India

Home to 1 billion people, half of India’s population consists of young people under age 25. Today, vast numbers of women in India face barriers to accessing quality reproductive health care.

Since 1988, EngenderHealth has helped expand and improve reproductive and maternal health services for women, men, and adolescents throughout many regions in India. In response to high rates of early marriage and early childbearing, some of our recent work focuses on ensuring that reproductive health services are youth-friendly and that adolescents are aware of the services available to them. In partnership with state governments, EngenderHealth works in all districts of Jharkhand and has also begun work in Bihar. In Jharkhand, nearly two-thirds of adolescent girls are married before they are 18, and at least one in four young women aged 15–19 is a mother. Our work in India helps advance sexual and reproductive health for adolescents, providing them with the information and services they need to make smart decisions that will positively affect themselves, their future families, and their communities.