International Programmes
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All people should have full reproductive and sexual autonomy — in Aotearoa, and internationally.
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Access to evidence-based sexual and reproductive healthcare and information are human rights.
Gender equality and sustainable development can't be achieved until all people have access to evidence-based sexual and reproductive healthcare. All people deserve to be able to decide if, or when, they have a child.
There are lots of reasons that access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, information, or education can be limited — every country, region, or peoples face their own barriers and challenges.
We're working towards a world where the right of all people to sexual and reproductive autonomy is supported by ready access to reproductive and sexual healthcare.
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More about our international work
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The core of our international work
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We focus on three core areas of international work:
- Capacity building – we help improve the tools and resources available to our partners in the Pacific. Training clinical staff and funding outreach clinics in rural regions is one example of capacity building
- Research – we support research, and studies about sexual and reproductive health in the Pacific
- Advocacy – we support Pacific peoples in their fight for policy and legislative change
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We work with a global network of sexual and reproductive health groups
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We are a member organisation of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). The IPPF is a global healthcare provider – and a leading advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights internationally. There are 150 member associations of the IPPF worldwide.
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We focus on sexual and reproductive health needs in the Pacific
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Our International Programmes team works closely with colleagues and partners in the Pacific.
As one of many island nations connected by the Pacific Ocean, Aotearoa New Zealand is dedicated to supporting stability and prosperity throughout the Pacific region. Most of the Official Development Assistance in the Pacific region is supplied by Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges are faced by many people in the Pacific. The Pacific region has one of the highest unmet demands for modern contraception in the world. It's estimated that one in three women in the Pacific aren't accessing the contraception they want.
Pacific nations face high rates of sexually transmissible infections (STI's), cervical cancers, and adolescent births.
Sexual and gender-based violence is also a major challenge.
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We work alongside local partners to deliver community-led solutions
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We foster effective, respectful, partnerships with local communities – this is the best way to support sustainable and locally led development. We are guided by our partners' knowledge and expertise – because nobody knows the health needs and priorities of a community better than the members of that community.
We provide funding, support, and training to our Pacific partners – supporting the growth of clinical services, education, and research. Our work is evidence-based and informed by international best practice.
Our Pacific partners include local member associations of the IPPF, local governments, community groups, and community organisations.
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Our work aligns with global development goals
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Our international work is guided by the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA), and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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International Conference on Population and Development
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The 1994 ICPD Conference was the largest intergovernmental conference on population and development ever held at the time. There were around 11,000 registered participants at the conference. The conference was attended by UN specialised agencies and organisations, the media, and 179 governments – including the government of Aotearoa.
A new vision was developed about the relationships between population, development, and individual wellbeing – this vision was formalised in a PoA. The PoA was intended to guide people-centred development progress, while simultaneously recognising reproductive health and rights, and women's empowerment and gender equality as cornerstones of population and development programmes. All 179 countries that attended the conference adopted the conferences 20-year PoA.
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Sustainable Development Goals
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In 2015, the 193 member states of United Nations – including New Zealand – unanimously adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs aim to transform the world by 2030 – reflecting a shared vision to end poverty, rescue the planet, and build a peaceful world.
These two SDGs are particularly relevant to our work:
- Good health and wellbeing: Target 3.7 calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including: family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
- Gender equality: Target 5.6 also calls for universal access to SRHR in accordance with the ICPD PoA and other commitments, including the elimination of all forms of gender-based discrimination (Target 5.1) and violence against women and girls (Target 5.2)
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What we're working on
Working with members of parliament
We work closely with members of parliament — keeping MPs informed and updated on important information.
NZPPD
We support he NZPPD — New Zealand's only cross-party group focused on advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Pacific.
Projects
Our international projects aim to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services in the Pacific region.
Research
We work with our in-country partners to conduct quantitative and qualitative research on sexual and reproductive health.