15andCounting is a campaign coordinated by the International Planned Parenthood Federation to raise awareness of the rights and needs of young people throughout the 15th anniversary year of the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (1994).

Please join the campaign and get involved.

This year, at the 53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the GEAR Campaign launched a global petition (for individuals) calling on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Member States of the General Assembly to create a new, stronger women's entity.

Sign the GEAR Campaign petition now.

Ask the U.S. government to ratify CEDAW now!

Sunday March 8 was International Women’s Day, a day of reflection, recognition and solidarity for all of the world’s women. Every year, this day falls during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is now meeting at the United Nations (March 1-13).  CSW was established in 1946 and is dedicated to gender equality and the advancement of women.  

Among its activities, the CSW drafted several conventions and declarations, including the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1967. The convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979 and was put into practice in September 1981.

The U.S. stands out as the only industrialized nation that has failed to ratify CEDAW, although it is a signatory.  By this omission, the United States has become one of a small group of nations, such as the Iran, Somalia and Sudan where violations of women’s human rights are particularly rampant.

CLICK HERE to read more and fight for women’s equality by joining the U.S. CEDAW ratification movement and sending a letter to Secretary of State Clinton.

As people under 25 represent more than half of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean, IPPF/WHR is acting at a crucial moment to reduce teenage pregnancy and HIV rates, and to help shape young leaders in this influential generation.

Our partners have reached some of the most vulnerable young people in the region. But we need your help.

In Peru, Guatemala, and Bolivia, IPPF/WHR’s Member Associations are partnering with street youth to ensure their access to reproductive health services and to empower them to make informed decision about their wellbeing. 
 
Help us to continue empowering young people - support our work with Street Youth in Peru, Guatemala and Bolivia.
 
Since its inception, this project has brought education and clinical services to more than 40,000 young people, 35,000 condoms have been distributed, and 240 youth educators have been trained. Much more needs to be done. 
 
Help us continue this life saving work.
 
Your support allows young people throughout the Americas to receive comprehensive care and services. In the coming weeks, I look forward to sharing the stories and faces of this project and invite you to share in our efforts to protect and empower young people. 

Learn more about our Member Associations in Guatemala, Peru, and Bolivia.