BRUSSELS, 07.03.25 — The Center for Reproductive Rights and the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network welcome today’s release of the European Commission’s new Roadmap for Women’s Rights. The Roadmap sets out the EU’s long-term vision for advancing gender equality and protecting women’s rights—including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)—across the EU and globally.

The EU boasts some of the world’s strongest legal protections for SRHR, and many member states are actively expanding access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. However, significant barriers and striking inequalities remain, preventing the full realisation of these rights across all member states, and impacting a broad range of fundamental rights, including the rights to health, life, privacy, equality and non-discrimination, and freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. In recent years, some countries have already rolled back protections for existing rights, and the threat of further regression remains a very real concern.

Globally and within the EU, continued progress on SRHR is now facing new, unprecedented challenges. At this critical inflection point, the EU’s longstanding leadership on SRHR is crucial. It is now more important than ever to reaffirm the EU’s unwavering commitment to promoting gender equality and fundamental rights.

The new EU Roadmap on Women’s Rights is designed to serve as a framework for EU action towards long-term progress on gender equality in the EU and globally. It includes several important commitments to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights as core components of women’s rights and gender equality.

“As threats to reproductive rights persist globally, the EU must lead by example and champion sexual and reproductive health and rights,” said Katrine Thomasen, Associate Director for Europe at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “This landmark Roadmap reinforces that the full realisation of SRHR is a necessary prerequisite to achieving gender equality. It sends a powerful message that the EU is committed to protecting and advancing SRHR at a time when women’s rights are at risk. This is a welcome first step, and the EU must now continue its efforts towards even stronger and more ambitious action.”

“The Roadmap comes at a crucial time for the EU to reaffirm its commitment to SRHR, as EU values. The EU must decisively counter any threats, disinformation and retrogression on SRHR and bodily autonomy, and provide clear and direct support to those on the front lines. Bold and concrete actions are now needed by the EU to ensure Member States safeguard and advance SRHR”, said Eef Wuyts, Regional External Relations Director at the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network.  

The Center for Reproductive Rights and the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network urge the European Commission to take effective and meaningful action to realise the vision for women’s rights outlined in the Roadmap, including in the upcoming Gender Equality Strategy, and work closely with member states to ensure that strengthening SRHR protections remain a top priority across the EU.

We call on EU institutions and national governments to take decisive action to build a more just and equal society by removing barriers to reproductive healthcare and upholding the right of every individual to bodily autonomy and informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.