International Planned Parenthood Federation

Lore & Background

The IPPF was established after earlier efforts to organise the post-World War II family planning and population control movements. The first conference was organised by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education in Stockholm in August 1946, followed by a meeting in Cheltenham, England in August 1948. The Third International Conference on Planned Parenthood in Bombay in November 1952 led to the formal creation of the IPPF. Subsequent conferences were held in Stockholm, Tokyo, New Delhi, Singapore, Santiago, and Brighton.

Reader's Guide

The IPPF's significance lies in its role as a leading global advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights, providing services to over 45 million people in 2016, including HIV testing and counseling, contraceptives, and education. It collaborates with major UN agencies and the OECD, and is the only NGO focusing on sexual health and reproductive rights with Consultative Status to the Council of Europe. The organisation has faced funding controversies, notably from the U.S. Mexico City Policy, which caused a 20% funding loss when IPPF refused to comply, and from Canadian and Irish funding debates over abortion services. Its work has contributed to declining fertility rates, from six to seven children per woman in the 1960s to three to four by 1994, according to the International Conference on Population and Development.

Did You Know?

• The IPPF was founded in 1952 in Bombay, India, by Margaret Sanger and Lady Rama Rau.
• Over 40% of the organisation's resources are aimed at serving young people under 25.
• In 2016, the IPPF provided over 40 million HIV services, with 59% delivered in Africa.
• The IPPF holds Consultative Status to the Council of Europe, but is not the only NGO focusing on sexual health and reproductive rights with this status.