75 years of
ACCESS EXCELLENCE IMPACT
MESSAGE FROM
75
Traci L. Baird, MPH President and CEO years of
This year EngenderHealth celebrates our 75th anniversary. Reflecting on that milestone, I am struck by the fact that the organization was ahead of its time in changing its name to EngenderHealth nearly two decades ago. Since then, there has been tremendous progress in the cultural discourse around gender, the movement for girls’ and women’s empowerment, and expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, including family planning. And yet, there is still much work to do. At EngenderHealth, we know that sexual and reproductive health and rights are necessary for all people to reach their full potentials. We see improved sexual and reproductive health and rights as a critical path to greater gender equity. And we envision a world where all people can exercise their rights and choices as full participants in society. With our experience and expertise, we know that we can continue to help communities and countries advance sexual rights and improve access to reproductive health information and services. We are proud to stand with you in our commitment to expanding access, delivering excellence, and creating real-world impact for gender equity.
Creating Our Future, Together Picture a future in which all people have the opportunity to live up to their full potentials, regardless of gender. What will it take to achieve that reality? Everyone will need equal access to education, information, and economic opportunities. Communities will need to proactively confront and eliminate harmful gender norms. Gender-based violence must become socially unacceptable in all communities. All people must have rights over their own bodies and sexual lives. Sexual partners will need to accept responsibility and be held accountable for their own and each other’s safety and well-being, and take appropriate actions. Reproductive health information and services will need to be readily available and affordable for all, and delivered without bias. In this future, access to high-quality sexual and reproductive health services will help empower everyone’s full participation in their societies. Community norms will support women and girls. Institutions will provide high quality, gender-equitable care. Policies, laws, regulations, and social norms will continuously help reduce inequalities. This is the vision that drives EngenderHealth. This is the future we work toward every day. Together with a wide range of partners—governments, donors, local and international nongovernmental organizations, community groups, and more—we know we can achieve this vision.
Traci L. Baird, MPH President and CEO Engender Health
ACCESS
EXCELLENCE
IMPACT
THEIR STORIES
Photo credit: Zeleman Production/EngenderHealth
Photo credit: Tanvir Murad/ EngenderHealth
Tigist Tefere lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She works at the Kofe Health Center, counseling women on family planning options, methods, and rights. Asked about her clients, Tigist said, “Every woman has a different story, yet it is also the same story. Economically, the family is poor, with six or more children, and they cannot care well for the children they have.” She continued, “When you serve this woman, you are saving her life and making both her life and the lives of her children better.”
Fatema Begum is a peer counselor in garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She commented, “Women aren’t accustomed to talking about these things openly, but they want to avoid pregnancy because having children can hamper their earnings.” She enjoys her role helping colleagues, and said: “I feel good about providing services that help the workers. I’m contributing to the betterment of the community.”
THEIR STORIES Rose Konan is a business owner and mother in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire who recently gave birth to another baby. When she brought her infant for a routine vaccination, she learned about a program provided at the clinic through EngenderHealth that provides family planning counseling and information, as well as access to contraceptives. Rose, who was pleased to be able to choose to have a contraceptive implant, said, “Family planning will enable me to work and take care of my kids.” I’m contributing to the betterment of the community.”
Photo credit: Anne Ackerman/ EngenderHealth
Winnie Namatovu is a 26-year-old nursing assistant and peer educator from Kyantale Village, Uganda. Her younger sister became a mother at age 13. Winnie knows the connections between contraception, education, and income, so it was a natural fit to learn counseling and community mobilization skills from EngenderHealth.
OUR REACH* In the last fiscal year, we worked:
In 18 countries
Because of this work: 6.2 million people
received family planning services
3.5 million
In 7,494 health facilities
unintended pregnancies were averted
50,813
child deaths were prevented
With 17,428 healthcare providers
4.1 million people
chose their preferred contraceptive method
1.35 million
unsafe abortions were averted
5,457
maternal deaths were prevented
$199,000,000
in direct health care costs were saved
* EngenderHealth trains health care providers and supports hospitals and clinics in partnership with governments and local organizations to offer high-quality reproductive health services. These data represent the reach of those services, how they reduce preventable deaths and disabilities, and resulting cost savings in FY2017-2018. Data on reduced deaths and cost savings estimated using the Marie Stopes International Impact 2 Model.
Thank you for your support! Every day we work to empower girls and women to live their lives fully by expanding rights and increasing access to sexual and reproductive health care. Our work is made possible by partners like you—individuals, organizations, institutions, and governments who are committed to creating sustainable, transformative change. For 75 years, we have delivered innovative programs around reproductive health, family planning, and maternal and child health. Working together, we know that we can continue strengthening sexual and reproductive health and rights and advancing gender equity. Thank you for standing with us in our commitment to improving gender equity through reproductive health access, excellence, and impact.
Visit www.engenderhealth.org for more information.
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