ASTRA Network in FEDERA’s 2025 Annual Report: Defending Reproductive Rights in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia
We bring you the 2025 annual report of the Polish non-governmental organization FEDERA, which is dedicated to protecting sexual and reproductive rights and women’s health. The organization was founded in 1991 as an association of several women’s and feminist organizations operating in Poland. Since 1999, it has held consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and since 2022, it has operated as a foundation.
The report provides an overview of a year marked by intensive advocacy, service provision, education, partnership-building, and strengthening the movement for sexual and reproductive health and rights. It also highlights the organization’s international activities, including collaboration within European and global networks and the work of the ASTRA network, whose secretariat is hosted by FEDERA and of which Možnosť voľby (Freedom of Choice) is a member.
Below you will find a section of the report dedicated to the ASTRA network. The full annual report is available further down.
The year 2025 was a period of intensive activity for the ASTRA Network, taking place in an exceptionally challenging political context for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and globally.
Increasing democratic backsliding, the growing influence of anti-gender movements, shrinking civic space, and chronic underfunding of feminist movements significantly shaped the operating environment for organisations across the region.
In this context, ASTRA strengthened its role as the only regional network focused exclusively on SRHR in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, ensuring that the experiences and needs of the region are reflected in European and global debates.
The year brought both advocacy successes and important investments in the network’s development and strategic capacity.
Context and challenges
In 2025, ASTRA’s work focused on responding to:
- escalating attacks on access to safe and legal abortion;
- systemic violence against women and insufficient legal;
- protection;
- repression targeting activists and civil society organisations;
- the growing impact of global anti-choice movements;
- including the consequences of U.S. policies;
- deepening inequalities in funding for SRHR movements.
ASTRA responded to these challenges through advocacy, solidarity initiatives, knowledge production, and strengthening regional cooperation.
Advocacy and solidarity actions
At the beginning of the year, ASTRA highlighted the situation of women in Kazakhstan, pointing to the intersection of domestic violence, systemic discrimination, and inadequate legal protection.
In the following months, the network responded to repression targeting civil society in Serbia, issuing joint statements with European organisations to raise awareness of the persecution of activists.
A key intervention was an appeal to restore access to telemedicine for medical abortion in Moldova. ASTRA’s statement was supported by over 500 signatories—activists, experts, and organisations—demonstrating the network’s capacity for regional mobilisation.
ASTRA also responded to developments in Latvia, where proposals to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention emerged. The network issued a joint solidarity statement calling for the protection of women’s rights and civic space.
The network also spoke out on:
- restrictions on civic space in Hungary (including the ban on Budapest Pride);
- anti-choice mobilisation in Poland;
- threats to women’s rights in other countries across the region.
At the global level, ASTRA published the analysis “Trump’s Second Term: A Global Crisis for Reproductive Rights”, highlighting the potential impact of U.S. policies on strengthening anti-gender backlash in Europe and beyond.
Influence on EU policies and international presence
In 2025, ASTRA actively engaged in policy processes at the European Union level.
The network submitted recommendations as part of consultations on the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, strengthening the inclusion of SRHR perspectives.
ASTRA also participated in advocacy efforts to maintain progress on the EU Equal Treatment Directive. As a result of pressure from civil society organisations, including ASTRA, the European Commission withdrew plans to abandon the directive.
A strategic advocacy visit to Brussels, organised in cooperation with the European Women’s Lobby, strengthened relationships with key partners, including the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights (EPF) and the IPPF European Network.
ASTRA was also present at major international forums, including the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York City, and the International Conference on Family Planning 2025 in Bogotá, where ASTRA’s expert panel was featured as a spotlight session.
Knowledge production
Knowledge production remains one of ASTRA’s core areas of work.
In 2025, the network:
- promoted the Dalan Fund report “Where Is the Money for Movements?”, highlighting the underfunding of feminist movements in the CEECCNA region;
- partnered in the European Abortion Policies Atlas 2025, contributing a data set developed in collaboration with member organisations;
- published analyses on abortion law and inequalities in access to services;
- issued four regional SRHR newsletters.
ASTRA also initiated cooperation with the Dalan Fund, launching a communication campaign on SRHR movement funding in the region titled “A Choice That Matters.”
Network development
In 2025, the ASTRA Network was joined by the following organisations:
- Doctors for Choice Malta;
- Tajik Family Planning Association (TFPA), Tajikistan;
- Women’s Issues Information Centre (WIIC), Lithuania;
- National Council for Gender Equality (NCGE), North Macedonia;
The network also strengthened its international cooperation by joining the SexSense Network.
Governance and institutional development
In 2025, ASTRA renewed its governance structures. Erika Schmidt joined the Advisory Board, and the Board initiated work on a new network strategy, scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026.
In June, the ASTRA Network Annual Meeting took place in Kraków, focusing on the erosion of civic space, anti-gender movements, and future priorities for the network.
During the meeting, a series of interviews with member organisations was recorded, forming the basis for a documentary film planned for release in 2026.
At the same time, work began on ASTRA’s advocacy and research strategies, developed in collaboration with member organisations.
These processes aim to strengthen the coherence of the network’s activities and increase its impact at regional, European, and global levels.
