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Minister Mykkänen urged the EU to invest more in sexual health of women in developing countries

Ulkoasiainministeriö
Publication date 16.3.2017 16.51 | Published in English on 20.3.2017 at 10.18
Press release

Press release 53/2017
16 March 2017

Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen calls for the EU to increase its funding to improve the sexual health and rights of girls and women in developing countries. Mykkänen expressed his view yesterday in the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers for Development Cooperation in Brussels.

“If Finland and a handful of other countries can get together EUR 181 million in five weeks to improve the sexual health and rights of girls in developing countries, the EU also must find more money for it from its EUR 10 billion development budget. I made this very clear to my colleagues in the meeting in Brussels,” Mykkänen explained.

Mykkänen emphasised the importance of the funding issue in Finland’s address at the informal ministerial meeting and in his discussions with the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica, the Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen and the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Development Linda McAvan.

The purpose is to compensate for the shortage of funding created when the United States withdraws its funding from organisations promoting sexual health. The total sum of the funding cuts will be confirmed at a later date, but it is estimated to rise up to USD 600 million.

“My colleagues supported me in the claim. Commissioner Mimica promised that the Commission will announce significant extra funding for sexual health in the coming months. Therefore, it would seem realistic that the European funding would match the US cuts,” Mykkänen described the discussions he had yesterday.

Inquiries: Pasi Rajala, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +358 400 464 393

The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format [email protected]

Kai Mykkänen
 
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