As partners for reproductive justice, Ipas is part of the global, intersectional feminist and reproductive justice movements working to advance gender equity, human rights, and sustainable development.
We work with partners across movements around the world to advance reproductive justice by expanding access to abortion and contraception.
To achieve our bold ambition, we believe it is imperative for Ipas to be a valued and trusted partner. We have developed these Feminist Principles for Partnership to guide us in our work and collaboration with others.
Shared vision
Ipas works with partners who share our broad vision of a world in which all people have bodily autonomy. We respect and welcome the differences in approach that our partners bring to achieving this vision. We recognize that not every partner has the singular focus on abortion and contraception that drives Ipas, but our partnerships are always underpinned by the common belief that all people deserve access to the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion.
Intersectionality
We build partnerships that recognize the diverse and unique experiences, environments, and intersecting identities of people who have been historically marginalized—particularly women and girls from the Global South. We engage with local, grassroots organizations and feminist movements to foster cross-movement collaboration and solidarity to advance reproductive justice and gender equity.
Feminist leadership
We intentionally prioritize and promote the effective participation and leadership of women, girls, and all people who can become pregnant—particularly those from marginalized communities—in decisionmaking processes and spaces. We actively remove barriers so that women and girls can take the lead in advancing reproductive justice and gender equity.
Transformative practices
We disrupt colonial dynamics by embracing feminist, anti-colonial, and reproductive justice frameworks in our partnership practices. We acknowledge our power and use it to strengthen local leadership, shift resources to grassroots organizations and feminist movements, share ownership and accountability, and promote sustainable change.
Long-term and sustained partnerships
We prioritize building long-term partnerships to ensure collaboration based on complementarity and shared goals. We aim to nurture grassroots leadership, strengthen broader social movements for gender equity and reproductive justice, and maximize our collective impact. We co-develop joint initiatives and strategies, we promote mutual learning, and we use our power to mobilize sustainable, flexible, and long-term resources for our partners.
Transparency and accountability
Ipas is committed to fulfilling our obligations to our partners in an open and transparent manner. We communicate forthrightly with our partners, consulting them in all matters that affect them. We are transparent about how and by whom decisions are made, honest about challenges we encounter, and respectful in the way we approach differences of opinion. We do what we say we are going to do, striving always to deliver results on time and within budget. And we put in place mechanisms for regular feedback and assessment to ensure both our joint activities and our relationship are on track.
Clear roles and expectations
A good partnership strikes just the right balance between autonomy and interdependence. Ipas and partners begin all collaborations by clarifying each party’s distinct roles, responsibilities, and expected contributions. Ipas strives to fulfill our obligations to the partnership without infringing on our partners’ space, while also remaining flexible enough to adapt our scope, by mutual agreement, to ensure we meet our common goals.