GRPA celebrates 50 years of service, advocacy, and lifesaving care

The Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA), the country’s leading organisation for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), is celebrating 50 years of advocacy, service, and impact. Founded in 1973 by Olga Byrne and formally registered on October 4, 1975, the GRPA has been at the forefront of advancing health, rights, and justice for all Guyanese for half a century.
From its inception, GRPA has championed access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, cancer screening, HIV prevention and treatment, gender-based violence response, and youth-friendly programmes. Notably, the Association played a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1995, which made Guyana one of the first Caribbean nations to decriminalise abortion. Through its clinics and outreach programmes, GRPA has since provided lifesaving abortion care and post-abortion counselling, empowering women and girls to access safe, legal, and dignified healthcare. Over the years, GRPA has built strong national and international partnerships. It is a partner organisation of Fòs Feminista, the International Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice, and an implementing partner of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). GRPA previously served as a Member Association of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). These collaborations have enabled the Association to strengthen healthcare delivery, expand outreach to remote communities, and advocate for gender equality and inclusion, particularly among women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and marginalised groups. Throughout its five decades of service, GRPA has served hundreds of thousands of Guyanese across both urban and hinterland regions. The Association has been instrumental in advocating for progressive laws and policies such as the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, the National Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy, and the Policy for the Reintegration of Adolescent Mothers into the School System. It has also played a key role in Guyana’s HIV response as a recognised Care and Treatment Site and has advanced cervical cancer prevention through the introduction of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) screening. GRPA’s health services now include cancer screening, contraception, HIV and STI testing, laboratory services, abortion care, and psychosocial support, while its ongoing advocacy has led national conversations on sexual rights, gender equality, and inclusion.
As GRPA marks its golden milestone, it is also looking ahead. Executive Director Kobe Smith described the anniversary as “both a celebration and a call to action.” “We pay tribute to the legacy of our founder, Olga Byrne, and to the brave advocates who fought for the rights we enjoy today,” Smith said. “Our next chapter will focus on breaking new ground in healthcare delivery and ensuring that every person can live with dignity, autonomy, and wellbeing.”
Throughout October 2025, the Association will host a series of commemorative events to honour the women, youth, and communities that have shaped its history and mission.