Join FP2020 by Making a Commitment

Pathfinder International shared the following update on progress in achieving its FP2020 commitments:

• Pathfinder International has also raised about $1.4 million in private funds since the London Summit to increase our support to the Tuungane project, a joint project with the Nature Conservancy and Frankfurt Zoological Society in Tanzania. This project couples family planning activities with environmental protection activities in the Lake Tanganyika basin to ensure communities’ sustainability in ecologically fragile zones. 

• Le plan sectoriel PF 2007-2012 et le plan stratégique de Sécurisation des Produits en Santé de la Reproduction (SPSR) 2008-2012 ont été évalués. (en décembre 2015). Actuellement, après cette évaluation, on a le plan stratégique intégré PF/SPSR 2016-2020 qui est disponible (en avril 2016).
• C’est sur la base de ce plan stratégique intégré PF/SPSR 2016-2020 réactualisé, que le Plan d’Action National Budgétisé a été élaboré (en 2016). Et on est encore entrain d’élaborer le PANB, pour le niveau central c’est déjà fait, et on va faire prochainement celui des régions.
• Dans les perspectives pour le 3ème trimestre on va :
  • Réactualiser le document de normes et procédures SR qui date de 2012 pour insérer le post partum, les nouvelles molécules (Implanon NXT et sayana press) etc.
  • Mettre à jour les critères d’éligibilité pour l’offre des produits contraceptifs car ne correspond plus à ce qu’on fait sur le terrain (par exemple on donne immédiatement ‘implanon en post partum selon OMS pour les nouvelles mis à jour mais les outils ne sont pas encore mis à jour).
• Le gouvernement du Madagascar s’est engagé à améliorer l'accès libre des jeunes y compris les adolescents aux services de PF dans une approche conviviale :
  • L’approche sur les jeunes est multisectorielle et la coordination au niveau central pose un peu problème :
    • Le côté sensibilisation et le réseautage c’est avec le Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports.
    • Le volet prise en charge c’est avec le Ministère de la Santé.
  • L’adoption de la loi PF pour l’accès libre des jeunes en PF est encore un long processus, car les observations du Ministère de la Justice sur le draft de loi qu’on a lui a soumis n’est pas en faveur des jeunes. Il faut encore beaucoup de plaidoyer à faire, et on va mettre en oeuvre les activités qu’on a mises dans le plan FP 2020 (2016- 2017) qu’on a développé à Abidjan dernièrement.
• Par rapport à l’adoption de la loi PF, ci-dessous les actions dans le plan FP2020 qu’on va mettre en œuvre :
  • Documenter les évidences en matière de santé de la reproduction (grossesses précoces à l’école, fistules, avortement provoquées, fécondité des adolescents, IST.)
  • Affiner les exposés des motifs  de la loi par rapport au feedback du Ministère de la Justice
  • Réviser la loi PF sur la base des différents commentaires des parties prenantes clés et du format  de loi type SR
  • Organiser des séances de plaidoyer à l’endroit des décideurs pour bâtir le consensus autour du draft de projet de loi (juristes, sociétés savantes, ONG, champions religieux, Assemblée nationale, partis politiques, commission loi, jeunes)
  • Intégration des points de vue de toutes les parties prenantes dans la loi (consultant expert juriste et un spécialiste de santé publique)
  • Organiser un atelier  de validation/consensus de la loi
  • Envoyer la proposition de loi au niveau de l’assemblée nationale pour adoption et promulgation de la loi PF (session d’octobre)
  • Impression et multiplication de la loi adoptée et traduction en langues nationales
  • Elaborer les textes réglementaires et d’application de la loi
• Et actuellement on est entrain d’affiner les exposés des motifs de la loi par rapport au feedback du Ministère de la Justice.
• En 2015 une loi sur l’âge au mariage (18 ans) a été adoptée dans la lutte contre les mariages précoces.

• The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo validated the strategic plan in the month of February 2014, and an operational action plan has been developed with concrete results to be reached in 2014. The 2015-2016 operational budget plan with tangible results is in progress. Access the strategic plan here.

• In 2009, the country adopted the law on child protection, the national policy "Genre" ["Gender"] and the national strategic plan for the fight against gender-related violence. Moreover, the family code has been revised in 2012. The Government funded the construction of 1,000 new schools across the country since 2013 and this project is already effective, simultaneously, the process of integration of family planning in the national education curriculum is underway. Finally, the Government has made elementary education free of charge. All of these initiatives promote female teenagers and fight against early marriages.

• Le Plan PF a été finalisé en 2013 et n’a pu être diffusé pour raison d’absence de financement (il devrait être diffuser sous forme d’ateliers régionaux. Malgré tout il sert de référence pour toute planification en PF).
• La création d’une Division PF au sein de la Direction nationale santé familiale et de nutrition est en cours.
• Le code de l’enfant prend en compte de nos jours  l’âge légal du mariage à 18 ans.

In July 2016, the Government of Bangladesh shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.

• The 66^th meeting of the National (family planning) Technical Committee (NTC) held on 3 February 2016 approved the Implant and Progesterone-only pills (POP) as an immediate post-partum family planning (PPFP) method and as such Implants and POPs can be provided to clients immediately after delivery irrespective of parity. This is a major policy shift based on sustained advocacy from FP2020 partners, which would expand the method mix for post-partum women nationwide.

• Other key policy level changes that have happened in the reporting period.
  • Relaxation in the required age of the last child to one year for two child couples who want sterilization;
  • Allowing trained and skilled staff nurses to insert IUDs;
  • Allowing trained and skilled Female Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officers (SACMOs) to insert IUDs
  • A joint circular was issued by both DGFP and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) informing program managers and service providers on: 1) counseling pregnant women about family planning in all ANC; 2) providing FP counseling and services including pills, condoms, injectables, and implants in all PNC and immunization visits; and 3) providing PPFP methods for women undergoing home delivery which included: LAM (Lactational Amenorrhea Methods), Condoms, ECPs and Progestin-only Pill (POPs).
  • Relevant section of the National Family Planning Manual is being revised as per latest WHO MEC for contraceptive use.

• A key strategy that the Government developed to address discontinuation was to decentralize service provision by further capacitating domiciliary workers (the family welfare assistants or FWAs) to both initiate and provide follow up family planning services to clients

• 34 district and Upazila level trainers (ToT) of Brahmanbaria were trained in August 2015 to conduct cascade training to lower cadres. Local level trainers further trained 147 FWAs for providing 1^st and subsequent doses of injectable, previously allowed to only provide the 2^nd and subsequent doses. 258 FWAs who had received an earlier round of training and 84 Family Welfare Visitors (FWVs) of the same district received refresher training. By June 2016, two other districts, Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka have completed training of FWAs including required refreshers.
• Immediately after the training FWAs of all three districts have started providing the 1^st dose of injectables in the community. These efforts have helped the clients to save travel time and costs which may lead to increased acceptance and reduced discontinuation rates with regard to injectables.
• To complement the above initiative, DGFP has also completed training to community health care providers (CHCPs) for provision of the second and subsequent doses of injectable contraceptives at the Community Clinics in the same districts; a cadre which was previously not allowed to provide injectables. Based on positive feedback from the field, DGFP has started implementing the activity in another three districts (Laxmipur, Noakhali and Chandpur) and subsequently plan to scale up to all 64 districts.
• The USAID-funded Mayer Hashi Project has worked with the DGFP and the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturer and Export Association (BGMEA) to train health providers in family planning and to ensure a supply of contraceptives in BGMEA clinics and has already ensured availability of temporary contraceptives in 10 BGMEA clinics. Clinical providers of the BGMEA clinics have been trained on Implant and Injectable. Approximately an additional 40 garment factory clinics are providing condoms, orals and referrals for long acting and permanent methods.  Workplace FP services efforts will help to decrease discontinuation rates of temporary contraceptives by the garments workers.

The Government of Bangladesh/MOHFW committed to increasing the availability and accessibility of Long Acting and Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs – IUD and Implant) and Permanent Methods (PMs – Tubectomy and Vasectomy) in order to help shift their share of the method mix from 8% to 20% by 2021, the revised target. Following activities are ongoing to achieve this goal:

• Increasing availability of FWVs: The MOHFW has recruited 1,320 FWVs, of which 805 have already been trained to provide IUDs and assigned to vacant positions and the remaining 415 are in training. The MOHFW is recruiting an additional 638 FWVs.
• Increase availability of family planning medical officers: The DGFP received MOHFW approval to recruit of 535 Medical Officers (MCH-FP) which is in process.  Once recruited and trained, these physicians will be assigned to vacant positions, enabling increased NSV, Tubectomy and Implant service provision.
• Private-sector partnership: The DGFP has allowed the local Social Marketing Company (SMC) to market over-branded IUDs and Implants. Approximately 400 trained physicians have been trained with USAID support to provide the over-branded IUDs and Implants in private chambers, clinics and hospitals.  The DGFP initiated a Technical Committee to support the Private Sector Initiative on LARCs and PMs under the leadership of the Line Director, Clinical Contraceptive Services Delivery Program (CCSDP), DGFP.
• Creation of mobile service delivery care teams: Two NGOs funded by USAID as well as Marie Stopes Bangladesh are supporting DGFP through roving teams to provide LARC/PMs during Special Service Delivery Days, especially in government Union Health & Family Welfare Centers (UHFWCs) and NGO facilities.
• Creating an enabling environment: Certain policies have been changed as indicated above, including:
  • Relaxation in the required age of the last child to one year for two child couples who want sterilization;
  • Allowing nulliparous married women to accept Implant;
  • Allowing trained and skilled Staff Nurses to insert IUDs;
  • Allowing trained and skilled Female Sub Assistant Community Medical Officers (SACMOs) to insert IUDs;
• Demand creation and community mobilization: The IEM Unit of DGFP has initiated several BCC activities with support from UNFPA and USAID’s funded Bangladesh Knowledge Management Initiative (BKMI) Project including direct distribution of BCC/counseling materials and orientation of the providers on use of those materials in 38 out of 64 districts.
• Motivation of prospective clients: As a part of this intervention, orientation sessions of satisfied NSV acceptors with support from USAID-funded Mayer Hashi Project been carried out in more than 350 upazilas and in 40 upazilas with satisfied IUD acceptors.
• Mobilizing religious leaders as prompters of LARC/PM in Bangladesh: A book published by DGFP in Bangla titled, ‘Family Planning in the Eyes of Islam’, is used widely to orient Islamic religious leaders in training funded by USAID through the Mayer Hashi Project.  This booklet is accompanied by a smaller FAQ booklet.

The Government of Bangladesh committed to increasing training and workforce development by engaging in the following activities:

Recruitment:

• In 2015: 382 Medical Officers, 530 FWVs and 72 SACMO recruitment is completed.
• In 2016; 153 Medical Officers, 108 FWVs and 68 SACMO recruitment process is ongoing.

These technical cadres provide family planning and MCH services under the DGFP/MOHFW.

Training:

• In 2015-2016: 70 Medical Officers and 632 Paramedics were trained on Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP), much of it funded by USAID through the Mayer Hashi Project.
• In 2015-2016; 120 Paramedics received basic training on LAPMs.
• 761 participants (Deputy Director, Assistant Director, Medical Officer – Clinic, Upazilla Family Planning Officer and Medical Officer-MCH-FP) were trained on Progesterone-only Pill (POP).
• 1770 Field Staff (FWA, FWV, FPI and SACMO) received refresher training on Progesterone-only Pill.
• Government & NGO coordination workshops were held in all districts to increase demand for FP services.
• 929 service providers received training on injectable. Service providers targeted include FWV, FWA, CHCP in Noakhali, Laxmipur and Chandpur districts.
• 30,000 service providers such as FWA, FPI, SACMO and FWV attended trainings on newly revised FWA register (8^th edition) and reporting forms.
• 800 managers received training on LAPM users track and bottom-up projection related software.

The Government of Bangladesh committed to increasing adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health and family planning services and to providing adolescent sexual and reproductive health services at one-third of maternal, newborn, and child health centers.

• The MCH Services Unit of the Directorate General of Family Planning has started implementing Adolescent Friendly Health Services(AFHS) in 128 service centers (13 MCWCs & 115 UH&FWCs) in 13 districts. To increase demand of seeking care from these centers, DGFP recently conducted 5 advocacy meetings at the union level with the participation of adolescents, Community Health Care Provider, local leaders (Chairman of Union Parisad with 2 women members) and members of UH&FWC management committees.
• Three batches of three days-long training of the supervisors, service providers have been conducted and establishment of the AFH Corners are now going on. Soon these centers are expected to function fully. The MCH Services Unit of the DGFP is developing IEC materials (for display and for take away) for these AFH Corners. Messages for IEC materials have already been developed through 4 days-long workshop, technically supported by BCCP and attended by the expertise from different UN organizations, Government and NGOs.
• The Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Networking Forum developed in 2015 and convened its’ regular meetings to discuss approaches to scaling up ASRH programmes in the country. A review of 32 Adolescent Health Programs of different NGOs has been completed by Population Council with USAID funding in partnership with DGFP and was shared with different stakeholders at the divisional level through consultative meetings to share knowledge. An Adolescent Health Newsletter providing programmatic and policy updates has been developed by DGFP with partners and will be regularly published on a quarterly basis.

• One of the milestones of Adolescent Health Activities of MCH Services Unit of the Directorate General of Family Planning is the creation of a website for adolescents with the support of UNFPA. The website will build awareness among adolescents by providing accurate and relevant information on their health related issues. This website has a mobile friendly version also as most of the adolescents use internet on their mobile phone.

The Government of Bangladesh committed to monitoring to ensure that quality of care is strengthened, including informed consent and choice.

• DGFP has extended the FP quality improvement teams from 8 to 10 and is planning to increase more teams to cover all districts in the next sector program period which will start in 2017. FP QI teams are working closely with national QI secretariat to ensure clients rights (availability, affordability, privacy, confidentiality etc.) at different level of facilities. FPQI teams are accountable to ensure rights based volunteer family planning services through their physical monitoring and exit interview of clients. DGFP is following up feedback from FPQI teams and addresses them accordingly. USAID-funded Mayer Hashi Project provides technical assistance to the DGFP on FP quality and compliance with informed choice requirements and provides a FP QI and Compliance Team for each of the seven, soon to be eight, Divisions.

DGFP conducted two days training on total quality improvement for Family Planning Clinical Supervisor Team/Quality Assurance Team (FPCST/QAT) in November 2015. As part of the training teams had to visit a model clinic (Narshindi) for “5S” intervention for hands on training. 5S concept was introduced in another two DGFP clinics to improve quality of FP-MCH services to learn implementation challenges and for scale up.  Biannual meeting were also organized at national level to review the FP performance in terms of quality of services.

The Government of Bangladesh committed to working with leaders and communities to delay early marriage and childbirth.  Please kindly provide an update on this commitment here.

• The IEM Unit of the DGFP has already implemented different innovative approaches to engage community leaders, gate keepers, local elites, religious leaders, school teachers, adolescent groups under the last sector program HPNSDP. These are as follows.
• Conducted 670 workshops on adolescent reproductive health, discourage child marriage, improve adolescent nutrition, and hygiene in all the upazilas of Sylhet and Chittagong Divisions with the students of Class VII to Class X, teachers and parents/guardians.
• Conducted workshops on the importance of population dynamics, importance of small family norms, ANC, PNC, institutional delivery, and neonatal care with the print and electronic media journalists in all 64 districts of the country.
• Organized workshops to advocate family planning methods in the light of Islam, discourage early marriage, importance of ANC, PNC and institutional delivery with local public representatives, religious leaders including Imams, Madrasa teachers and marriage registrars at 326 upazilas.
• Conducted 350 workshops with low parity couples, newly wed couples, young married couples to delay space and limit family size.
• Conducted training on interpersonal communication for the newly recruited field workers i.e. FWA, FWV, SACMO to motivate clients.

The following innovative service delivery activities were carried out by the DGFP:

• A digital archive for all FP SBCC materials was developed with the technical support of USAID-funded BKMI Project. Regular updating and uploading of the produced materials is ongoing.
• An e-Toolkit for frontline health workers and program managers was developed and is available in an Android version both in online and offline for fieldworkers, with the support of BKMI.  It is in the digital archive and updated annually. This e-Toolkit is now in use on pilot basis in Comilla and Tangail district’s front line workers through electronic tablets.
• An e-learning course on SBCC for frontline workers, program managers and planners were developed with support from BKMI. Program Managers and Planners are now using this e-learning course to improving their knowledge on SBCC regularly.

A dissemination and distribution guideline of IEC/BCC materials was developed.  Through the USAID-funded SIAPS, Mayer Hashi and BKMI Projects, the DGFP system to order and distribute SBCC materials is being strengthened, including integrating IEC/BCC materials into the DGFP’s eLMIS dashboard.

In July 2016, the Government of Malawi shared an update on progress in achieving its policy, financial and program and service delivery commitments to FP2020.

The government reports performing the following activities in support of its policy and political commitment:

• Advocacy sessions have been held with different groups on the change of age of marriage from the current 15 years with parental consent to 18 years or above. Chiefs have signed a communiqué committing them to work with government to advocate for the same. The Reproductive Health Directorate and other stakeholders through relevant structures continued engaging the previous Parliamentary Committee on Health and Population as well as the Gender committee on the issue of raising the age of marriage. As a result, the age of marriage was increased from 15 years old to 18 years old in February 2015 and enacted by parliament. The Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act No.13 was published on 17th April, 2015 (ACT No.4 of 2015 assented by His Excellency, the State President, Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika on 10th April, 2015).
• The government, together with traditional leaders, civil society, faith-based organizations, development partners and the private sector has developed a five-year Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan to provide a road map for stakeholders to increase access to and demand for family planning services, thus enabling Malawians to achieve their reproductive intentions. This document was launched in September 2016.
• The forth coming government reforms will emphasize policy and coordination with local assemblies so as to strengthen their capacity to deliver in order to facilitate the implementation of the FP CIP.
• Malawi plans to widely disseminate and advocate for larger stakeholder awareness of the government’s FP2020 commitments and the implementation of a five-year FP CIP during the forthcoming 2nd Family Planning Leaders Conference.

The Parliament of Malawi in February unanimously voted to pass a bill that bans child marriage by raising the minimum legal age of marriage from 15 to 18 years old. The Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations bill is now scheduled to be signed by the president, according to Reuters.

Malawi has one of the world’s highest rates of child marriage, with one in two girls being married before the age of 18. Child marriage limits girls from leading healthy, productive and full lives, blocking their ability to pursue educational and other opportunities, as well as increasing the risk of maternal death or serious childbirth injuries.

While seen as a historic step forward by the government and countless advocatesfor the rights of girls and women in Malawi, the law fails to address a legal loophole that allows girls younger than 18 years old to marry with parental consent. According to advocates, eliminating this exception, in addition to addressing poverty and harmful traditional practices, such s early sexual initiations, are critical in reducing child marriage and realizing the law’s desired effects.

The International Center for Research on Women provided the following updates on progress in achieving its FP2020 commitments:

Expanding the evidence base on the importance of addressing socio-cultural barriers when striving to meet women’s demand for reproductive control and use of family planning services

ICRW’s issued an important report  at the time of the London Summit, titled, “Women's Demand for Reproductive Control: Understanding and Addressing Gender Barriers,” which addressed the ways in which gender-related barriers affect women’s ability to demand and use family planning and reproductive health. We have disseminated this report in targeted ways over the past three years. 

Additionally, ICRW’s Asia Regional Office has carried out numerous studies on gender-based violence and partner engagement over the past three years. One such study surveyed men in five states in India to show the linkages between ideas of masculinity and son-preference. The findings have generated significant interest in policy circles, and ICRW staff is proactively engaged to advocate for the greater engagement of men and addressing violence reduction as strategy to improve family planning acceptance. ICRW aims to influence India’s commitment to addressing intimate partner violence and the rights of adolescent girls in the SDGs. Other studies and resulting reports and articles include:

• Bhatla, N., Achyut, P., Khan, P., Walia, S., & Tranquilli, A. (2015). Promoting Equality and Safety in Schools Washington, DC; Bangkok: International Center for Research on Women; Plan International.
• Bhatla, N., Achyut, P., Ghosh, S., Gautam, A., & Verma, R. (2013). Safe Cities Free From Violence Against Women and Girls: Baseline Finding from the "Safe Cities Delhi Programme" New York and Washington, DC: UN Women; International Center for Research on Women.
• Das, M., Ghosh, S., Verma, R., O'Connor, B., Fewer, S., Virata, M. C. et al. (2014). Gender attitudes and violence among urban adolescent boys in India. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 19, 99-112
• Edmeades, J., Pande, R., MacQuarrie, K., Falle, T., & Malhotra, A. (2012). Two Sons And A Daughter: Sex Composition And Women's Reproductive Behaviour In Madhya Pradesh, India. Journal of Biosocial Science.
• International Center for Research on Women & Plan Asia Regional Office (2015). Are Schools Safe and Equal Places for Girls and Boys in Asia? Research Findings on School-Related Gender-Based Violence Delhi, India: International Center for Research on Women; Plan Asia Regional Office.
• Mishra, A., Nanda, P., Speizer, I. S., Calhoun, L. M., Zimmerman, A., & Bhardwaj, R. (2014). Men's attitudes on gender equality and their contraceptive use in Uttar Pradesh India. Reprod Health, 11,
• Muralidharan, A., Fehringer, J. A., Pappa, S., Rottach, E., Das, M., & Mandal, M. (2014). Tranforming Gender Norms, Roles, and Power Dynamics for Better Health: Evidence from a Systematic Review of Gender-integrated Health Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Washington, DC and Chapel Hill, NC: Futures Group; Health Policy Project; Measure Evaluation.

Expand the evidence base linking women’s social and economic empowerment to family planning and sexual and reproductive health

ICRW and Dalberg Global Development Advisors set out to create a better understanding of corporate-funded women’s economic empowerment programs – what works and what does not – and make the case for how such programs can increase benefits for both women and for companies. ICRW and Dalberg found that corporations need to do more to address barriers that hinder women’s economic advancement. The majority of corporate-funded programs aim to build women's economic status by expanding employment opportunities, providing business training and making loans or credit more available. However, for a woman to be economically empowered, she needs more than skills and opportunities. The Business Case for Women's Economic Empowerment: An Integrated Approach presents the study’s findings and includes an integrated framework that the private sector can adopt to increase return on investment and enhance women’s economic advancement.  The integrated approach is based on a human rights framework that focuses on the broader conditions necessary for women to prosper economically, including reproductive control, safety from violence, freedom of movement and childcare – as well as business training, financial support and employment opportunities. 

Produce new evidence related to adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights ICRW conducted a literature review and donor scan to identify what the evidence shows regarding adolescents and family planning. Findings from this study have been provided in a number of ways and settings, including through

• a paper submitted to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to inform the development of its adolescent family planning strategy; a brief presented to USAID FP/RH partners;
• a presentation to UNFPA to inform its investment case for adolescent girls;
• a presentation to PEPFAR representatives from 10 sub-Saharan African countries to inform the integration of HIV prevention with FP/RH programs and vice versa; and more.

Additional evidence we have generated regarding adolescent SRHR and adolescent girls’ rights includes:

• Nanda, P., Das, P., Singh, A., & Negi, R. (2013). Addressing Comprehensive Needs of Adolescent Girls in India: A Potential for Creating Livelihoods - A Scoping Study. New Delhi: International Center for Research on Women.
• Petroni, S. & Fritz, K. (2013). Improving the Health of Women and Adolescent Girls: An Unfinished Agenda. In New York, NY: Population Division, United Nations
• Warner, A., Hollingwoth, G., Thompson, L., Petroni, S., Sexton, M., Song, J. et al. (2013). I Want. I Dream. Girls' Insights for Building a Better World Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women and 2CV.

Strengthen the connection between adolescent girls’ education and sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including delayed marriage and childbearing

ICRW conducted a study in northern Uganda that sought to understand the connections between girls’ schooling, early pregnancy and early marriage. Findings from this study, titled, Girls Are Like Leaves on the Wind: How Gender Expectations Impact Girls' Education - A Closer Look from West Nile, Uganda, were presented at various forums in Uganda by ICRW and our local partner, the Federation of Women Educationalists, as well as at an event in Washington, DC. The report resulted in significant media attention in Kenya and the U.S., and was picked up by the New York Times, among others.

ICRW’s report titled More Power to Her: How Empowering Girls Can End Child Marriage provided an in-depth look at four case studies (programs run by CARE in Ethiopia, BRAC in Bangladesh, Save the Children in Egypt and Pathfinder International in India) and found that girl-focused programs expand girls’ ability to make strategic life choices by providing them with access to critical resources. The information, skills and social support that they gain help to instill a transformation within girls: increasing their self-awareness, their self-efficacy and their aspirations. They also introduce girls to alternatives to marriage and early pregnancy, such as school and livelihood opportunities, and enhance their ability to influence key ‘gatekeepers’ in their lives, such as parents, husbands or community leaders.

ICRW has used the findings from these studies to advocate for girls education, including with the U.S. government and within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Develop and validate metrics to improve its understanding of the benefits that education brings to women’s access to and correct use of family planning

With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, ICRW and the World Bank are undertaking a multi-year study to understand the economic impacts of child marriage globally. Among the key linkages around which we are estimating impacts are those between girls’ education, early marriage, and use of family planning. Early findings from the first phase of this study will be available publicly in the fall of 2015.