Reiterated EU commitment to playing a leading role in improving women’s and girls’ empowerment and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights

The European Union remains committed to the promotion, protection and fulfillment of all human rights and to the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, the Programme of Action of the ICPD and the outcomes of their review conferences, and remains committed to SRHR in this context. We follow a rights-based approach to development, in accordance with the values that the EU is built upon. Having that in mind, we reaffirm our commitment to the promotion, protection and fulfillment of the right of every individual to have full control over, and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence.

We further stress the need for universal access to quality and affordable comprehensive SRH information, education and health-care services. We also intend to commit to continuing our support to women’s movements and other human rights defenders who are on the front lines of promoting and protecting the human rights of women and girls to advance gender equality and empowerment in their communities.

The EU is committed to playing a leading role in improving women's empowerment and access to SRHR is highlighted in the new European Consensus on Development, the EU Gender Action Plan and our ongoing support to SRHR and gender equality through a range of EU instruments.

In addition to direct country support through bilateral programmes on health, population, gender equality and women’s empowerment, various EU contributions include support to SRHR. For example, our support to UNFPA Supplies helps overcome bottlenecks in the availability of contraceptives and life-saving maternal health medicines. The Spotlight initiative and grants to UNICEF and UNFPA focus on ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and harmful practices (FGM and child marriage). We will launch in the coming weeks a EUR 29 million call for proposals focusing on adolescent SRHR.

Modes of engagement:

• Budgetary and financial
  The EU contribution in terms of development cooperation support to health programmes, global health initiatives and health UN agencies amounts to 2.6 billion EUR for 2014-2020, including 572 million for SRHR-specific or related interventions.
• Programmatic action
  The EU commitment to gender equality, SRHR and family planning is reflected in our ongoing support to related country, regional and global development programmes. We intend to continue supporting these areas in the next financing period.