Population Action International

Last updated
Population Action International
Formation1957
Founders
TypeNonprofit, NGO
Focus Reproductive health and family planning
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Location
MethodResearch and advocacy
President & CEO
Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins
Website pai.org

Population Action International (PAI) is an international, civil society organization that uses research and advocacy to improve global access to family planning and reproductive health care. Its mission is to "advance universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights through advocacy, partnerships and the funding of changemakers".[ citation needed ] PAI's headquarters is in Washington, D.C.

Contents

History

Former logo Population Action International logo.svg
Former logo

Population Action International was founded in 1965 as the Population Crisis Committee by William Henry Draper Jr., Lammot du Pont Copeland and Hugh Moore. PAI's early successes include playing a role in the establishment of the Office of Population within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the establishment of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and raising funds for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). PAI participated in the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. It has participated in the UN Commission on Population and Development; in 2010, former PAI president Suzanne Ehlers was a U.S. delegate to the commission.

Profile

PAI promotes economic development, health and environmental sustainability through funding for family-planning and sexual and reproductive health services worldwide. The organization monitors the impact of U.S. policies and programs overseas, and fosters the development of United States and international policy on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Internationally, PAI provides partner organizations with financial resources and technical assistance.

PAI's research and analysis focus on key issues in reproductive-health policy: improving access to reproductive health care, funding, and mobilizing political will to support family planning. It has conducted demographic research on women's empowerment, political and economic stability and governance. PAI tracks funding for family planning and reproductive-health services in global majority countries. PAI's advocacy involves mobilizing political and financial support for family planning programs and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

In the United States, PAI works with domestic policymakers to strengthen U.S. reproductive-health policies and funding for programs.

Leadership

In 2021, Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins became President & CEO of PAI. Past presidents of PAI include Suzanne Ehlers (2010-2019), Amy Coen (1997–2010), Hugo Hoogenboom (1995–1997) and J. Joseph Speidel (1987–1995). Under Speidel, PAI nearly doubled its staff and budget, increased media exposure in the U.S. and abroad, and began to train and sustain overseas advocacy groups. He also led PAI's team during the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. During Coen's tenure, PAI worked to move U.S. policy to fortify the reproductive-health advocacy movement in other countries and the links between population and reproductive health and global issues such as climate change.

Issues and campaigns

Initiatives

Reproductive-health supplies

To meet the growing need for reproductive-health supplies, PAI joined the Interim Working Group (IWG) on Reproductive Health Commodity Security in 2001 with partners John Snow, Inc. (JSI), the Program for Appropriate Technology and Health (PATH) and the Wallace Global Fund. The coalition met in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2001 and devised a "Call to Action" plan with the goals of raising awareness, increasing support and proposing solutions to the crisis in reproductive health (RH) supplies in two phases (a supply initiative and a project Resources Mobilization Awareness:

Youth

PAI's youth initiative works to highlight the sexual and reproductive-health and -rights needs of young people in the U.S. and abroad through the youth-led Young People's Initiative (YPI). The YPI aims to reach diverse audiences to promote improved sexual reproductive health and rights outcomes for young people. Goals and activities of the young people's work group include funding to youth-led initiatives in developing countries and U.S university tours and documentary presentations.

Publications and documentaries

PAI publishes annual reports that provide an overview of the programs, research, accomplishments, finances, and future goals that the organization has undertaken the previous fiscal year. PAI also has financed and sponsored several documentaries centering on key population issues such as gender relations, HIV/AIDS, family planning and reproductive health. They are:

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Empty Handed: Responding to the Demand for Contraceptives".
  2. "The Silent Partner: HIV in Marriage".
  3. "Abstaining from Reality: U.S. Restrictions on HIV Prevention".
  4. "Finding Balance - Forests and Family Planning in Madagascar - PAI". pai.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.