiar Estatal - Spain
Action Canada for Population and Development - Canada
Agrupacion ciudadana por la despenalizacion del aborto terapeutico, etico y eugenesico - El Salvador
The Society for Education on Contraception and Sexuality - Romania
International Disability Alliance - International
Campaign to Stop Torture in Health Care - International
Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) - Nigeria
Associacao Brasileira de Lesbicas, Gays,Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais - Brazil
Cecilia Olea Mauleon - Peru
Mujer y Salud en Uruguay (MYSU) - Uruguay
Ipas Bolivia - Bolivia
Ipas Bangladesh - Bangladesh
Balance Promocion para el Desarrollo y Juventud A.C. - Mexico
Paula Viana - Brazil
New Morning Foundation - USA
Comunicacion, Intercambio y Desarrollo Humano en America Latina. A. C. - Mexico
Ma. Luisa Becerril Straffon - Mexico
Izabel Marri - Brazil
Maria Quinteiro - Brazil
Red Nacional de Adolescentes y Jovenes para la Salud Sexual y Reproductiva - Argentina
Ipas Central America Central - America
Sergio Rego - Brazil
Sociedade de Bioetica do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Hivos - The Netherlands
Reprolatina- Solucoes Inovadoras em Saude Sexual e Reprodutiva - Brazil
Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas-ECMIA - Peru
CHIRAPAQ, Centro de Culturas Indigenas del Peru - Peru
Catolicas por el Derecho a Decidir/Bolivia - Bolivia
Las Hijas de la Negrita - Costa Rica
Consorcio Latinoamericano de Anticoncepcion de Emergencia CLAE - Costa Rica
Larissa Arroyo Navarrete - Costa Rica
International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) - USA
Women Advancement for Economic and Leadership Empowerment in Africa (WAELE/ARCELFA) - Nigeria
MPh Deyanira Gonzalez de Leon Aguirre - Mexico
Paramita Kundu - India
Global Doctors for Choice - International
Forum Mulher - Mozambique
Articulacion Feminista Marcosur - Regional
Vision Spring Initiatives - Nigeria
Laura Davis Mattar - Brazil
Manuela Lavinas Picq - Ecuador
Joana Picq - Brazil
Nara Penaherrera - Ecuador
IntraHealth International - International
Ibis Reproductive Health - USA
Gynuity Health Projects - USA, Georgia
FHI 360 - USA
CFEMEA –Centro Feminista de Estudos e Assessoria -Brazil
Ipas Nigeria - Nigeria
Silvia Pimentel - Brazil
Ipas Nepal - Nepal
Sarah Swain - Australia
Asociatia SEVA - Romania
ASTRA Central and Eastern European Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health - Poland
International Foundation for Population and Development (IFPD) - Switzerland
Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) - Global
Womens International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) - Australia
Kamayani Bali Mahabal - India
Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) - Asia-Pacific
Ipas India - India
Population Services International - USA
Manuela Cabezas da Rosa - United Kingdom
Cameroon Medical Women Association (CMWA) - Cameroon
Lebanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Lebanon
Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund - USA
Mary Garcia Castro - Brazil
YWCA of Nigeria - Nigeria
Magdalena Cuvi - Ecuador
National Council of Women's Societies - Nigeria
Youth Vision Zambia - Zambia
Population and Community Development Association - Thailand
Smitha Francis - India
Food First Information and Action Network, Section Austria (FIAN Austria) - Austria/Europe
Family Care International - USA
International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights International
Martha I. Rosenberg - Argentina
Vladimir R. Gil Ramon, Ph.D. - Peru
Cruz Caridad Bueno - USA
Organizacion de Mujeres Tierra Viva - Guatemala
SUTRA - India
Violence is Not our Culture (VNC) campaign - International
Our Bodies Ourselves (Our Bodies Ourselves Global Network) - USA
Mexican Association for Sex Education ( Asociacion Mexicana de Educacion Sexual, AMES) - Mexico
Marta de Oliveira - Brazil
Lori Altmann - Brazil
Siobahn Kinney - USA
Ignez Helena Oliva Perpetuo - Brazil
Ruth Iguiniz - Peru
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER) - Malaysia
Quintin Barnes - USA
Angela Freitas - Brazil
Margareth Arilha - Brazil
Miriam Maldonado - Guatemala
Women's Health in St Petersburg - Russia
(Our Bodies Ourselves Global Network) Women and Their Bodies - Israel
Articulacao de Organizacoes de Mulheres Negras - Brazil
A Rede Mulheres Negras - PR - Brazil
Movimento Negro Unificado do Rio Grande do Sul - MNU/RS - Brazil
ActionAid International - International
Sabrina A. Cartabia - Argentina
Tanzania Home Economics Association - Tanzania
Women’s Health Initiative Group - Bulgaria
Irish Family Planning Association - Ireland
CREDO-ACTION - Togo
Commite National des Droits de la Femme (CONADF) - Republic of Congo
ONG Femmes Sante Developpement (FESADE) - Cameroon
Si Mujer - Nicaragua
The Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network (LACWHN) - LAC
CLADEM Brazil - Brazil
Management Sciences for Health - USA
Women's Rehabilitation Centre (Our Bodies Ourselves Global Network) - Nepal
Sanlaap (Our Bodies Ourselves Global Network) - India
Reproductive Health Matters - United Kingdom
Asia Pacific Women's Watch - Sri Lanka
Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) Kenya
Women Advocates' Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) -Nigeria
Athena Network - International
E. Tyler Crone - USA
Empower People - India
AIDS Legal Network - South Africa
WISH Associates - South Africa
Osterreichische Gesellschaft fur Familienplanung/ Austrian Association for Family Planning - Austria
STOP AIDS NOW! - Netherlands
(FAMEDEV) Inter African Network for Women, Media ,Gender and Development/Le Reseau
Inter Africain Des Femmes, Medias, Genre et Developpement - Senegal
