EngenderHealth
Traci L. Baird, President and Chief Executive Officer
Being a SheDecides Champion means working together to ensure that everyone has the ability to control their own body and fertility, and therefore be able to determine the direction of their life. Until everyone has access to contraception and safe abortion, we will not have gender equality and we will not achieve full human rights. I’m honoured to be a SheDecides Champion and am eager to bring my personal commitment and advocacy and the skills and strengths of EngenderHealth to this community. We must work together to create a future where SheDecides.
Partnering to Advance Comprehensive Abortion Care and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence in West and Central Africa // Raising Girls’ and Women’s Voices for Comprehensive Abortion Care
EngenderHealth supports an established network of young feminist activists and organisations to advocate for expanded access to a full range of SRHR services including comprehensive abortion care in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire. We strengthen collaboration between activists and enhance advocacy efforts to improve laws, guidelines, and procedures for comprehensive abortion care and gender-based violence in alignment with commitments made by the respective governments.
In Côte d’Ivoire, EngenderHealth supported young activists and bloggers to communicate with their audiences about safe abortion and contraception through their media channels, both to educate their communities and to counter misinformation from anti-choice organisations.
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Mon Corps, Mon Choix, Mes Droits (My Body, My Choice, My Rights)
EngenderHealth is working in partnership with the Government of Burkina Faso, local movements (Community of Action for Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health; SOS Jeunesse et Defis) and Pathfinder International on a gender-transformative project designed to reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortion and increase the ability of women and adolescent girls to realise their bodily autonomy. The project:
- Supports creation of a sustainable advocacy environment and a strong movement for safe abortion and SRHR
- Improves the policy and legal environment to advance quality abortion care
- Improves the availability of SRHR and gender-based violence services for underserved and displaced populations
Expand Access to Postabortion Care // Scaling-up Family Planning
EngenderHealth works with the Governments of Tanzania and Zanzibar to expand access to postabortion care (PAC), across multiple donor-supported projects. This work is a continuation of long-time partnerships with both governments and local and international partners. Together we have expanded the number of community-level facilities providing PAC services, ensured providers understand PAC policies, and trained health workers to reduce barriers to PAC and contraceptive services, especially for young people and people with disabilities. Clients are also linked to additional care for GBV, cervical cancer, and HIV. Additionally, we train and support champions, local leaders, and other community members to disseminate messages to communities to increase social acceptance of PAC and other SRHR services.
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Advancing comprehensive abortion care and comprehensive contraceptive care in Ethiopia
For many years EngenderHealth has supported the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia and other Ethiopian partners in expanding access to comprehensive abortion care. EngenderHealth supports the development of standards and guidelines; training models, including the development of Centres of Excellence; provider coaching and support; and research. Our current programme in Ethiopia includes a rights-based approach to provide education and access to SRHR services for young people in Ethiopia.
Read MoreAbout EngenderHealth
EngenderHealth is a global organisation committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender equality. In addition to our work on safe abortion and contraception, we also improve maternal and obstetric care and address gender-based violence. These issues are connected at the level of individuals, through communities, at institutions, and at the policy level. We must promote choice and access across all the health and social service areas to ensure full rights, improved well-being, and equality.
EngenderHealth envisions a gender-equal world where all people achieve their SRHR. Our global staff and teams live our values of reflection, inclusion, integrity, respect, and transformation. These values guide our programmatic and policy work, as well as how we engage with partners and support local leadership.
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