Associação para o Planeamento da Família

description of organisation

APF - Associação para o Planeamento da Família is a NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), established in 1967 with health purposes, whose mission is to help people to make free and responsible sexual and reproductive choices and to promote positive parenting. APF is federated in IPPF - International Planned Parenthood Federation, the federation that brings together family planning associations in almost every country in the world.

APF develops activities around Portugal national territory through its six regional branchs (Lisboa, Norte, Centro, Madeira, Alentejo and Algarve) and the headquarters (Lisboa). APF team engage more than 100 professionals and voluntaries (including 60 young volunteers between 15 and 25 years old in our Youth Groups) from several domains of social intervention: health, education, community and youth intervention.

APF’s history has been always linked to the fight for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Since its establishment, APF has played a leading role in matters concerning Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE), Safe Abortion, Prevention and Combat of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB), Early and Forced Marriages, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Gender Equality (GE) and Sexual and Gender based Violence (SGBV). APF services target vulnerable people such as sex workers, drug users, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) prevention, migrants and ethnic minorities as well as young people, families and professionals of several areas.

APF also promotes knowledge through investigation (diagnoses and new intervention strategies) and disseminates its results through their website (www.apf.pt), social networks, media and scientific events. Over the years, APF has been advocating in public policies concerning sexual and reproductive rights issues as human rights matters.

In a general way, APF contribute to promote inclusion and diversity as well as promote participation of young people in democratic processes and civic engagement. In a more particular way:
- promoting education for sexual and reproductive rights and gender equality through intervention programs, developed in schools and in the community, accomplishing campaigns, producing and disseminating educational and informational materials, intervening in the media;
- enabling support services to young people, families and vulnerable groups, parents’ schools and facilities;
- capacitating professionals of several areas – health, education, community and family mediation, security forces – carrying out training programs and technical counselling actions;
- promoting knowledge through investigation (diagnoses and new intervention strategies) and disseminating its results through our website and scientific events;
- advocating in public policies concerning sexual and reproductive rights issues.