Maria Antonieta Alcalde Castro has been fighting for women’s rights for more than three decades. But as she steps into her new role as the newly appointed director-general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, she said that the fight has become much more sophisticated.
“We're seeing a more organized and better-funded anti-rights movement,” Alcalde, who took on the job this March, told Devex. And the people who are pushing back are also in more influential positions of power, she added.
Alcalde is the first person from Latin America to lead IPPF, a federation of over 100 member associations and considered one of the largest global organizations working on sexual and reproductive health and rights. She’s had a long history with the organization and others, serving in different capacities and geographies, making her an active witness to the wins and now rollbacks in advancing these rights.