Faith-Based Advocacy for Family Planning Works: Evidence From Kenya and Zambia

• Published in: Global health science and practice Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 254 - 263
• Main Authors: Bormet, Mona, Kishoyian, Jane, Siame, Yoram, Ngalande, Ngalande, Erb, Kathy, Parker, Kathryn, Huber, Douglas, Hardee, Karen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Global Health: Science and Practice 30.06.2021
• Subjects: Commentaries
• ISSN: 2169-575X; 2169-575X
• DOI: 10.9745/GHSP-D-20-00641

Faith-based organizations and religious leaders can be effective family planning advocates for policy change, funding, and services. To do so, they need evidence-based knowledge, training, support within their faith communities, as well as respect for their beliefs and values. Although it is often assumed that religion has a negative influence on family planning (FP), virtually all faith traditions support the concept of healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy. Given the growing evidence of the importance of religious leaders and faith-based organizations (FBOs) in shaping policy and reaching communities in support of FP, faith leaders play an important role in advocating for FP and increasing its uptake. FBOs are interested in expanding access to FP and increasing service delivery, yet governments, donors, and nongovernmental organizations give low priority to FBOs for financial, training, and commodity support of FP, resulting in a lack of services for underserved populations. Faith leaders become effective FP advocates with governments and donors through advocacy training, internal discussions to develop church positions on FP, technical information on FP, and evidence-based rationales for FP.