We are part of an international alliance of over 145 sexual and reproductive health rights and justice organizations in more than 39 countries. The Fòs Feminista alliance unites diverse ecosystem partners – local health care providers, community-based caregivers, rights-based educators, young leaders and grassroots activists – and harmonizes their multifaceted work to ensure that women, girls, and gender-diverse people have the resources, power, and safety to exercise the spectrum of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Fòs Feminista Canada brings Canadian solidarity to the Fòs Feminista alliance and the global movement to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights. We add to the strength in numbers and catalyze change for women, girls and gender diverse people across the world seeking gender and reproductive justice.

Our name combines the Haitian Creole word fòs (strength) and feminista, used and understood across many languages, (feminist) to represent the collective strength of feminist movements.

Our Work is Urgent

The world is transforming in profound ways – from the rise of authoritarianism, anti-gender attacks and repealing of Roe v. Wade, to public health emergencies, climate change, humanitarian crises, and violent conflicts. These challenges, which deeply impact sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice, are complex. Yet, our partners have solutions tailored to their unique contexts. Through the power and strength of connection between our alliance partners, we are strengthening the movement for change, fueled by solidarity, and ready to meet this moment.

Meet the Alliance: a New Model for Accelerating Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Fòs Feminista: International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice was launched in October 2021 by the International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region (IPPFWHR), the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) and the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) to bring together the feminist leadership, worldwide partnerships, and health care and advocacy work of the three organizations. Together, we operate as an international intersectional feminist partnership organization led by the Global South with a mandate to deepen for support civil society organizations – especially under threat of authoritarianism and anti-gender attacks, to leverage the rich opportunities for coordination and collaboration between partners, and to support ecosystems of diverse groups of local and regional actors to drive change.

The need for an intersectional feminist alliance like Fòs Feminista is undeniable. In its most recent analysis of progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, UN Women alerted that the world is failing to achieve gender equality. Not only has progress on reducing maternal mortality globally stalled since 2015, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in maternal deaths among the most vulnerable women. UN Women estimates that by 2050 almost two times more women and girls could be impacted by food insecurity caused by climate change than men and boys.

Here are just a few of the ways alliance partners, in coordination, are strengthening the sexual and reproductive health care and rights ecosystem:

Saving Lives · Health Care and Information Delivery · Exchange

Reducing Unsafe Abortion in East Africa:

In Uganda and Tanzania, nine Fòs Feminista partners are working to reduce the harm of unsafe abortions in legally restrictive contexts. Using a safety-focused approach developed by Iniciativas Sanitarias, an Alliance partner in Uruguay, Fòs Feminista’s partners trained public and community health workers to implement a model that provides information on safe self-managed abortion methods, along with counseling and care.

Movement Strengthening · Legal Reform · Knowledge Exchange

Building Momentum for Abortion Rights in Latin America:

In 2022, Causa Justa, a coalition of over 100 organizations advocating for reproductive rights and justice in Latin America, achieved a monumental victory by filing a lawsuit to decriminalize abortion, which led to the legalization of abortion up to 24 weeks gestation. To celebrate and leverage the strategies employed more broadly, Fòs Feminista Canada financially supported the ‘Freedom is Unstoppable’ gathering. This pivotal event provided a platform for local and regional organizations to exchange insights and strategies, advocating for accessible abortion across Latin America.

Partnership · Impact Investing · Social Innovation

Enhancing Supply Chain Efficiency for SRHR Products Globally:

Fòs Feminista is one of several investors in INNOVA Health Supplies – a social enterprise improving the efficiency of delivery and cost of women’s health commodities throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region, and with ambitions of expansion to Africa. Products sold to alliance members and other organizations include high quality condoms, injectable and oral contraceptive methods, medical abortion medications, intrauterine devices, and menstrual cups.

Through our united efforts we address the critical needs to accelerate progress and ensure that basic rights are upheld.

Discover the power of our transformative model in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE