Resource
More than 65 million women and adolescent girls need humanitarian assistance and 450 million live in fragile settings. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is committed to helping them survive and take control of their lives, from the earliest stages of crisis through recovery and development.
In 27 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, we support simple, cost-effective, and proven solutions that result in fewer unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, safer pregnancy and childbirth, reduced physical and emotional harm from gender-based violence, and decreased morbidity from sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
Our approach is client-centered and grounded in feminist principles, supporting the fundamental right of women and girls to make decisions about their health, well-being, and futures—because we know that the right to choose matters most in the hardest of times.
We work in partnership with civil society organizations and government agencies to deliver comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, transform harmful gender norms, generate evidence and learning, and advocate for the rights of women and girls in humanitarian and fragile settings.
What We Do
Provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare: In 27 countries worldwide, the IRC supports the delivery of comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including maternal and newborn care, contraception, comprehensive abortion care, clinical care for survivors of gender-based violence, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, with a specific focus on adolescent girls.
Generate evidence and learning: The IRC has identified sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health and rights (SRMNH) as a Global Research and Innovation Priority and seeks to (1) leverage self-care to revolutionize access to contraception and safe abortion care; and (2) develop evidence and innovations to improve community-based delivery of maternal and newborn care in humanitarian settings.
Advocate for sexual and reproductive rights: The IRC advocates at global and national levels to improve access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, remove policy barriers, and transform harmful gender norms that restrict bodily autonomy.
