Le Planning familial - Ensuring access to sexual and reproductive rights in times of COVID

Abstract

From the beginning of the first lockdown, Le Planning Familial, a feminist and SRHR delivery service organization, with its 70 local associations have come together to pursue its mission: to ensure access to SRHR and women's rights. The quarantine has had major consequences: it has increased gender-based violence including domestic violence, it has complicated women's lives (in accessing sexual health services, late-term abortions, abortion for minors, renewal of contraception, filing of complaints, etc.) and it has limited access to information and rights (presence of antichoice movements on the internet). In order to respond to those difficulties, Le Planning Familial has been investing in its toll-free hotline "Sexualities, contraception, abortion" 0800 08 11 11. The organization set up a communication campaign to make the information related to the hotline, the access to contraception methods and abortion in times of COVID more visible. Furthermore, the association innovated its means of welcoming and supporting women, youth and LGBTQI people within its SRHR local centers and its advocacy work. The political and democratic life of Le Planning Familial has continued. It has allowed the organization to fulfill its role as a feminist advocate. Currently, its main piece of advocacy has been to ensure access to abortion. Le Planning Familial and its members have been taking part in various actions along with parliamentarians, SRHR and feminist organization and activists at the national, European and international scale.