AID cooperative agreement no. CCP-3060-A-00-3021-00 to Family Health International (FHI) for a program of research and other activities on the impact of family planning programs on women"s lives

FHI will also make recommendations regarding improving the design and implementation of FP programs from the perspective of women"s interests and needs. The project"s research program will address the complex relationship between women"s lives and FP programs; it will be implemented in-depth in a limited number of developing countries and will be based on a conceptual framework that looks at the impact of FP through two paths -- use of contraception and employment in FP programs. Research topics will include: how a woman"s use or nonuse of contraceptives affects her physical and psychological health, family relations, autonomy, etc.; what kind of programs have beneficial impacts; what are the effects of widespread contraceptive use on women"s role and status in the community; do female providers of contraception increase its acceptance; and how has employment in FP programs affected women"s lives. The research component will account for approximately 60% of project resources. FHI will provide TA and training to in-country researchers and FP staff for the analysis of women"s needs and gender issues in FP programs. They will help to identify key issues, formulate research questions, design methodologies, support local processing and analysis of data, and develop plans for dissemination. This direct collaboration with local researchers will strengthen in-country research skills and ensure that studies are implemented with maximum awareness of the local context. Other TA activities will include: assessing existing FP programs; reviewing the design of new FP programs; training program staff; and developing program guidelines that emphasize women"s interests and needs. About 20% of project effort will focus on TA. FHI will ensure that results of project activities are made available to key groups in the emphasis countries and internationally, via workshops, participation in international fora, and publications. Liaison with women"s advocacy groups will also be an important element in the project. About 10% of project resources will be dedicated to information dissemination and 10% to liaison. The project will be carried out in 7-8 countries over a 5-year period.