News

Katy Sorenson reflects on her visit to family planning projects in Peru with Pathfinder International and Population Action International, emphasizing the importance of sexual and reproductive health around the world.

Investments in family planning—whether at home or abroad—just make sense. Women who have access to a full range of effective contraceptive methods and reproductive health services are better able to protect themselves against HIV, more likely to get further education, and better able to earn a good living to support themselves and their families.

At Women Deliver 2013, conference attendees discuss the idea that maternal health and other gender-related issues don't only affect the lives of women, girls, and children, but also help shape the economies and societies that they live in.

Pathfinder's President Purnima Mane said while better maternal health is a moral and ethical goal in its own right, a stronger economic argument will perhaps bring more pressure to bear on governments, donors, and the private sector to follow through on their commitments. She cited Pathfinder’s SCIP project in Mozambique as an example of a cross-sectoral intervention that combines health, environment, and economic development efforts and improves accountability through close interaction with community and government leadership.

At Pathfinder International, data is a critical component of our work. Throughout the year, our team tracks the progress of our programs using a set of global indicators. We're pleased to share some of the highlights of the report below.

Purnima Mane advocates for increased family planning funding and identifies political will and a focus on community-based work as two of the most important factors in our efforts to advance the status of women and girls around the world.

Asked how best the contraceptive needs could be met, Dr. Purnima Mane, president and chief executive officer of Pathfinder International, told IPS the United Nations and the international community need to continue advocating for increased funding – domestic and international – for access to contraception and for the integration of family planning into universal health coverage in all possible forums and through broader partnerships across sectors.

This Q&A with Pathfinder's Strengthening Communities Through Integrated Programming (SCIP) discusses our unique approach to providing reproductive health care in Mozambique's Nampula Province as well as successes and challenges associated with the project.

The Governor of Nampula province has welcomed the SCIP team with enthusiasm, highlighting the tremendous potential of the project to improve health conditions in communities across the 14 focus districts. He committed to “opening the doors” with key administrators and directed SCIP to work with the Unit of Coordination for Nampula Development, which coordinates between civil society partners in the province.

Pathfinder is honored to be chosen as one of the organizations in the Raise for Women Challenge. This is a unique challenge that will help raise critical funds for Pathfinder programs as well as increase visibility for Pathfinder’s work.

Pathfinder's "No Joke. Choice Matters." was chosen as this year's DoGooder Funny for Good video winner. Watch Pathfinder's video and learn more about winners in the other categories.

While at the Nonprofit Technology Conference last week in Minneapolis, we were on hand to see the winners of the 2013 DoGooder Video Awards announced. Four finalists were chosen for each category and then the winners were selected by the public.

Recognizing the best in video for social good, YouTube announced the four winners of its DoGooder Video Awards Friday. The categories celebrate videos that tap into the power of the social web to garner support for good causes.

What Mason found most remarkable about this year's winners is how well they all understand YouTube as a social platform.

"The videos are social, shareable, informative, entertaining and surprising. Multiple finalists collaborated with YouTube channels and creators to reach an even wider audience. Finally, the winners had a clear call to action outlining how to make a difference," she said.

Pathfinder International expresses our condolences to the staff, Board members, and supporters of the Guttmacher Institute for the devastating loss of Cory L. Richards to pancreatic cancer on April 4th.

A collaboration made up of the Nature Conservancy, Pathfinder International, the Jane Goodall Institute, and other organizations is empowering communities through health and environment.

The Tuungane project is a comprehensive, collaborative project with partner organizations like the Jane Goodall Institute, Pathfinder International, Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Tanzanian government that is aimed at empowering communities on a number of fronts at the same time.

Pathfinder International is thrilled to be selected as one of 40 nonprofit organizations that will receive donations from the millions of dollars generated by CREDO mobile, long distance, and credit card customers in 2013.

Pathfinder established the first integrated center in Mozambique that cares and assists survivors of gender-based violence. The center brings together resources and officials from necessary sectors to facilitate a survivor’s ability to pursue a case.

The UN Trust Fund is supporting Pathfinder International establish the first integrated centre to care and assist survivors in the country. The one-stop centre brings together health, psychosocial, law enforcement, paralegal In many communities, services for survivors of gender-based violence are often located in different physical locations, inhibiting a timely and efficient response to their needs following an attack.

As Uganda's population booms, the country's natural resources suffer the negative consequences, but some initiatives like the HOPE LVB Project aim to improve public health and reduce population pressures while slowing the rate of environmental degradation.

The HOPE LVB Project (Health of People and the Environment in the Lake Victoria Basin)  is now replicating the same model in the fresh water ecosystem around the Lake Victoria Basin to improve public health and reduce unsustainable population growth and its attendant environmental degradation, deforestation, and overfishing. The project is being implemented in Wakiso and Mayuge Districts through a partnership between Pathfinder International, Ecological Christian Organization, CTPH, and OSIENALA (Friends of Lake Victoria) in neighboring Kenya.

On Monday, the Philippines passed a significant bill that will give millions of women the right to access contraception. The new measure will make contraceptives accessible through government health centers, including those in remote areas.

Pathfinder International President Purnima Mane discusses the progress made toward guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health rights in honor of International Human Rights day.

Establishing reproductive rights as human rights for all should be a given in the 21^st century. There should be no controversy. And thankfully, because of some amazing advocates, it’s within reach.

As we celebrate International Human Rights Day, a look at strides the global health community has made fighting for reproductive rights and the challenges ahead.

As we celebrate International Human Rights Day, there are still those around the world who think that reproductive rights are not human rights. For me, it is a simple concept: every person should be able to make decisions about her or his body. I see that in the young women and men Pathfinder International works with every day.

An Indian federation of community-based organizations supported by Pathfinder International holds its first statewide convention focused on the rights of social inclusion and protection for vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Pathfinder’s work in the state for past nine years has resulted in significant reduction of new HIV infections, said T K Jayarajan. This convention is the first-of-its-kind where specific issues of marginalised communities in accessing their rights for social inclusion and protection is being discussed.

Pathfinder congratulates President Obama on his re-election. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Obama Administration to improve the sexual and reproductive health of women, men, and young people in developing countries.

Next week, Pathfinder International will join gynecologists, obstetricians, and reproductive health experts from around the world at the XX World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in Rome.

This Ganesh festival, commercial sex workers at Budhwar Peth can heave a sigh of relief as the demand for vargani (monetary contribution) has gone down considerably. Sex workers have stood up for their rights and protested against forcible collections.

 “Ever since the CLC was set up as part of a project by Pathfinder International’s programme — Mukta — women have found a platform from where they can discuss their concerns and interests,” says T K Jayarajan, deputy director (documentation), Pathfinder International.