 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Angeles Cabria, RN, MPH, Latin American Program, Pacific Institute for Women's Health, 3450 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1000, Los Angeles, CA 90010, Angela Martinez, MA, Latin America Program, Pacific Institute for Women's Health, 3450 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1000, Los Angeles, CA 90010, and Ana M. Rodriguez, MA, California Program, Pacific Institute for Women's Health, 3450 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1000, Los Angeles, CA 90010, 213.736.4810, arodriguez@piwh.org.
At the US/Mexico border, particularly in poor and rural areas, maternal mortality and morbidity remain high among women, thus pregnancy prevention can be life saving. Access to emergency contraception (EC) has potential for reducing death due to unsafe abortion, and it is a safe and effective woman-controlled method to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Despite this, many women remain unaware of EC and its benefits, and many women’s and youth serving groups lack the expertise, networks, and means to effectively inform their communities. The Pacific Institute for Women’s Health’s Action Grants program works in collaboration with women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to support and empower them in their own efforts to advance sexual and reproductive health. We awarded grants to eight groups from Baja California, Mexico to carry out pilot projects best fitting their target communities. The paper will present an overview of our Action Grants Program, the lessons learned, success and challenges from our annual assessment report.
The paper will demonstrate that providing small grants and building strategic collaborations among NGOs can contribute to the capacity building of NGO’s. Raising awareness on EC can be achieved through trainings framed on the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights. A grant program can also serve as a strategic framework to advocate for women’s rights, while also facilitating networking and collaboration among organizations. The Pacific Institute model is useful for sharing experiences with women’s organization from both sides of the US-Mexico border.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Women's Sexuality, Reproductive Health
Related Web page: www.piwh.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Pacific Institute for Women's Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment