Population Council

The Population Council kicked off our #CSW69 #BeijingPlus30 events yesterday by bringing together researchers, practitioners and young activists. Council President Dr Rana Hajjeh and Senior Advisor Judith Bruce opened our first event focused on what really is at stake when there is governmental influence on childbearing. We heard about the impact of these policies in diverse settings, including in China, in rural America, in Eastern Europe and in Indigenous communities. Thank you to Yiping Cai of UC Irvine, Joan Kaufman of Schwarzman Scholars, Shelley Clark of McGill University, Kelly K. Hallman of Imagen, and Vladmira Kantorova of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) for their thought-provoking insights. We were also proud to host Guttmacher Institute, and IYAFP for a powerful event on the need for intergenerational partnerships as a key condition to advance sexual and reproductive, health, rights and justice. Evalin Karijo of the Council’s #GIRLCenter joined the discussion as a panelist.

I'm pleased to share this new paper about the success of the ICA Foundation, which donates the LNG intrauterine system to programs in low and middle income countries. Through this unique partnership between Population Council and Bayer, over 250,000 LNG IUS have been donated to programs in over 40 countries. Much appreciation to our current and former board members, advisors, and officers: Roy Jacobstein John Townsend David Smith Steven Sinding Vanessa Cullins Saumya Ramarao, Ph.D. Megan McIllwain Elliott Sarah Thurston Ashley Jackson caroline crosbie Mina BarlingMichael Holscher Luis Bahamondes Annette Gabriel Kaitlin Ofman Nahla Abdel Tawab Lorna Begg Frank Strelow Kai Risse Juhani Syrjala Robert Zinser Tracey Brett Jeff Spieler Johanna Kouru Heather Chadwick Meghan O'Keefe, MS Dr. María M Vivas carolyn westhoff Marcel van Valen Anne Pfitzer

Join us on the sidelines of the Commission on the Status of Women! We’ll be hosting a variety of events this week, including a reception to celebrate 30 years of the Council’s research, impact, and commitment to adolescent girls. Learn more about our events for #CSW69: https://bit.ly/3F98xxS

This #InternationalWomensDay, Council researchers from India, Guatemala, Kenya and Senegal share what actions are needed to unlock equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal power. #IWD2025 #ForAllWomenAndGirls Dr. Deepshikha Sharma, Elizabeth Vasquez, Evalin Karijo, Fatou Bintou Mbow Watch ??

This #InternationalWomensDay, we’re celebrating a future where everyone has equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal power. Population Council President Dr Rana Hajjeh kicks off our #IWD2025 celebrations and shares the Council's commitment to increase women's and girls' access to health services, advance their economic and social empowerment, and realize their fundamental rights. Watch and follow along this week as we share perspectives across the Council on research and solutions to improve the lives of women and girls. #ForAllWomenAndGirls

The Pathways to Prosperity Report, produced by the Council's GIRL Center in collaboration with The World Bank, and Center for Global Development, draws on rigorous analysis and review of existing evidence. It outlines approaches to support adolescent girls, their households, & broader environments, enabling girls to achieve their fullest potential. ?? Vulnerable girls need our attention and support. It's crucial to tailor interventions to meet their specific needs, ensuring no one gets left behind. ?? In Kenya, 87.4% of girls ages 15-19 are unmarried without children, significantly higher than the Africa average of 73.4%. ?? 25.5% of adolescent girls (ages 15-19) have used the internet compared to 39.1% of adolescent boys (ages 15-19). ?? Girls are less likely to combine school and working (7.8%) compared to boys (28.1%) but are more likely to be out of school and not working (10.9%) compared to boys (3.9%). Read the report: https://bit.ly/40Xoxfp The Global Financing Facility (GFF)

Population Council President Dr Rana Hajjeh wrapped up her visit to Egypt this week to convene with Council partners and stakeholders and discuss our ongoing work in the region, including pathways to promote #SRHR, youth empowerment, and gender equality and equity. Dr Rana Hajjeh and Egypt Country Director Nahla Abdel Tawab had great discussions with Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr. Regine Qualmann, Country Director GIZ Egypt, Othman Belbeisi, Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa at IOM - UN Migration, Laila Baker, Regional Director for Arab States in United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry of Health & Population - Egypt, and other key partners. We’re excited to explore more opportunities to support research and evidence-based solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in Egypt.

What works? What doesn’t? Today, I represented the Population Council-led FGM_Data_Hub at a 'National Proof of Concept Workshop' in Dakar, Senegal. This event brought together key stakeholders, including partners from The Girl Generation: Support to the Africa Led Movement to End FGM (TGG-ALM) Programme, government officials, border police, Imams, journalists, and human rights organizations and FCDO representatives. During the workshop, we evaluated the evidence and insights that assess the feasibility and effectiveness of various strategies aimed at #endingFGM. This gathering marks not just a meeting of minds, but a movement in motion - one that is committed to transforming vision into reality and making #endingFGM an achievable goal for future generations.

Want to know what our Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center achieved in 2024? Explore the 2024 Impact Report to learn more about how the team: ?? Generated evidence addressing challenges facing adolescent girls ?? Convened with industry experts at global events throughout 2024 ?? Expanded our team and nurtured talented researchers Dive into insights: https://bit.ly/4gPvKlO #GirlCenter

To date, the Population Council has received termination notices for four USAID awards. Read to learn more about the impact on our work and the populations we serve.