The Lithuanian Health Minister, Aurelijus Veryga, has halted a new contraceptive reimbursement scheme following interference by religious NGOs and politicians. The Minister signed his approval of the scheme in April following a recommendation by the Lithuanian Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the State Commission on Drugs and Medicine Reimbursement, but objections by groups opposed to marriage equality and ratification of the Istanbul Convention on fighting violence against women led him to halt the process seeking further clarification. The timeline for this review has not been published. The scheme would have been a positive step to addressing Lithuania’s poor scores in gender equality, where Lithuania ranks 23rd in the EU on the Gender Equality Index. With a discriminatory system of contraceptive access and weak provision of sexuality education, teenage pregnancy is between two to three times higher than many other European countries, where girls from poorer background are at a higher risk of having unintended pregnancies. Long-acting reversable contraceptives, which would be covered by the scheme, are recommended by both the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) and American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as the first-line contraceptive for girls due to their safety and efficacy. Caroline Hickson, Regional Director at the International Planned Parenthood Federation, European Network said: ‘It is regrettable to see the Minister second guess a decision that would have profound impact on the reproductive lives of Lithuanian women and girls. We hope the Minister listens to the scientific consensus on contraceptive protection and stands firm against the machinations of groups that lack accurate knowledge and fuel fears based on misinformation.’ Contraceptive reimbursement is an established practice across Europe where it has been shown to increase contraceptive use among vulnerable groups, including young women. In the Netherlands, a combination of contraceptive reimbursement and the provision of high-quality sexuality education has led to high contraceptive prevalence among young people, where 90% use contraception during first intercourse. Rates of teenage pregnancy are also low in Slovenia which considers contraception a constitutional right that is covered by compulsory health insurance. The Minister’s hesitation over contraceptive reimbursement follows controversy over his recent recommendation that women ‘reconsider’ their need for abortion during the coronavirus lockdown. While he had previously indicated opposition to banning abortion, critics have noted a recent negative turn on reproductive safety and posit connection between this and the upcoming elections in October. Caroline Hickson continued: ‘Time and again we see the health and safety of women and girls put up for debate – this must end. Contraceptive care is a touchstone of gender equality and respect for women’s dignity, it is unacceptable to deprive women and girls of the care they need.’   For press inquiries: Cosmina Marian, Communications Advisor, International Planned Parenthood Federation, European Network: [email protected] / +32 495 339 380

European donor governments have proved their commitment to women and girls’ safety and freedom through their policy and funding decisions on sexual and reproductive care. This campaign, developed under the umbrella of the Countdown 2030 Europe project, will reflect on the progress made so far and on the impact of the current health crisis on the achievements made. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues the determination of European donors must not waver. Around the world, sexual and reproductive care providers and advocates know that people still need access to contraception and other services, even in the midst of a pandemic. A continuation of the current lockdowns can leave 47 million women in low- and middle-income countries unable to use modern contraceptives, leading to a projected 7 million additional unintended pregnancies. Another six months of lockdowns could result in an additional 31 million cases of gender-based violence. We are asking European donors to maintain current and future Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding and to support civil society, partner countries and multilateral organisations through a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes critical investments in health and support to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Our #BecauseSheCounts social media campaign asks decision-makers to put universal health care, human rights, equality and at the core of all public policy and funding decision, amid the pandemic and always. To join our campaign, share our #BecauseSheCounts messages and visuals and tag us @C2030Europe! Ask your governments to continue to prove that solidarity goes beyond borders and should not be limited to European Union countries. The campaign assets.

Young people are often denied care in societies where sex is taboo and parents can control their children’s access to medical providers. These challenges are amplified in conservative contexts where women and girls are made to feel uncomfortable when talking about contraception. The Tajikistan Family Planning Association (TFPA) has pioneered a phone application - available free of charge - that allows young people to gain crucial knowledge about modern contraception and sexually transmitted infections/HIV and connects them with health care providers. Through its innovative app, TFPA has created a safe space for young people to access stigma-free care, and to explore methods of sexual and reproductive self-care. This app has changed attitudes towards people living with STIs/HIV and inspired young people to have open and honest conversations about sexual and reproductive health care with their peers. "Before using the app, she thought STIs could only be caught by sex workers or people lacking morals, and that something like that could never happen to her or to her close friends. But now she realises that it can happen to anyone, even by accident. Now she tries to understand people who might have an STI." Young person in Tajikistan recounting an interview with a 19-year old woman as part of TFPA’s project

IPPF European Network is breaking down barriers to contraceptive freedom, helping to ensure that all people can lead safe and dignified reproductive lives. Across Europe and Central Asia, women are being denied control over their sexual and reproductive lives as a result of hostile chauvinist policies, gender inequality and social oppression. Many governments are not doing enough to ensure that women and girls have true access to contraceptive care, and it is the poorest and most marginalised who bear the brunt of this neglect. Too often, contraception is the privilege of the few, and women from low-income backgrounds are five times more likely to be forced into pregnancy through denial of care. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the level of modern contraceptive use (meaning all non-emergency, reversible methods) is alarmingly low. And overall in Europe, 43% of pregnancies are unintended (EPF, 2018), a result of denial of contraceptive care and of governments refusing to ensure sex and relationships education for all young people. Young people are also being let down by health care systems in which they face institutionalised stigma and discrimination when seeking contraception.  IPPF EN is working across Europe and Central Asia to break through these barriers. We are fighting to redefine contraceptive care as a policy priority and to offer stigma-free care to all, especially to those who are most in need.

By Joke Lannoye, IPPF EN   In 2017, European contributions to sexual and reproductive health and family planning (SRH/FP) exceeded €2.1 billion, a 10% increase compared to 2016, with nearly €198 million more channelled to SRH/FP in developing countries. Preliminary data collected by Countdown 2030 Europe – a consortium of advocates for FP - shows that funding commitments by European donors have indeed been translated into financial expenditures. In the last few years, ultra-right-wing movements have been attempting a power grab in Europe. Together with a backlash on gender equality and women’s rights, we see multiple attacks on women’s reproductive safety and care. Conservatives from EU countries like Poland, Italy and Hungary are influencing policy-making in Europe, including on development and SRH/FP issues. Similar trends in the US led to the reinstatement of the US’ Global Gag Rule (GGR), which continues to have terrible consequences on the health and lives of women and their families. These shifts pose serious threats to funding of SRH/FP by Europe and globally. SRH needs can easily be taken hostage by political interests and ideologies.  In this increasingly challenging context, European donor governments had to step up their game to protect hard-earned wins on SRH. In 2017, the same year as some of the key elections in European countries and the reinstatement of the GGR, multiple countries and donors made promises to work together to address the most challenging barriers to expanding access to contraceptives and SRH more broadly. Countries spoke up about SRH in global development negotiations and committed to increase their financial contributions at a Family Planning Summit and through a new initiative - ‘SheDecides’. Preliminary figures from C2030E now show that, European donor countries for 2017-2018. despite an overall decline of Overseas Development Aid (ODA), ten out of twelve key European donor countries1 indeed sustained or increased their funding. Finland, Belgium, the UK, Norway and Germany all increased their funding by between 5 and 22%. Denmark noted the largest increase, tripling its SRH/FP funding between 2016 and 2017. The top three overall European contributors to SRH/FP funding were the UK, Germany and Sweden. European countries who made FP2020 commitments at the FP Summit last year or earlier – like Germany in 2016 - seem to be on track to meet their commitments. Important elections have taken place in the past year and reshaped the political landscape. New leaders or new development ministers have come into office in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. All have one way or another revitalised or renewed their promises to SRH/FP, and have taken a strong stance on gender and SRH/FP specifically. Hence, despite the growing populism and success of nationalistic and conservative parties in Europe, policies related to SRH/FP in development were not heavily affected by funding cuts. But as ultra-conservative forces gain more political space, the future remains unclear. An increasing scepticism surrounding development aid has already led to a decline of ODA or ODA being diverted to managing migration within Europe. Still, data shows that SRH/FP has not yet suffered the consequences of this trend. At European Union level, ODA data for 2017 is not yet available. However, data from Countdown 2030 Europe shows increased investments in both health and population assistance in 2016. Further, the EU 2018 annual budget was adopted with an increase in funding to the Human Development  Programme, the only budget line serving directly to SRH/FP. Earlier this year, Neven Mimica, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, delivered a passionate statement in support of SRH/FP as a key pillar of women and girls’ empowerment. He stated “I want to ensure that our commitment to human development, and our strong support for sexual and reproductive health and rights, remains front and centre in our discussions on the future long-term European budget. But also in our shorter-term programming for the next three years - in the order of 55 million euros.” Great progress has been made, both in terms of funding and policy. But there is a risk that SRH/FP remains only part of personal championships of ministers, without being anchored in development policies and laws. It is important to ensure that countries’ engagement with SRH/FP is cemented in legislation. A full set of tracking data from Countdown 2030 Europe is due to come out in January 2019, including the latest on donor financial and policy support to SRH/FP in 12 European donor countries for 2017-2018.   Read similar articles in our newspaper, Her Chronicles. Countdown 2030 Europe story in a comic strip.  Article originally published on the Countdown 2030 Europe website.  

Investing in family planning is the only way women and girls can have the freedom to create their own futures. The Countdown 2030 Europe consortium is calling on governments and decision-makers everywhere to put women and girls at the top of the agenda #BecauseSheCounts! The clock is ticking... www.countdown2030europe.org Read the Countdown 2030 Europe gazette, Her Chronicles, for more stories on family planning, access to contraception and more.  

In the EU all young women are free to decide about their own bodies, lives and futures. Or are they? Being denied sex and relationships literacy, stigma, gender inequalities and high costs stop girls from accessing contraception. IPPF EN cares for all women, men, children and young people across Europe and recognises their right to lead safe and dignified reproductive lives, free from harm and descrimination.  You can see the rest of our videos from this series here.

This video by our Latvian member highlights the dreadful challenges faced by women in vulnerable communities when they are denied contraceptive care and cannot decide about their own bodies, lives and futures. Papardes Zieds is calling on Latvia's government to take concrete action to make contraceptive care a reality for everyone, and to ensure that all young people are able to develop the crucial life skills provided by sex and relationships education.  

You wouldn’t expect access to contraception to be an issue in EU countries such as Spain. But too many girls and women are still being denied the freedom to make their own reproductive choices. And it is vulnerable people who face the greatest obstacles when it comes to accessing this basic healthcare. In this video by our Spanish member FPFE, we meet Olga, Deli, Lidia, Barbara and Sandra, five young women struggling to overcome barriers in the Spanish system. These range from prohibitive costs, bureaucratic hurdles and the exclusion of immigrant women from the public health system, to the failure to ensure that all young people receive sex and relationships education and can use health care services that are adapted to their specific needs. Contraception is not a luxury. It’s a healthcare issue. And a human right.

In Romania, more than 600 girls aged 10-15 become mothers every year, and almost 10% of new mothers are younger than 19! This video by our Romanian member SECS tells the story of the tens of thousands of young "pigeons" in their country who become parents too early because they are denied contraceptive care and sexuality education. #idecide