The Generation Equality Forum (GEF) is a global multi-stakeholder platform to reignite the worldwide commitment for gender equality, convened by UN Women and the governments of Mexico and France.

The Forum kicked off in Mexico City, Mexico, on 29 – 31 March 2021, and culminated in Paris, France, on 30 June – 2 July 2021, with the aim of securing a set of concrete, ambitious, and transformative commitments to achieve irreversible progress towards gender equality; bringing together governments, civil society organizations, young people-led organizations, the private sector and foundations to define and announce ambitious investments and policies on a range of priority areas, from climate change to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence, feminist movements, technology and economic justice.  

IPPF is proud to be one of the co-leads of the Action Coalition on Bodily Autonomy & SRHR, which aims to: 

1. Expand access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in and out of school 
2. Increase qualitative access to contraception 
3. Empower all people, including adolescents and women, in all their diversity to make autonomous choices about their bodies, sexuality and reproduction 
4. Strengthen girls, women’s and feminist organizations and networks to promote and protect bodily autonomy and SRHR. 

IPPF has joined the two collective commitments of this Action Coalition on abortion and CSE. 

IPPF’s individual commitment at GEF 

By 2026, IPPF commits to work to accelerate universal access to safe abortion care centered on three principles – rights-based, reproductive justice and gender transformative – with a focus on the following strategies:  

• Expand and improve the provision of abortion care through 102 Member Associations, including quality medical and surgical abortion, person-centered abortion self-care support, and abortion care beyond 12 weeks of gestation through a simplified outpatient model using task-shifting to mid-level providers, including self-managed medical abortion.  
• Fully integrate abortion care into humanitarian preparedness and response as full realization of SRHR, with all IPPF emergency responses providing abortion care as a standard part of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP). 
• Advocate for the decriminalization of abortion and the removal of coercive policies and legislation on abortion in 25 countries, and advocate to donor governments and agencies to remove restrictions preventing work and dialogue on abortion, including the permanent repeal of the Global Gag Rule. 

IPPF is also pleased to announce that it will be working with the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands to help realize universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights and CSE.  

IPPF’s Director-General, Dr Alvaro Bermejo, said: 

“Since Beijing, progress has been made towards gender equality, yet not a single country can claim to have achieved it. It’s simple; women and girls cannot wait any longer to live a life free from discrimination, free from gender-based violence and free from harmful patriarchal gender norms – we must replace rhetoric with meaningful action.

"As co-leaders of the Action Coalition on Bodily Autonomy and SRHR, we are convinced that you cannot achieve gender equality without SRHR, and urge that it be at the center of policies and decision-making processes. IPPF, alongside its partners and Member Associations, will turn our commitments into meaningful action that accelerates our shared goal of achieving gender equality.” 

IPPF’s Global Advocacy Director, Anamaria Bejar, added: 

“Women and girls cannot afford more broken promises. Now is the time to renew our determination to make the Beijing Platform for Action a reality for every woman and girl in the world, to live with dignity and reach their full potential. That is why IPPF wholeheartedly support the Generation Equality Forum and what it stands for. Together, we can meaningfully work towards gender equality in our lifetime.” 

Fore more details about IPPF's commitments at GEF, click here.

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