– All girls have the right to decide over their own bodies and futures
The UNFPA Ndenguma Safe Space project in Nsanje District in southern Malawi gives young people access to sexual and reproductive health education and contraception. The aim is to prevent child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
Norway is stepping up its efforts to improve women’s health and is providing NOK 210 million to UNFPA Supplies. The funding will help ensure better access to contraception, family planning and life-saving health services for young women in developing countries.
The support for the United Nations Population Fund comes at a time when women’s rights are being challenged in many parts of the world, while international funding for health is under pressure.
– Far too many young women around the world lack what we in Norway often take for granted: the freedom to decide over their own bodies and their own futures. That is why Norwegian support for UNFPA is particularly important, says Norad Director General Gunn Jorid Roset.
Norad Director General Gunn Jorid Roset and UNFPA Deputy Executive Director Diene Keita during the 2026 UN General Assembly, discussing the importance of protecting women rights at a challenging time.
The government announced the new agreement with the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA during this week’s United Nations General Assembly. Norway will provide a total of NOK 210 million to the UNFPA Supplies Partnership over the next two years.
Norway stands up for women’s rights
– As opposition to women’s rights increases, it is especially important that countries like Norway stand up for what works. No woman should lose her life because she lacks access to contraception, safe abortion or healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, says Norway’s Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust.
Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust.
Norway is a global advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and UNFPA is Norway’s most important UN partner in this area.
The UNFPA Supplies Partnership is a global fund that helps countries ensure access to contraception and other essential sexual and reproductive health services. The partnership strengthens health systems and gives young people, in particular, the opportunity to make informed choices about their own bodies and futures.
Contraception and safe abortion save lives
Norad is responsible for following up the agreement with UNFPA Supplies and represents Norway on its board. Norad also provides important technical input on how the funding can reach the poorest people.
We know that access to contraception saves lives, prevents unintended pregnancies and gives women and girls the opportunity to decide over their own bodies and futures. This is a prerequisite for gender equality, good health and sustainable development for society as a whole, emphasises Gunn Jorid Roset.
Norway has a clear voice on the UNFPA Supplies board and is listened to. For example, access to safe abortion is an issue Norad consistently raises in meetings.
She also emphasises that access to information and modern contraception helps reduce the number of people infected with sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, limits unintended pregnancies, and reduces maternal and child mortality. At the same time, families have better opportunities to provide their children with a safe upbringing and ensure access to education, employment opportunities and a better financial situation.
Read the 2026 results report from UNFPA Supplies: UNFPA Supplies Partnership Annual Report