2
presents highlights, results, lessons learned about women’s NGOs and their use of communications, key findings
from an external evaluation, and recommendations for future efforts to support women’s NGOs.
3
This case study also addresses three other important issues: the empowerment impact on women of women’s
organizations; how northern organizations can best work with southern (developing country) NGOs; and where
women’s health fits among priorities of women’s NGOs.
THE BIRTH OF THE IDEA
Woman Connect! was born of four distinct developments: health communication work, the 1994 International
Conference on Population and Development, the information technology boom, and the growing needs of grassroots
women’s organizations to use media more appropriately.
Health Communication: Training and Programs with Governments
Since the 1970s, international donor agencies have invested heavily in health communication efforts implemented
through ministries of health in developing countries. Millions of dollars have been dedicated to promoting family
planning, nutrition and child survival and much has been learned about how to communicate effectively with
specific target audiences. Thousands of hours of training has been conducted to help personnel in ministries of
health worldwide develop research, implementation and evaluation skills in designing large-scale campaigns that
use mass media, traditional media (such as posters, brochures, and folk drama) and person-to-person
communication.
4
Evaluations have shown the positive results in changing attitudes and behavior, lowering birth
rates, and saving lives.
5
An authoritative meta-analysis survey of 48 health campaigns synthesizes existing research
with the significant finding that “7 to 10 percent more people in campaign communities changed their behavior than
did in control communities.”
6
However, during the decades when this work took place, very little was shared with
non-governmental organizations.
The ICPD: Women's Empowerment to Improve Women’s Reproductive Health
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo reached unprecedented
conclusions concerning the status of women and NGOs. Government delegates from around the world agreed that
women’s empowerment is important in itself – and also essential for sustainable development. The ICPD formally
identified NGOs, especially women’s NGOs, as playing key roles in the development and implementation of
population and family planning policies and programs. ICPD recognized that reproductive and sexual health
challenges, such as HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancy, and gender-based violence, require the involvement of
women’s NGOs and other civil society organizations with strong community ties.
7
Demand for Information Technology in Developing Countries
These developments coincided with the rapid advances during the 1990s in information technology (IT), also
referred to as information communication technology (ICT). In the international donor community there was great
debate about the appropriateness of introducing these new technologies in poorer countries. Many argued that it was
3
Primary funding was provided by the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern
California and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Additional funding was provided by the Wallace Global
Fund, with institutional support from and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
4
Academy for Educational Development (AED) and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communications
Programs (JHU/CCP) were among the leaders in this work.
5
Piotrow et al., Health Communication: Lessons from Family Planning and Reproductive Health. Westport, Conn.:
Praeger, 1997, p.11; and Backer et al., Designing Health Communication Campaigns: What Works? Newbury
Park, Calif: Sage Publications, 1992.
6
Snyder, Leslie B. “How Effective Are Mediated Health Campaigns?” In Public Communication Campaigns,
Ronald E. Rice and Charles K. Atkin, eds. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1989, p.182.
7
United Nations. Report of the International Conference on Population and Development. Cairo, 5-13 September
1994. New York, A/CONF.171/13/Rev.1, pp. 22, 32.
Convention