European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights

28/04/2026

📅 Join us for a participatory discussion and the launch of our new SRHR Global Needs Atlas on May 13th. A steady gap of unmet need in health services, continuously shrinking official development assistance (ODA): How can critical services in low- and middle-income countries be sustained in an everchanging development finance landscape? How can the EU step up to a leading role?

🗣️ With contributions from researchers, civil society leaders and policy experts.
➡️ Exchange with MEPs on global development policies

🕧 May 13th, 12:30 - 14:00
📍 European Parliament, Brussels | Room SPINELLI 1E1
☕ Networking & refreshments after the event

‼️Register at the link in our bio by May 5th if you want to participate in person‼️

23/04/2026

🎤 Last Tuesday we came together in the European Parliament for a participatory discussion. The topic: How close are we to eliminating HPV-related cancers in Europe and how do we close the remaining gap?

Researchers, patient survivors, civil society leaders and policy experts across Europe shared insights on:

📈 Progress being made in the policy area
🌐 Misinformation around HPV prevention
🛡️ Recommendations for the road ahead

💬 The exchange with MEPs opened up important conversations on the role of EU institutions in driving HPV prevention forward across the continent.

Thank you to the European Cancer Organisation for co-organising this event with us and to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a rich discussion. A big thank you as well to the MEPs Romana Jerković (S&D, Croatia), Tilly Metz (The Greens/EFA, Luxembourg) and Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (Renew Europe, Romania) for hosting us 🤝

15/04/2026

Hello from Zambia! 👋✈️🌍
Together with the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ) we have organised an SRHR-study tour in Zambia for Members of Parliament. The goal: Getting first-hand insights into the country's SRHR landscape, including national priorities, financing challenges and service delivery realities.
Zambia represents a particularly relevant case study due to its combination of important progress and persistent structural challenges in SRHR:

✅Maternal mortality has declined significantly
✅Access to modern contraception has improved
🚩Adolescent pregnancy remains high, around 29% of girls (15–19) having begun childbearing
🚩Inequalities in access to services persist, especially in rural areas
🚩Donor dependent health system (donors account for half of total expenditure)

The delegation includes Members of Parliament from across Europe, namely Henrike Brandstötter (Austria), Gudrun Brunegård (Sweden), Alison Comyn (Ireland), Eva Marise Cruzeiro Alexandre (Portugal), Richard Holden (United Kingdom), Helena Marttila (Finland), and Eva Luna Brás Pinho (Portugal), alongside EPF staff Leonidas Galeridis and Saskia Pfeyffer.

13/04/2026

🌍 Swipe through the carousel to see how new policy decisions shape the future of sexual and reproductive rights around the world.

🤝 Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights launched the SHIFTS project, a multi-year SRHR initiative in Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria, funded by Global Affairs Canada. The project brings together partners including International Planned Parenthood Federation and national organisations such as AMODEFA, ABPF, and PPFN to strengthen health systems and expand access to contraception and reproductive health services, while supporting community-based approaches to SRHR.

📝♂️♀️ The European Commission announced the new Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030. The new strategy shows progress in recognizing sexual and reproductive rights, however proposed actions remain vague:
- Mapping of women's access to SRHR/international framework
- Improving evidence base on SRHR through systemic data collection
- Supporting initiatives that work towards accessible contraception.

💉 Ukraine has introduced the HPV vaccine into its national immunisation. schedule, targeting girls aged 12 to 13 with a single dose. Cervical cancer remains a significant health issue, with approximately 3,000 cases and 1,100 deaths annually. The rollout is part of broader national strategies on immunisation and cancer control, aligned with WHO frameworks. The programme is being implemented amid major health system disruption due to the war – WHO has supported planning, training, and system updates. The reform marks the first addition to Ukraine's immunisation schedule in nearly two decades.
.. Follow for more SRHR news and policy updates and subscribe to our newsletter! (Link in Bio 🔗)

10/04/2026

🎤 Last Tuesday we came together in the European Parliament for a participatory discussion on how anti-gender movements are shaping politics across Europe—and how we can respond collectively.

From Spain to the Nordic-Baltic region and Central & Eastern Europe, researchers, civil society leaders, and policy experts shared insights on:

📈 The rise of anti-gender mobilisations, including their playbook
🌐 The transnational strategies of the European far right
🛡️ Lessons and responses from regions resisting attacks on SRHR

💬 The exchange with MEPs opened up important conversations on the role of EU institutions in protecting SRHR and defending democratic values.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a rich discussion—and to all partners who made it possible, especially to MEP Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle for hosting us 🤝

02/04/2026

📢 HPV-related cancers are preventable. So why are we still falling short? Join us at the European Parliament for "Eliminating HPV-related cancers in Europe: Gaps, progress and the road ahead"!

📅 21 April | 🕑 15:00 - 17:00 CET
📍 European Parliament, Brussels

Hosted by MEPs Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu (Renew Europe), Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA) and Romana Jerković (S&D), this event brings together policymakers, experts and advocates to take stock of where Europe stands and what it will take to get to elimination.
EPF will present the new HPV Prevention Policy Atlas Europe 2025 and ECO will launch the ECO Good Practice Guide on HPV Vaccination 💉 - two essential tools to drive policy action across the continent.
Attend, engage, and take home your own copies! 📖
More speakers and agenda details coming soon — stay tuned!

👉 Register by April 13th: [Link in Bio]
Organised by EPF_SRR in partnership with

26/03/2026

And this is a wrap!
IMNHC 2026 ended today with a powerful speech from Hon. Lilani Brinkman on behalf of all the parliamentarians who have discussed, shared and committed to improve maternal and newborn health in their own countries.
Thanks to all the MPs for their contributions and stories.
Let’s move forward, together.

25/03/2026

In the framework of the IMNHC 2026, MPs visited Jumuia Hospital in Nairobi, gaining valuable insights into maternal and newborn healthcare in the country.
Thanks to CHAK and Jumuia Hospital staff for such an inspiring visit!

25/03/2026

Day 2: Members of Parliament engaging in an expert meeting on UNFPA Midwifery accelerator, in collaboration with global partners such as WHO and IMC.

25/03/2026

At the parliamentary firechat at IMNHC we asked MP what would be one thing they wish to change in their countries to improve maternal and child health.
One wish in one minute. This is what they told us:
Hon. Tiaone Hendele (Malawi): “Every delivery and every birth be attended by skilled practitioners”
Hon. Milano Brinkman (Namibia): “ Each region would have a specialised maternal clinic”
hon. Abdoulie Njai (Gambia): Increased funding for maternal and child health.”

25/03/2026