Despite the rise of ultra-conservatism and populism in Europe driving a backlash on women’s reproductive safety and care, policies and funding for global development and sexual and reproductive health/family planning (SRH/FP) were solidified and championed in many global fora.
 
Ten out of twelve key European donor countries sustained or increased their funding for SRH/FP with Denmark seeing the most significant increase and the UK, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden remaining the largest donors. The combined figure for all 12 European donor countries gives an estimated support of 808 million Euros for 2017, an overall increase of 17% on 2016.
 
On the policy side, European donors have strongly increased their commitment and focus on SRH/FP.

With 2020 fast approaching, Countdown 2030 Europe will hold government’s feet to the fire to ensure SRH and FP remains on top of the international development agenda and funding commitments are translated into action.
 
Read the full C2030E analysis ‘European Donor Support to Sexual & Reproductive Health & Family Planning Trends Analysis 2017-18’ for more.
 

In a sea of conservatism, Mozambique stands out as a liberal haven for progressive policies on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). It is a land of forward-thinking politics but suffers from shortcomings in implementation of the same. Mozambique is also one of the countries most affected by the Global Gag Rule (GGR) which endangers the reproductive freedom and the lives of women and girls.

Countdown 2030 Europe published a series of articles looking at access to family planning, youth-friendly services and reproductive care during emergencies, and also at how the GGR effects these.

Find below the list of articles.

The Commission on Population and Development highlighted that measures to increase the quality of sexual and reproductive health and rights of the world’s population have been taken in many countries, but there are challenges that remain – and are very persistent. The most important follow-up meeting of this year’s CPD will be the Nairobi Summit on 'ICPD+25: Accelerating the promise'. Countdown 2030 Europe will help ensure European governments use this pivotal moment to reaffirm their commitments to the ICPD agenda and its full implementation.
 

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The Countdown 2030 Europe partners have been working to ensure that EU’s next seven-year budget plan for external relations champions sexual and reproductive health and rights. The European Parliament indeed voted to support sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, and the empowerment of women as key aspects of the next EU budget. The final version is yet to be decided.
 

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