The International Planned Parenthood Federation was created by the energy of the rights-based movement around women and sexual reproductive health in 1952 in Bombay. The Federation has since then evolved and grown to become a global service provider and a leading advocate on sexual and reproductive health in the world and now works throughout the world through a unique arrangement with family planning associations of each country who provide sexual and reproductive health services to communities. IPPF and its member associations (MAs) strive to reach out to the poor, marginalized, social excluded and underserved communities who are often, otherwise, deprived of the services which they need for their well-being.

IPPF has its headquarters in London, and works through six regional offices (at Nairobi in Africa, Tunis in the Arab World, Brussels in Europe, New Delhi in South Asia, Kuala Lumpur in East, South East Asia and Oceania, and New York in the Western Hemisphere). The New Delhi office at SARO works with member associations in Afghanistan (www.afga.org.af), Bangladesh (www.fpab.org), Bhutan (www.renewbhutan.org), India (www.fpaindia.org) Iran (www.fpairi.org), Maldives (www.she.org.mv ), Nepal (www.fpan.org), Pakistan (www.fpapak.org) and Sri Lanka (www.fpasrilanka.org).

The Nine countries in South Asia where IPPF works have one-fourth of the world’s population. The programme is reaching out to significant numbers of people to help them meet their needs for contraception, abortion (wherever permitted by law), safe motherhood, services related to HIV and AIDS, among others. The focus is on the poor and the marginalized, including adolescents and young people who are known to face discrimination in accessing services.

Some of the key documents guiding the IPPF programme are the Sexual Rights Declaration, the Strategic Framework and the SARO Strategic Plan.