Ipas Africa Southern Region (ASR) has taken a significant leap forward by registering as a nonprofit organization in South Africa, governed by a board of trustees. This marks a milestone in consolidating our impactful programs and initiatives across Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia since the registration process was initiated in 2021.
Our journey in the region dates as far back as 1996 when we first worked in South Africa to improve women’s health by increasing access to safe abortion care and protecting individuals’ rights to make their own reproductive health decisions.
“We hope that locating the regional office in South Africa will bring Ipas ASR closer to a majority of funding institutions, donors, and other key stakeholders that are critical to support regional programming,” said Petronella Ntambo-Sebele, the director of Ipas Africa Southern Region.
Ntambo-Sebele highlighted that the Ipas regional office will facilitate the rolling out of more regional programme interventions in line with the SADC Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Strategy (2019-2030).
This strategy provides a policy and programming framework for SADC Member States to accelerate the attainment of SRHR for all people living in the SADC region. It aligns closely with the targets of the African Union Maputo Plan of Action (2016-2030), a key framework for Member States to ensure comprehensive rights of women and universal access to SRHR.
“Registration of the regional entity provides a perfect platform for Ipas to engage the SADC mechanism on the status of their Member States where Ipas is programming so that the national governments are held accountable since they are all signatories to the strategy,” Ntambo-Sebele emphasized.
“Ipas’s regional programme presents several advantages that include greater cost-effectiveness, improved impact, outcomes, and an effective platform for partnership, learning, and scaling up.”
— Director of Ipas Africa Southern Region, Petronella Ntambo-Sebele
