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JOINT STATEMENT: At the Conclusion of the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values As the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values concludes in Accra, Ghana, we join voices with activists, feminists, human rights defenders, community organisers, and ordinary people across the continent who are increasingly concerned about the growing weaponisation of ‘family values’, African culture’ and ‘sovereignty’ as political tools to justify exclusion, discrimination and the erosion of rights for Africans. Across the continent, we are witnessing increasingly coordinated efforts to roll back sexual and reproductive rights for women and girls in all their diversities, undercut civil and political rights for all, restrict civic spaces, weaken human rights protections, and to portray LGBTQI+ people as threats to society rather than as members of our communities, our families and our nations. These crossborder efforts are even embedded in parliamentary networks, and are being advanced through proposed legal and policy frameworks that seek to reshape African human rights law and institutions, and how rights, family, citizenship and belonging are understood on the continent, and the obligations African States have to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights.  Many of the conversations taking place under the banner of protecting African families begin from a series of false premises: that there is only one kind of African family worth protecting, only one way of belonging within African society, and that there is only one kind of African society. This does not reflect the realities of our communities, as African families have always been diverse, dynamic and shaped by care, responsibility and interdependence, and as African countries are culturally and spiritually diverse. Our families have always included extended families, grandparent-led households, single-parent households, non-heterosexual family dynamics, kinship networks, adoptive families and many other systems  of care and support that have sustained our communities for generations. This attempt to narrow legal and political definition and recognition to a single vision of family does not strengthen African families, but rather weakens them by creating a targeted tool to exclude many of the people who already form part of them. WHAT WE OBSERVED DURING THE CONFERENCE The most significant outcome of this conference is the adoption of the proposed African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values. Far from being a symbolic declaration, the Charter is being advanced as a continent-wide framework intended to influence national legislation, public policy, education, health governance and regional human rights institutions. The conference repeatedly presents the family as the primary unit of society and as the basis upon which rights should be understood. However, both African and international human rights frameworks recognise that while families deserve protection, rights belong to individuals. The purpose of human rights law is not simply to protect institutions, including families, but to ensure that every person within those institutions enjoys dignity, equality and freedom. When the rights of women, children, LGBTQI+ persons or other family members are subordinated to an abstract notion of family unity, the result is not stronger families but greater opportunities for exclusion, coercion and abuse.  The discussions that took place during the conference also reinforce concerns already expressed by civil society organisations, feminist movements, media, public health advocates, economic justice advocates, human rights defenders and human rights institutions across Africa. While the conference organisers frame their efforts as a defence of African values and sovereignty, many of the proposals being advanced would have serious implications for human rights, public health, constitutional and democratic governance, academic freedom, civic participation, and the safety of already marginalised communities. We are particularly concerned by attempts to position sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, comprehensive sexuality education and LGBTQI+ inclusion as foreign concepts imposed on Africa. Such claims ignore the long histories of African struggles for dignity, bodily autonomy, freedom, and justice. They also erase the work of countless African activists, human rights defenders, scholars, health professionals, community leaders and social movements that have advanced these conversations from within our own societies. We reject the suggestion that the rights and well-being of women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, and other marginalised communities are incompatible with African values. We equally reject the notion that the fundamental human rights of only majority groups should be protected by the State. Human rights claims that challenge dominant social norms or political interests are important and legitimate. The strength of any society should be measured by how well it protects those who are most vulnerable to marginalisation, scapegoating, exclusion, violence, and discrimination, not by how effectively it silences them. It is particularly important to interrogate claims that the conference’s agenda represents an authentic defence of African sovereignty. The networks that have organised, supported and promoted successive family values conferences across Africa are themselves deeply transnational. For years, well-resourced organisations, advocacy groups and political actors based outside the continent have invested in funding convenings and advancing coordinated campaigns aimed at influencing African laws and policies on gender, sexuality, education and reproductive rights. Any serious conversation about foreign influence must therefore account for all sources of influence, including those operating through the family values movement itself.  A Critical Moment for Ghana This conference takes place at a critical juncture for Ghana, when the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been passed by Parliament and now awaits presidential assent. This Bill raises serious constitutional, human rights, public health and democratic concerns. Its provisions extend beyond the criminalisation of same-sex relations and into areas of identity, expression, association, advocacy and support. If enacted, it would further legitimise discrimination, deepen fear and stigma, shrink civic space and place already vulnerable communities at increased risk of violence and exclusion.  At a time when Ghanaians are confronting pressing economic and social challenges, this legislation offers neither meaningful solutions nor tangible benefits. It will not create jobs, improve healthcare, strengthen education systems, or reduce inequality. Instead, it risks diverting public attention away from urgent national priorities while creating new avenues for surveillance, harassment, and social division. This is why we strongly oppose the foundations of both the African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values, and the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. We call on: President John Dramani Mahama not to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, as the decision before him is not merely a political one but a constitutional, moral and historic responsibility whose consequences will extend far beyond the present moment and the communities directly targeted by the legislation. By rejecting the Bill, Ghana can reaffirm its longstanding commitment to democratic governance, constitutionalism and fundamental freedoms, and demonstrate principled leadership at a time when rights and democratic institutions are facing increasing pressure across the world.  African States to reject all efforts to instrumentalise culture, religion, family, and sovereignty as justifications for discrimination and exclusion. The African Union and regional human rights institutions to protect the integrity of Africa's human rights framework and institutions and resist attempts to weaken longstanding protections for equality, dignity and freedom. Diplomatic missions, development partners and international organisations to remain engaged and principled in their support for human rights, civic freedoms and democratic governance across the continent. Civil society actors, media practitioners, academics, traditional leaders, and faith leaders, to continue creating space for open and honest conversations about family, belonging and social justice that reflect the realities of African communities rather than narrow political agendas. Finally, we call on all those committed to a more just and inclusive Africa to continue building the alliances, movements and solidarities necessary to resist attempts to divide our communities and diminish our shared humanity. The future of Africa cannot be built through exclusion. It must be built through dignity, justice, freedom, care and a recognition that our societies are strongest when every person is able to belong.   Signatories CHEVS IPPF Africa Region Outright International galck+ African LBTIQ Caucus

2 June 2026: The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPF ARO) vehemently denounces the passage of the Ghanaian Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025 (anti-LGBTQ Bill). The Bill threatens human rights, the provision of health services, and the very cohesion of society. The Bill proposes prison sentences of up to three years for identifying as LGBTQ, five to ten years for so-called “promotion”, bans LGBTQ organisations, and criminalizes the use of media and social media to express support of LGBTQ existence.   This is not a moral safeguard; it is the criminalization of identity and solidarity. The Bill, if assented to by President Mahama, will imprison people for being visible, for organizing, or for expressing solidarity. It will fracture families and communities, forcing parents, siblings, health workers, teachers, and others into impossible positions between love and the law.   More tangibly, the Bill represents a significant expansion of state control over access to healthcare, it will undermine public health responses, particularly HIV prevention and treatment services. It would also undermine the flagship Free Primary Health Care Programme launched by the President earlier this year. Civil society interventions would be restricted by criminalising lifesaving support, encourage surveillance, denunciation, and fear within communities, and deepen stigma and violence against sexual and gender minorities.   Beyond the immediate harm, the Bill sets a precedent that Parliament can criminalize identity itself. Once that principle is established, rights become conditional.  Across Africa, we are witnessing a rising pattern of authoritarianism and moral panic, where the bodies and lives of LGBTQ, women, and other vulnerable persons are weaponized as political currently. Following a narrative driven by anti-rights actors, criminalization is being framed as decolonization, and repression as cultural sovereignty. By allowing foreign actors to drive our human rights principles, African states are harming the most marginalized and vulnerable of their citizens.   IPPF Africa region strongly urges President John Dramani Mahama to not assent to this Bill. We respectfully call on President Mahama to reject this flagrant abuse of human rights, and to protect the rights of all Ghanaians, while focusing on the structural and institutional issues that can actually improve quality of life for all.   IPPF Africa Regional Office continues to stand in solidarity with the entire LGBTQ+ community, human rights defenders, healthcare providers, and civil society organisations who continue to courageously work under increasingly hostile and dangerous conditions in Ghana, the African continent, and beyond.   END  For further information or to request an interview, please contact:  Mahmoud GARGA, Lead Strategic Communication, Voice and Media, IPPF Africa Regional Office – email: [email protected] / Tel: +254 704 626 920   About International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)  The International Planned Parenthood Federation is a global healthcare provider and advocacy organization working in over 140 countries to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. It delivers essential services, including contraception and safe abortion care, and advocates for access to accurate information and bodily autonomy worldwide. 

The Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) commends the High Court of Malawi for its landmark ruling ordering the Ministry of Health to consider amending the Post-Abortion Care (PAC) Guidelines effective Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The ruling, delivered by Justice Mike Tembo, follows a case involving a 14-year-old girl from Chileka, Blantyre, who was defiled in 2022 and subsequently denied access to a safe abortion by health authorities. The survivor was later permitted to undergo the procedure and successfully terminated the pregnancy. The perpetrator, Lazalo Charles, was convicted and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour - a sentence he is currently serving. In his judgment, Justice Tembo emphasized that the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi allows for the termination of pregnancy when the mother’s life is at risk, as was the case with the minor. The Court found that the 1st defendant, the Ministry of Health, breached several statutory duties, including: Section 19(1) of the Gender Equality Act [Cap. 25:06], which guarantees the right to adequate sexual and reproductive health, including access to safe and legal termination of pregnancy. Section 19(2) of the Gender Equality Act, which guarantees every person the right to choose whether or not to have a child, subject to Sections 149 and 151 of the Penal Code as read with Section 243. Section 20(1)(d) of the Gender Equality Act, which mandates that a health officer imparts all necessary information for a person to make an informed decision regarding procedures or services affecting their sexual and reproductive health. The Court further stated: “This Court has absolutely no doubt that the claimant suffered injury and loss due to the mental anguish attendant to her being compelled to carry the unwanted pregnancy longer than necessary herein, that is, for the duration between her being unlawfully denied access to a safe abortion by the 1st defendant to the time she eventually was afforded the right to access by the specialist at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.” In conclusion, the Court found that the claimant had made out her case and was entitled to all declarations and reliefs sought, including costs and damages to be assessed by the Registrar if not agreed upon within 14 days. Commenting on the ruling, FPAM Executive Director Mr. Donald Makwakwa stated: “This ruling is a victory for justice, health, and human rights. For too long, many women and girls in Malawi have suffered or lost their lives due to unsafe abortions resulting from restrictive interpretations of policy. We commend the High Court for reaffirming the constitutional and human rights of women and girls to access safe post-abortion care. FPAM remains committed to supporting government efforts to ensure that all Malawians, especially women and girls, can access the sexual and reproductive health services they need without fear or discrimination.” As an organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in Malawi, FPAM reiterates the importance of aligning national policies and guidelines with constitutional and human rights principles to protect the health, dignity, and lives of women and girls. END For more information, please contact: [email protected], Phone: +265999855977 FPAM website: https://www.fpamalawi.org  

6 August 2025 - The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has learned that over $9.7 million worth of US-funded contraceptives are now set to be incinerated in France. Seventy-seven percent of these essential supplies were earmarked for five countries in the Africa Region - including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mali — many of which are already facing severe humanitarian crises.  The incineration of these contraceptives will deny more than 1.4 million women and girls access to life-saving care. Rather than reaching the communities who need them most, these essential medical supplies - many of which don’t expire until 2027 to 2029 - are being needlessly and egregiously destroyed. IPPF Member Associations in the affected countries were due to receive a share of these contraceptive stocks. Instead, they are now facing a sharp decline in supply following the decision to incinerate them.  More than 40% of the total value of the contraceptive stockpiled in Brussels was allocated for shipment to Tanzania alone. Dr Bakari, Project Coordinator at UMATI, IPPF’s Member Association in Tanzania, said:  “We are facing a major challenge. The impact of the USAID funding cuts has already significantly affected the provision of sexual and reproductive health services in Tanzania - leading to a shortage of contraceptive commodities, especially implants. This shortage has directly impacted clients' choices regarding family planning uptake.” This development adds a new layer of outrage to what is already a cruel political decision. These contraceptives were already manufactured, packaged, and ready for distribution. IPPF offered to take them for redistribution at no cost to the US taxpayer, but this offer was declined. The actions of the U.S. administration make it clear that politics trump economics, given the additional costs necessary for transportation, storage, and incineration of these products.  “This decision to destroy ready-to-use commodities is appalling and extremely wasteful. These life-saving medical supplies were destined to countries where access to reproductive care is already limited, and in some cases, part of a broader humanitarian response, such as in the DRC. The choice to incinerate them is unjustifiable and undermines efforts to protect the health and rights of women and girls,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Africa Regional Director of IPPF. IPPF's local partners in Africa will now face increased challenges to deliver essential and life-saving care. According to RHSC*, the loss of these supplies is projected to result in 362,000 unintended pregnancies and 110,000 unsafe abortions:    Tanzania: 1,031,400 injectable contraceptives and 365,100 implants will not be distributed. These products represent over 50% of USAID annual support to Tanzania's health system and a terrifying 28% of the total annual need of the country. Mali: 1,100,880 oral contraceptives and 95,800 implants will be denied, 24% of Mali’s annual need.  Zambia: 48,400 implants and 295,000 injectable contraceptives will be denied to women. Kenya: 108,000 women will not have access to contraceptive implants, 13.5% of its annual need.  Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director for the Reproductive Health Network in Kenya (IPPF Member Association): “In Kenya, the effects of US funding disruptions are already being felt. The funding freeze has caused stockouts of contraceptives, leaving facilities with less than five months' supply instead of the required 15 months; reduced capacity building for health workers; disrupted digital logistics and health information systems, and caused a 46% funding gap in Kenya’s national family planning program. These systemic setbacks come at a time when unmet need for contraception remains high. Nearly 1 in 5 girls aged 15–19 is already pregnant or has given birth. Unsafe abortions remain among the five leading causes of maternal deaths in Kenya.”  Sarah Durocher, President of Le Planning familial (IPPF’s French Member Association): “We call on the French government to take responsibility and act urgently to prevent the destruction of USAID-funded contraceptives. It is unacceptable that France, a country that champions feminist diplomacy, has remained silent while others, like Belgium, have stepped in to engage with the US government. In the face of this injustice, solidarity with the people who were counting on these life-saving supplies is not optional: it is a moral imperative.” “We will not stay silent while essential care is destroyed by ideology”, continued Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry. Notes:  IPPF’s local partners in the countries affected include Reproductive Health Network Kenya, Chama cha Uzazi na Malezi Bora Tanzania, Association Malienne pour la Protection et la Promotion de la Famille, Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia, Association Burkinabé pour le Bien-Etre Familial and the Association pour le Bien-Etre Familial/Naissances Désirables. *Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) For more information or to interview one of our staff, please contact [email protected] or +66628683089.  About the International Planned Parenthood Federation   IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952 at the Third International Planned Parenthood Conference. Today, we are a movement of 158 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 153 countries.   Our work is wide-ranging, and includes services for sexual health and well-being, contraception, abortion care, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infections, HIV, obstetrics and gynecology, fertility support, sexual and gender-based violence, comprehensive sex education, and responding to humanitarian crises. We pride ourselves on being local through our members and global through our network. At the heart of our mission is the provision of – and advocacy in support of – integrated healthcare to anyone who needs it regardless of race, gender, sex, income, and, crucially, no matter how remote. 

30 June 2025 - The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is proud to announce the roll out of CAB-LA (cabotegravir-long acting), a form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV, in Eswatini, and Malawi, and a pilot project in Lesotho - a major milestone in the fight against HIV. IPPF Member Associations (MAs) in the three countries - Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS), Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association (LPPA), and Family Planning Association of Malawi ( FPAM) will soon begin to distribute CAB-LA for HIV prevention to individuals who would like to use this form of HIV prevention.   CAB-LA, a long-acting injectable PrEP, is a game changer for HIV prevention. PrEP is an HIV prevention method where HIV-negative individuals take medication to significantly reduce their risk of acquiring HIV. Administered every 8 weeks, CAB-LA greatly reduces infection risk and does not rely on remembering to take a daily pill, addressing adherence challenges faced by some people using oral PrEP.   This roll-out comes when US budget cuts have severely impacted governments and organizations providing sexual and reproductive health services, HIV prevention, and humanitarian aid. These financial restrictions have significantly impacted access to essential sexual and reproductive health medications globally, compromising HIV prevention and treatment for many, especially those most in need. The arrival of CAB-LA is a major step forward in the fight against HIV/AIDS, providing longer-term protection, a more convenient option, and a discreet alternative to daily pills.  Family Life Association of Eswatini, Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association, and the Family Planning Association of Malawi will be providing CAB-LA for PrEP through their static clinics and other public service delivery points. This effort underscores the vital role our MAs play in securing and delivering universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.  For more information, please contact [email protected] About the International Planned Parenthood Federation   IPPF is a global healthcare provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Led by a courageous and determined group of women, IPPF was founded in 1952 at the Third International Planned Parenthood Conference. Today, we are a movement of 158 Member Associations and Collaborative Partners with a presence in over 153 countries.   Our work is wide-ranging, and includes services for sexual health and well-being, contraception, abortion care, sexually transmitted infections and reproductive tract infections, HIV, obstetrics and gynecology, fertility support, sexual and gender-based violence, comprehensive sex education, and responding to humanitarian crises. We pride ourselves on being local through our members and global through our network. At the heart of our mission is the provision of – and advocacy in support of – integrated healthcare to anyone who needs it regardless of race, gender, sex, income, and, crucially no matter how remote. 

Nairobi, Kenya: 12 June 2025 – At the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR), we recognise the critical role of development financing in tackling poverty, strengthening infrastructure, and improving access to essential services across Africa. However, such financing must be inseparable from a strong commitment to human rights and international human rights standards. The World Bank’s decision to lift its suspension on funding to Uganda, despite the country’s enforcement of one of the world’s most extreme anti-LGBTQI+ laws, is alarming and unacceptable.   Since the passing of Uganda’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act (AHA), LGBTQI+ Ugandans have faced alarming levels of violence, eviction, and state-sanctioned persecution. While the World Bank has stated that it will implement 'mitigation measures' to protect against harm and discrimination, we remain deeply skeptical that such mechanisms can meaningfully protect Ugandan LGBTIQ+ communities when national laws actively criminalise their very existence.  “As the World Bank reinstates lending to Uganda, LGBTQI+ communities remain criminalised, targeted, endangered, and erased. Financial inclusion cannot come at the cost of human rights and dignity. There is no development without rights, and no progress worth celebrating while people live in fear simply of being who they are,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, IPPF Africa Regional Director.   True development requires centering rights, dignity, and justice as fundamental principles. This means recognizing the historic and ongoing inequalities marginalized groups face and actively dismantling barriers hindering their access to human rights, freedom, and equality.  We stand in solidarity with LGBTQI+ Ugandans and others across the continent whose rights and freedoms are being erased and disregarded. We cannot allow development institutions to quietly retreat from their responsibilities while communities suffer. This is not impartiality; it is complicity.  “This decision sends a dangerous signal: that persecution can coexist with international economic agreements, and that the rights of the most marginalised can be deprioritised in the name of development. At a time when anti-rights groups are actively working to roll back hard-won protections, we urge global institutions to act morally, ethically, and with principled consistency. Development is not development if it emboldens discrimination, normalises violence, or ignores the lived realities of LGBTQI+ people”, said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, IPPF Africa Regional Director.  We call on:  The World Bank to publish its mitigation measures, ensure they are community-informed, and report transparently on how they will protect human rights in practice;  The Government of Uganda to repeal the Anti-Homosexuality Act and uphold its constitutional and international human rights obligations;  All development partners centre rights, dignity, and equality as non-negotiable conditions for engagement.  At IPPF Africa Region, our commitment is clear: meaningful health and development cannot exist without justice and inclusion. We stand with LGBTQI+ communities in their pursuit of a future where all people can live openly, safely, and with full dignity.  END  For further information or to request an interview, please contact:  Mahmoud GARGA, Lead Strategic Communication, Voice and Media, IPPF Africa Regional Office (IPPFAR) – email: [email protected] / Tel: +254 704 626 920      ABOUT IPPF AFRICA REGION (IPPFAR)  The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organizations in Africa, and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men, and women in sub-Saharan Africa.  Supported by thousands of volunteers, IPPFAR tackles the continent’s growing SRHR challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs) in 40 countries. We do this by developing our MAs into efficient entities with the capacity to deliver and sustain high-quality, youth-focused, and gender sensitive services. We work with Governments, the African Union, Regional Economic Commissions, the Pan-African Parliament, United Nations bodies, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.   Learn more about us on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.