PRB

Overview

EngenderHealth’s Protecting SRHR in the Context of Fertility Decline pilot project is funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and implemented in partnership with PRB. Through this project, we are exploring how concerns about declining fertility at national and sub-national levels influence support for investments in contraception and other reproductive health services.

This exploratory effort will gather insights from representatives from global and national spheres to identify and understand fertility anxiety, develop contextualized messages that champion sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) amid shifting fertility trends, and support a range of actors including journalists in communicating about the topic.

The Challenge

Fertility trends are reshaping national and global SRHR priorities. Concerns about declining fertility rates and push-back about external pressures to reduce childbearing are prompting some decision-makers to deprioritize reproductive health services, including contraceptive access.

Without proactive engagement and clear, evidence-based communication, there is a real risk that reproductive health programs, and contraceptive access in particular, will lose support, leaving the needs of women and girls unmet.

The Impact

This initiative addresses these challenges by: 

• Reframing the conversation around fertility decline to reflect a rights-based lens.
• Developing data-driven messaging to counter opposition to contraceptive access.
• Strengthening advocacy efforts locally and globally to protect sexual and reproductive rights.

Key Project Activities

Listening to Communities and Leaders

• Interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders in four countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, including with government leaders, community groups, journalists, researchers, and health experts.
• Group consultations with regional and global networks of stakeholders, including representatives of national population councils, civil society, and healthcare professionals.
• These conversations will gather perspectives on fertility decline and family planning to address real concerns and priorities.

Developing and Testing Messages

• Clear, evidence-based messages developed to explain the nuanced relationship between fertility trends, SRHR, and broader development effects.
• Messages and messaging resources tested with different audiences to ensure they resonate and effectively counter misinformation about family planning.

Supporting Journalists and Media

• Training and small grants provided to journalists to support accurate and sensitive reporting on sexual and reproductive health in the context of fertility decline.
• Promotion of greater public awareness and informed discussions on SRHR issues.

Building Connections and Sharing Knowledge

• Virtual meetings to share findings, gather feedback, and build networks among stakeholders.
• Exploration of a community of practice to connect organizations and advocates working on fertility decline and SRHR, fostering resource and idea sharing across regions.

Expected Outcomes

This pilot will complete interviews across four countries and a series of global consultations, the results of which will be distilled into a synthesis brief that guides future action. At least 10 journalists will be supported to share accurate, impactful stories, promoting informed conversations about fertility decline and reproductive rights.

Together, these efforts will build a stronger, more informed movement to safeguard reproductive rights and contraceptive access in a world experiencing rapid fertility shifts.