Encyclopedia > International Planned Parenthood Federation
The International Planned Parenthood Federation [1] is a global not for profit organization (or charity) with the broad aims of promoting sexual/reproductive health, and advocating the right of individuals to make their own choices in this area. It was first formed in 1952 in Bombay, India, and consists of more than 149 Member Associations working in more than 189 countries. IPPF is highly devolved, and is organized into 6 regions [2].
MAs provide non-profit family planning services, sexual health and abuse prevention training and education. Their values include the ability to make informed decisions, continuing sexual health, the availability of high quality sexual health services, the need for health improvement for the poor, and the use of democratic organization and leadership of volunteers to promote these values. The IPPF is financially supported by governments, trusts and foundations including the European Commission and the United Nations Population Fund for their special projects. Half of the balance of their funding comes from government official development assistance programmes. To achieve their goals as an organization, the IPPF often collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). IPPF is a prominent lobbyist in the European Union, specifically, the European Council and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is the only non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on sexual health and rights to qualify for Consultative Status with the Council of Europe. This allows the IPPF to sit in on the Parliamentary Assembly. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... The United Nations Fund for Population Activities was started in 1969 and renamed the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1987. ... The WHO flag: similar to the flag of the United Nations, augmented with the symbolic staff and serpent of Asklepios, Greek god of medicine and healing. ...
PlannedParenthood began as the American Birth Control League, which was founded in 1923 under the leadership of Margaret Sanger, a birth control and family planning advocate who had been jailed numerous times for breaking New York's Comstock Laws against disseminating birth control information.
Due to its stands, PlannedParenthood is vehemently opposed by pro-life citizens and organizations, and is often subject to picketing and protests by these groups.
PlannedParenthood was one of the co-sponsors of the March for Women's Lives, held April 25, 2004.
IPPF's attitude was reflected in the remarks of Daniel Weintraub, Vice-President for international programs for the PlannedParenthoodFederation of America (PPFA), a member of the IPPF.
Leading IPPF spokesmen have lately adopted the tactic of avoiding mention of abortion altogether, except to advocate the "elimination of unsafe abortion." While this phraseology sounds reasonable to all parties in the abortion debate, it must be stressed that it is merely IPPF code language for the legalization of abortion.
IPPF has made a powerful and bold commitment to speak out on this major threat to the health and lives of women … The only way to fight wanted and unnecessary abortion is to provide all women everywhere with quality reproductive health care including contraception and, if indispensable, safe abortion.
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