The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), and the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) are consolidating under the umbrella of IPPFWHR (International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region) to establish a leading feminist voice that advances the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. The purpose of this alliance is to ensure the continued commitment to our grantee partners and to strengthen our global advocacy work.  It also offers the opportunity for the greater organization to broaden its leadership to reflect the diversity of the feminist movement, create a broad geographic network to support the global reproductive rights movement and to engage and empower younger voices. At the same time, this merging of forces will create a more efficient and nimble organization.

Two significant societal forces from this past year had a major impact on this decision for IWHC.  Like many other organizations, the global pandemic forced us to reevaluate our operations and to think creatively about how to reinvent ourselves in order to maximize our global impact, purpose, and resiliency in a post-pandemic world.  Our country’s renewed and long overdue focus on racial justice and equality also led IWHC to reexamine our culture, structure and leadership around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

When this opportunity arose to unite, our board was excited by the chance to join with two organizations that share our core values and embrace our mission in order to create an even stronger feminist entity.  IWHC was also drawn to IPPFWHR for its long-term, exemplary DEI work within its organization and to our shared commitment for a more equitable, intersectional, and anti-colonial governance structure that will transfer leadership and resources to the Global South.

IWHC is proud of our long and powerful legacy.  We want to thank all of our grantees, donors, UN and multilateral partners, and board members who, for more than 35 years, have supported and advanced our cause. In particular, we would like to thank our staff who have been unfailingly dedicated to this critical work. You have made a remarkable difference in helping women and girls achieve the sexual and reproductive rights they deserve.  Although we will no longer operate independently as IWHC, we are pleased that our mission and vision are now poised to achieve even greater results for gender justice, reproductive health and rights and equality for women and girls around the world.

Sincerely, Board Chair Kathleen Regan on behalf of the IWHC Board