A Choice That Matters is a regional advocacy campaign launched by ASTRA Network in partnership with the Dalan Fund to highlight and strengthen reproductive health and rights movements across Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central and North Asia. The campaign draws attention to the everyday realities faced by people in these regions — from menstrual poverty and restrictions on abortion to forced sterilization, lack of comprehensive sexuality education, limited access to contraception, and widespread gynecological and obstetric violence.
The initiative underscores that these issues are not isolated incidents but deeply rooted systemic problems that demand sustained attention and investment. SRHR movements across the region work under increasingly difficult circumstances — facing political pressure, stigmatization, legal restrictions, and chronic underfunding. The global decline in resources available for gender equality and reproductive justice further exacerbates these challenges, putting vital community-led work at risk.
In this context, A Choice That Matters aims to highlight the crucial and often overlooked work of SRHR advocates, foster broader solidarity, and inspire meaningful, long-term funding commitments. The campaign encourages allies, partners, and funders to move beyond short-term crisis responses toward building lasting ecosystems of support that enable SRHR movements not only to survive but to grow stronger.
As authoritarianism and anti-gender movements gain ground in many countries, including in the wake of the war in Ukraine, the campaign serves as both a call to action and a gesture of resilience. It highlights the urgent need for collaboration, sustained investment, and recognition of SRHR as a fundamental component of human rights and social justice. By amplifying the voices of those on the frontlines, A Choice That Matters reinforces that bodily autonomy and reproductive choice are not privileges — they are essential rights that shape the future of entire communities.
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