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In a financial crisis, the Family Planning organization is calling for help and has set up a fundraising pot

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The Editor

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As it approaches its 70th anniversary, the Family Planning organization is raising awareness about the impact of decreasing public funding on its activities. Without political and civic engagement, nine of its 82 centers may struggle to operate properly.

Sexual and contraceptive education is being jeopardized by the decrease in public funding. In a statement released on Monday, June 16, Planning familial, a feminist organization founded in 1956 that advocates for access to free contraception and abortion, raised concerns about its financial situation, which has been affected by " cuts and budget reductions " from the State and local governments. They are calling for citizen donations to get back on track. 


Sexual health centers in danger 

As schools struggle to provide sexual education to their students, an essential social institution is under threat. A 10% decrease in funding from the Loiret, a 20% cut from Drôme, and a complete elimination of support from the Pays de la Loire regional council means that out of 82 associations operating in metropolitan and overseas departments of the Family Planning organization, 9 are in jeopardy. « We’re just at the beginning, it’s crucial to mobilize right away », said Sarah Durocher, president of the association, during a press conference reported by the newspaper Le Monde. 


The launch of an online fundraising campaign 

To raise public awareness and hopefully stay afloat, the Family Planning organization has issued a strong “ cry for help ” on social media. In a post shared on Instagram, the organization emphasizes that this “ unprecedented ” situation, caused solely by “ political choices ”, has direct consequences on “ access to contraception, abortion, STI prevention, sexual education, and support for survivors of sexual violence ”. They are calling for donations through a fundraiser available here. 


Degraded Working Conditions 

The teams of the association, who welcome the public to educate about sexual health, provide medical consultations, and take care of medication abortion, are directly affected by the situation. “Since the announcement of the subsidy cuts, we are working in a state of extreme tension, our teams are under strain,” shares Sarah Bloch, a midwife representing the departmental association of Family Planning of Drôme, with AFP. 

If even one center were to close, it would prevent people from “accessing free contraception,” and “...”

 LGBT+ youth to receive help » and middle and high school students to benefit from  courses on consent », concludes Albane Gaillot, co-director of the Family Planning Association. Each year, around 500,000 people benefit from the association's services.