Programs

With support from donors, collaboration with diverse strategic partners, valuable insight from our experts and staff, and the participation of individuals, communities, and healthcare systems, EngenderHealth brings high-quality, gender-equitable programming to hard-to-reach and historically un- and underserved individuals and communities.

 

 

EngenderHealth approaches every program with the belief that sexual and reproductive rights are human rights. Our programming builds on the lessons learned and best practices gained through working in more than 100 countries across 5 continents to support individuals, communities, and healthcare systems in delivering high-quality, gender-equitable programs and services that advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We focus on evidence-based decision making and innovative solutions to ensure the best possible outcome for every program. We focus on our core impact areas of comprehensive SRHR, maternal and obstetric care, and gender-based violence to make sure our programming aligns with our expertise for the greatest possible impact. To drive sustainability and results that last long beyond our programs, we focus on transforming gender norms, meaningful youth participation, and health systems strengthening. The most important driver of EngenderHealth’s work is recognizing and valuing partnerships at every level—international, regional, country, community, public, and private. Partnerships allow us to maximize coordination, contribute knowledge, and ensure that supported activities are informed by current evidence and priorities.

A hallmark of EngenderHealth’s work is that we integrate key frameworks that focus on gender, equity, diversity, and inclusion to safeguard the communities in which we work as well as our staff and partners to ensure that our programs do no harm from start to finish—from project design through implementation and evaluation.

Featured Program

Ensemble

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Highlighted Programs

Scaling Up Family Planning (SuFP)
MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics
TARUNYA—Adolescent Health and Development

Current Programs

To see how we go beyond theory and are making this happen in practice, visit our current program pages:

A Rights-Based Approach for Enhancing SRHR in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa is among the fastest-growing cities in the world, with a growth rate of 4.3%, according to the United Nations. As the population grows, there is an increased need to expand basic services and strengthen health systems. Currently, gender-based violence (GBV) services are incomplete due to resource constraints, weak referral systems, and a lack of knowledge among healthcare providers and clients. EngenderHealth’s A Rights-Based Approach for Enhancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) program is designed to ensure all people, particularly women and girls, can fulfill their SRHR. We are implementing this program in Addis Ababa, in close partnership with the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association and government partners, including the Bureau of Education, the Bureau of Health, and…

Accelerating Progress Towards Making Safe Abortion Care Accessible in Benin

The Accelerating Progress Towards Making Safe Abortion Care Accessible in Benin program, implemented by EngenderHealth, is a collaborative effort to improve information about and access to safe and high-quality abortion care in Benin. In partnership with the Benin Feminists’ Network (Réseau des Féministes du Bénin), the Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé), the National Order of Pharmacists of Benin (Ordre National des pharmaciens du Bénin), the National College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Benin (Collège national des gynécologues obstétriciens du Bénin), and the Beninese Association for Family Welfare Member of IPPF (Association Béninoise de Bien-être Familial) the program works to strengthen access to and support safe abortion services, increase awareness of the legality and availability of medication abortion, and…

Building Rights for Improved Girl’s Health in Tanzania (BRIGHT)

Together with our partners, EngenderHealth both supports and delivers a holistic package of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and nutrition services, including family planning (FP) support; gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services; adolescent-friendly antenatal, postnatal, and postabortion care; nutrition support and counseling; and life skills training to adolescents in the Tabora region of Tanzania. Currently, there is limited access to these services in this region. By breaking down barriers to access and increasing collaboration across services, we are ensuring adolescents can realize their SRH and nutritional care rights. Tabora is the largest and one of Tanzania’s most remote regions—and adolescents comprise a quarter of its population. According to the World Bank, the fertility rate in Tanzania in 2021 was…

Elevate Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar

Together with our partners and with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, EngenderHealth is working through our Elevate Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar program to ensure that women and girls in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar have access to high-quality, gender-equitable, and age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.  According to the Guttmacher Institute, an estimated 99 million unintended pregnancies occur each year globally, and it is estimated that between 2015 and 2019, 46% of all pregnancies in Tanzania were unintended. According to the Tanzania DHS, among sexually active, unmarried women, the use of any modern method has decreased from 46% in 2015–16 to 36% in 2022. The program will…

Enhancing the SRHR, Safety, and Livelihoods of Women and Girls in Côte d’Ivoire 

EngenderHealth is partnering on this project with Renaissance Santé Bouaké and ONG Cavoequiva, two Côte d’Ivoire nongovernmental organizations. According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the primary school completion rate was at 68 percent in 2022 for girls and 69 percent for boys. However, the completion rates for lower secondary education reveal a drop-off, with 55.5 percent of girls and 60.2 percent of boys.   Working in 100 communities deemed vulnerable by the Côte d’Ivoire government, this project will establish designated safe spaces where out-of-school girls and young women can access critical services, including:  Comprehensive sexuality education classes to enhance bodily autonomy and healthy decision-making for better futures  Workforce readiness, vocational skills training programs, and financial support to set up…

Ensemble

Ensemble, an initiative launched by EngenderHealth in May 2022, is focused on preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV) in West and Central Africa—our program currently works with partners in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Mali. Ensemble means “together” in French, and we designed this program with the understanding that by working together, our impact will be greater than the sum of our individual efforts. To that end, we are collaborating with governments, civil society organizations, and other national and regional stakeholders in West and Central Africa to support local actions to prevent, respond to, and ultimately eliminate GBV. Critically, Ensemble places women in the lead and is co-designed with feminist- and youth-led organizations and those run by…

Ethiopia Lowlands Health Activity

The Lowlands Health Activity (LHA) is a holistic primary health care program rooted in local partnerships and underpinned by an innovative, data-driven, and people-centered strategy and a commitment to adaptive learning and management.   Our team will build off the significant achievements of existing healthcare workers, further strengthening the achievements through the LHA consortium’s capacities, as well as harnessing the gains and learnings of USAID’s prior investments.   The LHA Consortium partners include international partners JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) who, alongside EngenderHealth, will strengthen the Ministry of Health’s and local stakeholders’ capacity in newborn and child health, immunization and nutrition, and provide technical assistance on health systems strengthening; and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Population Center…

GIR’ITEKA

According to UNICEF, nearly a quarter (23%) of Burundian women between the ages of 15 and 49 have reported experiencing sexual violence in their lifetimes. Despite the government’s commitment to improving the availability and quality of services to survivors, the health system faces challenges—the inability of health providers to offer high-quality services, a lack of safe and confidential spaces to treat survivors and an inconsistent supply of SGBV commodities to facilities. The GIR’ITEKA (“Be Respected”) project built on the work of the EngenderHealth-led Burundians Responding Against Violence and Inequality (BRAVI) program, which focused on establishing national policies, guidelines, and curricula. The project aimed to reduce SGBV and improve services for Burundians living with and affected by SGBV and HIV. We…

Hormonal IUD Roll Out and Scale Up in Kenya

Through the Hormonal Intrauterine Device (IUD) Roll Out and Scale Up program, EngenderHealth provides technical assistance to Kenyan public health facilities across five counties to improve their ability to offer high-quality hormonal IUD services. Funded by the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s Catalytic Opportunity Fund, this program strengthens the capacity of national- and regional-level trainers to provide instruction to healthcare workers on hormonal IUD service provision, and it enhances the readiness of public health facilities to offer those services. In Kenya, we currently work in Nyeri, Meru, Kisumu, Kakamega, and Kisii counties.  According to FP2030, in 2022, the modern contraceptive prevalence rate for all women in Kenya was 45.4%, and 3.1% of women had selected an IUD as their method of…

Hormonal IUD Roll Out and Scale Up in Nigeria

Through the Hormonal Intrauterine Device (IUD) Roll Out and Scale Up program, EngenderHealth provides technical assistance to Nigerian public health facilities across Bauchi and Sokoto states to improve their ability to offer high-quality hormonal IUD services. Funded by the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s Catalytic Opportunity Fund, this program strengthens the capacity of national- and regional-level trainers to provide instruction to healthcare workers on hormonal IUD service provision, and it enhances the readiness of public health facilities to offer those services. According to FP2030, in 2022, the modern contraceptive prevalence rate in Nigeria for all women was 12.9% as of 2022, and 5.7% of women had selected an IUD as their method of choice. The unmet modern contraceptive prevalence rate for…

Improving SRH through Health System Strengthening in Burkina Faso

According to FP2030, in 2021 the modern contraceptive prevalence rate for all women in Burkina Faso is 28.2% and an estimated 19.6% of all women in the country have an unmet need for modern methods of contraception. Through the Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) through Health System Strengthening program, EngenderHealth, in partnership with a consortium of local civil society organizations and research institutions, international nongovernmental organizations, and United Nations (UN) agencies, is supporting the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) for SRH services through the development of a robust, responsive, and resilient health system. The program aims to expand access to high-quality comprehensive abortion care (CAC) and family planning (FP) services; improve the…

Improving the Protection and Dignity of People Affected by Humanitarian, Food, and Nutritional Crises through a Multisectoral Response

Burkina Faso’s humanitarian crisis continued to escalate in 2023 with five of the six provinces in the Boucle du Mouhoun region affected by this crisis. Forced displacement and human rights violations have become recurrent and the situation is negatively affecting the health system, which has reached a level of disorganization never before seen in the country. In addition, the need for protection from gender-based violence (GBV), particularly sexual exploitation and abuse, is increasing with the deteriorating security situation, affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the host community alike. Women and girls are especially vulnerable to GBV and the humanitarian crisis is exacerbating the challenges of protecting them. This program, funded by UNOCHA and implemented by EngenderHealth in collaboration with SOS…

Kènèya Nieta/USAID Mali Household and Community Health (HCH) Activity

In 2020, FP2020 found that the modern contraceptive prevalence rate is 16.3% in Mali, with a 24.8% unmet need for family planning (FP). According to the World Bank, less than half of the population in Mali lives within five kilometers (about three miles) of a health facility.   Kènèya Nieta aims to reduce community and cultural barriers to health services through faith-based and civil society organizations to increase uptake of FP services. EngenderHealth is supporting the integration of FP and gender, youth, and social inclusion across all program activities to improve community health workers’ ability to provide client-centered care. Our approach includes addressing gender imbalances, responding to the special needs of adolescents and youth, and strengthening community oversight mechanisms to hold…

Mainstreaming Gender in Large-Scale Food Fortification Programs

According to GAIN, 50% of women of reproductive age in India are anemic because of malnutrition. Gender relations in society and the food supply chain drive nutrition outcomes, especially for the most vulnerable groups. LSFF provides essential micronutrients at the population level using a market-based or public social safety net approach. Gender mainstreaming in these interventions helps address undernutrition and improve the gender sensitivity of the entire food system. EngenderHealth and GAIN are partnering to create an overarching strategy for comprehensive gender integration into LSFF programs in India. To start, EngenderHealth is conducting a comprehensive gender analysis and risk assessment of LSFF interventions with stakeholders including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, MicroSave Consulting, Nutrition International, PATH, and the World…

MOMENTUM Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics

The Lancet found that 4.8 billion people across the globe do not have access to surgery. Pregnant people who experience prolonged or obstructed labor and do not have access to surgical care are at an increased risk of obstetric fistula. This program builds upon and expands our decades-long work and leadership in identifying and addressing the causes of obstetric fistulas through our Fistula Care and Fistula Care Plus programs. The program supports the expansion of high-quality fistula care, including addressing barriers to care and treatment created by a lack of knowledge and stigma about the condition, addressing the causes of fistula, and advancing global targets to end fistula by 2030. We also support surgical services for voluntary family planning (FP),…

My Body, My Choices, My Rights

In Burkina Faso, abortion is only permitted under limited circumstances including to protect the life and health of the pregnant person, severe fetal impairment, or in cases of rape or incest. According to Performance Monitoring for Action, in 2020 the national abortion rate was estimated at 23 pregnancy terminations for every 1,000 women, aged 15-49. Because of the legal restrictions and social stigma, unsafe abortions are common. Through the My Body, My Choices, My Rights program EngenderHealth is working in partnership with the Government of Burkina Faso, Pathfinder International, Communauté d’action pour la Promotion de la Santé Sexuelle et Reproductive au Burkina Faso (CAPSSR), and Save our Souls /Jeunesse et Défis (SOS/JD), to improve access to safe, high-quality abortion care…

Private Sector Intervention to Improve Access to Reversible Contraceptives

The Private Sector Intervention to Improve Access to Reversible Contraceptives program is a unique initiative supported by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and distinguished by its collaborative efforts and focus on training private-sector pharmacists and drug store personnel. EngenderHealth works in collaboration with a  local partner, Parivar Seva Sanstha (PSS), to make modern reversible contraceptives widely accessible to communities in project-focused geographies. The program works across multiple states in India, including Rajasthan, Haryana, and Karnataka.According to FP2030, 16.6% of currently married women and 12% of all women have an unmet need for family planning in India. In 2022, there were an estimated 8,640,000 unintended pregnancies in India. Private Sector Counts found that 9.5% of women rely on the private sector…

Provision of Life-Saving Protection and Gender-Based Violence Assistance

Through the Provision of Life-Saving Protection and Gender-Based Violence Assistance project, funded by UNICEF, EngenderHealth is addressing the emergency humanitarian needs of conflict-affected internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities in Abaala and Berhale districts of the Afar region in Ethiopia. In this program, we are strengthening our ongoing efforts to address the high levels of gender inequality, which the secondary effects of the conflict in Ethiopia have exacerbated. EngenderHealth is partnering with UNICEF, the Afar Regional Bureau of Women and Social Affairs, and the Afar Regional Health Bureau. According to the Internal Organization for Migration, 4.3 million people have been internally displaced across Ethiopia as of June 2023. Conflict is the primary cause of displacement and has displaced…

Reach, Expand, and Access Community Health (REACH)

The Reach, Expand, and Access Community Health (REACH) program in Ethiopia’s Jimma and Borena zones is a four-year initiative funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This program aims to ensure access to information and services for integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights, menstrual hygiene management, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) services for women and young people.  The REACH project is implemented by EngenderHealth along with its consortium partners: Amref Health Africa and DKT Ethiopia. The project has four objectives: Improve women’s and young people’s agency through comprehensive and inclusive life skills training and engage them in interventions that improve self-efficacy to access and utilize REACH interventions and services   Improve schools and surrounding communities’ support…

Scaling Up Family Planning (SuFP)

Tanzania’s National Road Map Strategic Plan to Accelerate Reduction of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Deaths in Tanzania (2008–2015) highlights that increasing the time between pregnancies can prevent 20% to 35% of all maternal deaths. The median age of first marriage for women in Tanzania is 19.2 years and 42% of women reported wanting to wait two years to have their next child. EngenderHealth is working with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children and the President’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government in Tanzania to strengthen the public sector delivery of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. In partnership with Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania, DKT International, and Pathfinder International the program is focusing on…

Strengthening Local Youth- and Women-Led Organizations to Become Key Actors in Promoting SRHR and Improving the Management and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence in West Africa

The Strengthening Local Youth- and Women-Led Organizations (YWLOs) to Become Key Actors in Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Improving the Management and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in West Africa program is a unique collaborative initiative generously funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. EngenderHealth is supporting an established network of youth- and women- organizations across multiple countries in West Africa, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Burkina Faso, to advocate for expanded access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and addressing the root causes of GBV. The program aims to ensure that women, girls, and young people in West Africa can exercise their SRHR and create a world where…

Strengthening Service Delivery in Ethiopia

The SSD project’s goal is to reduce maternal, youth, and child/newborn death through improved uptake of FP-MNCH-N at the point of service delivery through healthcare workers’ competency development, last mile supply delivery, and implementation of integrated service delivery of selected high-impact proven interventions.   This project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and operates at the health facility level in eight regions of Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, Sidama, Central Ethiopia, South Ethiopia and Southwest Ethiopia, Afar, and Somali), in close collaboration with John Snow, Inc. (Prime), Ethiopian Midwives Association, Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia, inSupply Health, ThinkPlace, and additional local partners including universities and development associations.  Over the past two decades, Ethiopia has achieved tremendous advances in making high-quality…

Support to GBV and Gender Equality Initiatives in Benin 

Through the Support to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Gender Equality Initiatives in Benin program, EngenderHealth is supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance in the fight against GBV and to promote gender equality in Benin. Our work focuses on national-level strategies to prevent GBV. We are partnering with organizations in Benin to expand and strengthen the vital work that they are already doing. According to UNFPA data in 2018, 14.6% of ever-partnered women aged 15–49 in Benin experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence in the preceding 12 months. GBV profoundly damages individual lives, societies, and economies. Addressing and preventing GBV is critical to transforming gender norms and advancing gender-equitable communities.

TARUNYA—Adolescent Health and Development

Guttmacher Institute estimates that 2 million adolescent women across India have an unmet need for modern contraception. India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s adolescent health program called Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK), targets adolescents aged 10 to 19. The RKSK program represents a shift from facility-based, curative clinical service delivery to a more holistic approach that emphasizes community-based health promotion and preventive care. The community outreach program includes several components, including peer education, adolescent health days, adolescent-friendly health clinics, and adolescent-friendly clubs.

Technical Assistance—School Health and Wellness Program

With funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), EngenderHealth supports the expansion of the Government of India’s flagship adolescent health programs by providing technical assistance, developing and implementing innovative strategies, and evidence gathering. The Technical Assistance—School Health and Wellness Program operates across six states in India (Bihar, Delhi, Odisha, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh). The program’s overarching goal is to enhance the responsiveness and effectiveness of existing national adolescent health programs, promote the holistic development of adolescents, and address challenges in adolescent health and well-being. India has the largest adolescent (age 10-19) population in the world, estimated at 253 million, over 20% of the total population, according to the International Center for Research on Women. The Guttmacher Institute estimates…

Past Programs

To see the impact of our programs, visit our past program pages: