Former IPPF Director General gets royal honour

The International Planned Parenthood Federation East and Southeast Asia and Oceania Region (ESEAOR) congratulates Dr. Gill Greer on the announcement that she has been honoured in the United Kingdom’s New Year’s Honour list.

Dr. Greer, former Director-General of IPPF, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of her outstanding work over many years on behalf of women, young people, health and human rights.

She will receive her honour at a ceremony later in the year at Buckingham Palace, London. Dr. Greer has been an outspoken champion of the rights of all people to have access to the highest attainable standard of health, particularly sexual and reproductive health. As Director-General of IPPF for five years, Dr. Greer led the organisation’s strategy to gain recognition of sexual rights as basic human rights, and to expand sexual and reproductive health services so that they were accessible to the poorest and most marginalised women, men and young people around the world.

Tewodros Melesse, the current Director-General of IPPF, said: “I am delighted that the Government of the United Kingdom has awarded this honour to Dr. Gill Greer, in recognition of her ceaseless work on behalf of women, men and young people across the globe. I have known and worked with Gill for many years. She has been, and remains, a vocal advocate for sexual and reproductive health and human rights, and a vocal critic of those who would seek to undermine these rights.

As Director-General of IPPF from 2006 – 2011, Gill worked tirelessly to give a voice to those millions of people around the world who do not have these rights. She is deserving of this recognition, not just of her own work, but the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights to everyone. It is particularly fitting that this award has been made at the beginning 2012, IPPF’s 60th Anniversary year.”

ESEAOR is particularly proud of the fact that before becoming Director General of IPPF, Gill was the Executive Director of New Zealand Family Planning, a Member Association of this region.