Globally, an estimated 225 million women and girls wish to avoid pregnancy but do not have access to modern contraception. Every day, more than 1,000 women and girls die from complications during birth or from unsafe abortion. In developing countries, this is the number one cause of death for adolescent girls aged 15-19.

Lack of sexual and reproductive health information, education and services disproportionately affects women and girls. It denies them the right to live lives of health, respect, dignity and equal opportunity. It denies them the right to reach their full potential. Lack of sexual and reproductive health also acts as a barrier to sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and the achievement of equality.

The IFPA’s mission is to enable people to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health. As part of this work, we advocate for the implementation of government commitments on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We also collaborate with partner organisations and civil society internationally to raise awareness of the importance of SRHR for achieving sustainable and equitable development.

The All Party Oireachtas Interest Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Development, of which the IFPA is the Secretariat, has developed a set of factsheets on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the importance of these rights for the post-2015 global development agenda — the Sustainable Development Goals.