Promoting Gender Equity

One in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetimes. Almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday. Yet we also know that women who earn an education are better equipped to take care of their family’s health and finances – and to ensure they have opportunities their mothers never had.

Gender dynamics shape how people think and behave. At CCP, our goal is to give women and girls – and men and boys – the tools they need to make decisions around their health and wellbeing. Our social and behavior change tools and approaches create opportunities for communities to reflect on how gender and power impact their health and prosperity.

By designing programs with gender equity, diversity and inclusion at the center – programs that engage women and men, girls and boys, and people of other genders – we ensure that individuals, families and communities thrive, in a more equitable and just society.

Challenge

CCP research found that gender imbalances often keep women out of family decision making in Ethiopia, making it difficult to impossible for them to seek family planning, provide nutritious food to children and more. With men in control, women have little ability to take the small but important actions that would improve the health in the households.

In addition to integrating gender equity into all program activities in Ethiopia, CCP created stand-alone radio campaigns based on both fictional and real life stories of independent and strong women. At the same time, CCP held male discussion groups at community health bazaars to emphasize how better communication within couples and more male engagement in household chores can lead to better health for everyone. Since the campaigns began, CCP found measurable increases in family planning, child nutrition and more.