The European Week of Action for Girls (EWAG) is an annual event organised by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations, including IPPF EN, to mark the International Day of the Girl. Since 2012, EWAG has been pushing for the rights of girls to be better protected and championed by the EU, in particular through its external action.  EWAG is all about giving space to young advocates to bring their voices to EU decision-makers and help shape a better world for all girls. Through a series of policy, advocacy and campaign activities, EWAG partners and the young advocates will push the EU to respect its commitments to gender equality and the protection of girls. This means doing more, investing responsibly, and recognising the active role girls play in their communities and societies. EWAG focuses on 4 key issues that matter to girls: sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)  sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) education and economic empowerment  political participation.

My Body, My Rights is a three-year project supporting the lifelong reproductive health and freedom of Roma girls, by improving access and uptake of quality maternal and family planning healthcare for vulnerable communities in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. We are working holistically on the multiple fronts necessary to bring about lasting change. At the heart of the project lies participation by Roma people themselves, particularly the young. IPPF members in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia are working in intersectional partnerships to empower girls and boys to become leaders in educating and informing their peers about sexual and reproductive health and rights, and in driving change for their community through advocacy. Relationship and sexuality education is vital for increasing support for gender equality and reproductive freedom among young Roma people, while awareness-raising in their communities is increasing the acceptability of modern contraceptives. Project partners are also training primary health care providers to update their technical knowledge and skills related to family planning in line with best practice and international standards, sensitising them to Roma health needs and to how stigma and discriminatory attitudes towards the Roma and young people negatively affect the quality of care they receive. Roma health mediators are our bridge between communities and healthcare providers. The project is also targeting decision-makers, carrying out advocacy for stronger political commitment to quality family planning care for communities often left behind.   Our members are using innovative approaches such as the development of an app to promote contraceptive acceptability. This work is coordinated by IPPF EN’s regional office, implemented by our national members in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, and funded by MSD for Mothers. Explore our project microsite!

IPPF European Network is lead partner of Countdown 2030 Europe, a Consortium of 15 European NGOs working to ensure advancement of human rights and investment in family planning. Since 2004, the Consortium has established itself as Europe’s leading collective voice on the importance of addressing the global unmet need for family planning.  In European countries and with the EU Institutions, Countdown 2030 Europe holds donors to account for their policy and funding commitments to achieve universal access to reproductive health and address the unmet need for family planning. We also collect data and create resources for policymakers, donors and civil society organizations to advocate more effectively for reproductive health and family planning in national, European and international fora. Europe-wide and internationally, the Consortium is a vehicle for collective advocacy within the EU institutions and with EU policymakers, and represents European organisations in international fora. Countdown 2030 Europe is also a knowledge base and source of collaboration for Consortium partners working with their own national governments to increase support for family planning. The group’s advocacy efforts are supported by a number of evidence-gathering activities, including tracking European donor spending on family planning and sexual and reproductive health in developing countries. Our resources are used to inform policies, statements and strategies among policymakers and civil society organizations. Check out IPPF European Network's Countdown 2030 Europe partners. You can follow Countdown 2030 Europe on Twitter @C2030Europe. 

The Innovation Fund is an IPPF funded programme that stimulates Member Associations to be creative and to think out of the box. The Innovation Programme tests new ideas and approaches to solving some of today's greatest sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges. The Innovation Programme connects local expertise with global knowledge to find new and effective ways to improve people’s sexual and reproductive health. The Member Associations in the Europe region have been quite successful in their applications, mostly focussing on advocacy. This is a programme which allows experimentation but then learns from both success and failure.