In an historic two-day hearing before Brazil’s Supreme Court last week, experts presented arguments and evidence regarding the question of whether abortion should be made legal up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Currently abortion is a crime in Brazil—except after rape, if a woman’s life is in danger, or if the fetus has a fatal […]
In an historic shift toward greater fulfillment of women’s sexual and reproductive rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), women can now legally access abortion under a broader range of conditions—including in cases of sexual assault, rape or incest, and when a continued pregnancy would endanger the mental and physical health of the woman […]
Metrics for Management, Ibis Reproductive Health, and Ipas have joined forces to launch the Abortion Service Quality (ASQ) Initiative. Launched in April 2018, this three-year project will develop, validate, disseminate, and champion the widespread adoption of a common measure of abortion service quality for use in and out of facilities. The resulting measures will be used […]
A study released last month by Ipas Mexico finds that sexual violence is a significant cause of pregnancies in Mexican girls ages 10-14—and recommends specific actions in the country’s health, education and legal sectors to combat the problem and ensure victims can access adequate care, including safe abortion services. The study, “Sexual violence and child […]
By Anu Kumar, Ipas President and CEO Well, now we know—President Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill Justice Kennedy’s U.S. Supreme Court seat. When Justice Kennedy announced he’ll retire at the end of July, there was a collective panic attack on the part of thousands of us who work to protect reproductive rights. Kennedy […]
A new online toolkit that is designed to improve access to contraception and abortion care for the millions of women and girls living in refugee camps and other crisis settings is now available from Ipas. Release of the toolkit coincides with World Refugee Day. Worldwide, there are more than 135 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Of […]
Statement from Anu Kumar, Ipas President and CEO: We at Ipas are heartened by the Irish people’s vote to repeal the country’s constitutional amendment criminalizing abortion. It is a true step forward and a lifesaving vote for women. Ireland’s staunch position against abortion has, in fact, been lethal. Savita Hallapanavar’s death after being denied an abortion in […]
By Anu Kumar, Ipas President and CEO When I first learned about the issue of maternal mortality as a student, I remember being shocked at the numbers and shocked at the stark disparity in who is dying. There is a good reason that maternal mortality is used as an indicator of inequality between and within […]
Accelerate Progress, a report published today in The Lancet,outlines a bold agenda to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Accelerate Progress emphasizes the need for national governments, international organizations, donors, civil society groups and key stakeholders to adopt a holistic approach to reproductive health services. This approach encompasses the “right of all individuals […]
The Ipas Board of Directors today named Anu Kumar as President and CEO of Ipas, effective immediately. Kumar, an anthropologist and public health expert, joined Ipas in 2002 and has served as Interim President and CEO for the past six months. “We are thrilled Dr. Kumar has accepted this new and challenging role. There is […]