The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights held its first meeting of the new Parliament in the House of Lords.
The evening reception was co-hosted with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the United Nations Population Fund and the UK SRHR Network.
Up for discussion was 'Championing Reproductive Rights and Gender Equality'. Of course, this topic is one which aligns with PET's values on reproductive choice.
Following the APPG's event and networking on behalf of PET was Sarah Norcross.
The keynote speaker was the Rt Hon Anneliese Dodds MP who is the Minister for Development and also for Women and Equalities. Having the Minister at the event certainly augurs well for keeping reproductive health and rights on the UK's political agenda.
The chairs of the APPG on Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Baroness Hussein-Ece and Sarah Champion MP both made impassioned speeches.
While there was an acknowledgement of the successes in improving sexual and reproductive health and rights, the speakers all agreed that there was still much work to be done. The political climate in many countries was a particular cause for concern. Dr Alvaro Bermejo, Director General of the IPPF, spoke about the situation in the US where termination of pregnancy and IVF have become increasingly politicised. Whether issues relating to reproductive choice impact the result of the upcoming presidential election remains to be seen.
The speeches ended with a powerful and upbeat call to confront the reasons why politics is jeopardising women’s health all around the world. This cri de guerre came from Professor Sophie Harman who is author of the book 'Sick of It; The Global Fight for Women's Health'.
