HERA – Health Education and Research Association was founded in January 2000 by six volunteers, medical students resolved to do something about the poor education about HIV and AIDS and the lack of medicines and care for people living with HIV in North Macedonia. Soon HIV becomes merely one of the aspects of sexual and reproductive health and sexual rights, the promotion of which becomes our aim, which is evidenced by our full membership in the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) since 2009, and is reflected in our Five-Year Strategic Framework.
Over the years, HERA has been advocating for better policies as we believe in the freedom of choice and in diversity. We provide free and confidential services for sexual and reproductive health and for gender-based violence, as accessibility, availability and confidentiality stand indivisible from people’s health. We educate about sexual rights because strong citizenry and sustainable democratic society remain unattainable without comprehensive information and youth participation. We empower the marginalised, because for a society to become inclusive, it must rely on social justice.
Even today gender equality persists as our lodestar, and our commitment uncompromising, because all people should be able to enjoy their sexuality freely and in social wellbeing.