Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB) was established in 1953 under the dynamic leadership of Prof. Dr. Humayra Sayed – a renowned social worker. FPAB is an affiliated member of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), pioneered family planning movement in the country. It is an oldest and the largest non-governmental organization (NGO) of its kind aiming to improve the quality of life of the underprivileged section of the society.

With the span of more than 68 years of its emergence, FPAB has made a significant achievement in creating awareness among the eligible couples about family planning and annually contributes 4.5% of the total national family planning performance. In conformity with the local and national needs, FPAB shifted its thrust from lone family planning interventions to the holistic approach of reproductive health in mid-80’s of the last century. Instead of targeting fertile couples, interventions of FPAB involve men and women of all ages with special focus on the disadvantaged segment of the population. FPAB provides its services in government demarcated areas from 5 types of service delivery points: 24 Static Clinics, 75 Mobile Clinics, 72 Women’s Club, 21 adolescent-friendly SRH centers and 1260 community level heath workers. Annually FPAB serves about 5 million clients (among them 53% young people) and generates 7 million service contacts. Services include maternal and child health, Family Planning, HIV, STI/RTI, VIA, and other clinical services for all. PFAB is enriched with modern state of art diagnostic services with every static clinic. Besides, providing adolescent friendly sexual and reproductive health services it has working relations with relevant educational institutions for delivering Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) as well.

History

Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB) is the Members Association (MA) of International Planned parenthood Federation (IPPF). Along with its MAs in 170 countries, IPPF is a global leader in promoting sexual and reproductive health rights across the world. FPAB was established in the early 1950s under the dynamic leadership of Prof. Humayra Sayed – a renowned social worker – at the helm. Its objectives were simple; (1) to promote and familiarize the concept of planned family to ensure healthy life for mother and children by providing necessary information and services, and (2) to advocate with national government and people’s representatives to adopt a policy at national level health and population. In 1953, it was incorporated with worldwide movement of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and since then, continues to serve as its chapter in Bangladesh. Since its early days, FPAB built a strong partnership with the government, a modus operandi that continues till today.

During its long existence since its foundation, FPAB has an illustrious record of achievements. Its advocacy saw the initiative by the then Government of Pakistan to adopt a bill in 1957/58 in the parliament in favor of family planning. Following the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, FPAB continued with its activities on family planning, delivery of services of reproductive health, awareness rising on SRH and advocacy on further mobilization and policy reform by the government. Since 1990s, FPAB has aligned its program in line with ICPD and started working extensively with religious leaders, adolescents and young married couple, in close collaboration with the IPPF, Government of Bangladesh and a broad range of other stakeholders which include donors, media, civil society and grassroots communities.

With the technical support of IPPF, FPAB elaborated in its first Strategic Plan for the period of 1994-2002. Upon its completion, two more such plans were adopted and implemented for the period; 2000-2004 and 2005-2009. The subsequent plan just came to end for the period of 2011-2015.

Objectives

The strategic areas of FPAB during the ongoing period are aligned with those of IPPF and as follows;

• Objective – 1:  The commitment of the Government of Bangladesh to SRHR, gender and youth development is strengthened through changes in legislations, policies and practices;
• Objective – 2: Young people and women are aware, empowered and actively work for their SRH rights and are capable of taking informed decisions regarding SRHR;
• Objective – 3:  Access of poor, marginalized and underserved population to quality SRHR information and services including IPES/IPES+ through community based distribution, outreach and clinic based services increased;
• Objective – 4: FPAB’s operational & program effectiveness and financial sustainability strengthened.

Mission

FPAB adopts the following as its mission for the realization of the present Strategic Framework:

• Improvement of quality of lives of individuals, especially the poor and vulnerable people, by campaigning for sexual health and reproductive rights through advocacy and provision of the relevant services;
• Defense of the rights of all young people to enjoy their sexual lives free from ill-health, unwanted pregnancy, violence and discrimination;
• Supports the women’s right to choose to terminate her pregnancy legally and safely;
• Efforts to eliminate Sexually Transmitted Infections and to eradicate HIV/AIDS;
• Build partnership with the stakeholders to ensure relevance of its work and to achieve organizational sustainability.

Vision

A world in which every woman, man and young person have access to information and services they need, in which sexuality is recognized both as natural and precious aspects of our lives and as a fundamental human right, and a world in which choices are fully respected and where stigma and discrimination has no place.

Core Values

The following will guide FPAB for implementation of the present Strategic Framework and serves as core values;

• We believe that sexual and reproductive rights are internationally recognized human rights and, as such, should be guaranteed for everyone;
• We are committed to gender equity and will invest ourselves for elimination of all gender-based abuse and violence that threatens individual well-being and are causes for violation of human rights, including of sexual and reproductive health rights, in particular, of young women;
• We actively promote and uphold cultural pluralism and diversity, reflective of a multi-faith and multi-cultural Bangladesh and consequently, our activism is rooted in our staunch belief in mutually respectful engagement with the marginalized and disadvantaged communities with special emphasis on the participation of young people and people living with HIV/AIDS;
• We staunchly believe in the spirit of volunteerism and this serves as the central tenet of our activism in advancing the cause of SRH rights and achieving organizational sustainability.