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Ammon News - IPPF International Award for Contributions to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights goes to Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan, in recognition of her outstanding contributions over many years to the field of women's right and development. The award will be presented by Baroness Jenny Tonge, member of the UK's House of Lords. The awards ceremony is hosted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the world's largest non-governmental organization working on sexual and reproductive health and rights, in London, 27 November 2010.

As well as being a UN Goodwill Ambassador to UNFPA, UNIFEM and UNDP, Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bint Talal is a well established and respected advocate for international development in general, and for women's development in particular.

Princess Basma has made a major contribution to family planning, and the advancement of sexual reproductive health and rights in Jordan. She is Patron of the first NGO to provide Family Planning services in Jordan, the Jordanian Association for Family Planning and Protection. Today it continues to play a major role in providing high-quality family planning and reproductive health services to communities as well as increasing public awareness about family planning and sexual/reproductive health.

In 1992, Princess Basma initiated the formation of the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) - an unprecedented coordination effort in the Arab region. The Commission acts as a leading policy-making forum in Jordan on women's issues and rights, both at the governmental and non-governmental levels. As Chairperson, Princess Basma worked with JNCW to develop the first National Strategy for Women in 1993. The Strategy incorporated issues later addressed by the landmark 1994 International Conference on Population and Development and the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. It includes a call for health services throughout a woman's life span: birth spacing and maternal and child health; educating women on health; and encouraging women to participate in medical professions and positions in the wider health field.

At a ceremony chaired by IPPF President, Trinidadian child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Jacqueline Sharpe, the awards will be given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, selected by an international panel of experts. Other awardees include: The IPPF Individual Volunteer Award for Contributions to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is awarded to Dr Peter Safar (Posthumous Award). A Gynaecologist in the Public General Hospital in Korneuburg, Austria, who had also worked in Liberia and Malawi, he was a volunteer with the IPPF Austrian Member Association (�sterreichische Gesellschaft f�r Familienplanung) for 9 years and a Board Member for 5 years prior to his death.

IPPF has a specific focus on meeting the needs of the 1.8 billion young people currently living around the world who are approaching sexual maturity. Key to this is the active involvement and participation of young people in all of IPPF's work, from governance and leadership to community-based peer educators.

The IPPF Youth Award for Contributions to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights reflects this commitment and is awarded to Mr. Milinda Rajapaksha for his outstanding contribution to sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people. Milinda joined the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka in 2004 as a peer educator and served National Council of FPA Sri Lanka from 2006 to February 2010. From 2007 he has been working with the HIV and Development team of UNDP in Colombo and also works very closely with PANOS International and media organizations on awareness raising for sexual and reproductive health issues.

The IPPF Staff Award for Contributions to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is awarded to Dr. Guillermo Escobedo of IPPF's Guatemalan Member Association, APROFAM. Dr. Escobedo stands out as a man with high values. Amongst his many achievements over thirty six years, he developed and pioneered a new vasectomy technique, which he selflessly shared with other medical professionals throughout his life and which has won international awards. The IPPF Member Association Award for Contributions to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is awarded to PROFAMILIA, Colombia, for its outstanding education programme and pioneering work addressing violence against women, A Viva Voz, a campaign involving music, dance and young artists.