UNFPA Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Natalia Kanem, visited the Addis Ababa office of the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE). During her visit, Dr. Kanem was briefed on the reproductive health services provided by FGAE and the support provided through its partnership with UNFPA targeting women and young people.

UNFPA has made significant financial contributions to FGAE amounting to $4.3 million from 2020-2024 in support of family planning commodities and adolescent and youth-friendly reproductive health services.
Dr. Kanem commended FGAE for its commitment to providing quality reproductive health services to women and young people in Ethiopia. She also expressed her appreciation for the partnership between UNFPA and FGAE, which has contributed to improving reproductive health outcomes in the country.

FGAE is a non-governmental organization providing reproductive health services in Ethiopia for over 50 years. It is a leading provider of family planning services in the country and offers a wide range of other reproductive health services, including antenatal care, delivery care, postnatal care, family planning, cervical cancer, and STI/HIV testing and treatment.

Established in 1966, FGAE is a pioneer in providing family planning education and services in Ethiopia and is now operating across the country. It was indicated during the Executive Director’s visit that the partnership between UNFPA and FGAE was instrumental in averting millions of unintended pregnancies as well as preventing maternal and neonatal deaths. It was also mentioned that the youth-friendly services offered through collaboration in different contexts were pivotal in empowering adolescents and young people to make informed choices.

Dr. Kanem thanked FGAE for its dedicated services to improve the lives of women and young people for close to six decades. “Together we are supporting women and young people to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and rights,” said Dr. Kanem speaking on the occasion. She expressed UNFPA’s commitment to working with FGAE and other partners to ensure that all women and young people get access to quality sexual and reproductive health services to live healthy and productive lives.

The Executive Director visited the different facilities at the FGAE Medical Centre, including the cervical cancer screening and management unit, the maternal health service, the neonatal intensive care, and family planning units. She also met and discussed with youth leaders on leadership training provided by the FGAE.

In a press conference she gave to the media on the occasion, Dr. Kanem unveiled the latest developments on UNFPA’s ongoing advocacy efforts and programmatic priorities aimed at advancing reproductive health, maternal health, gender equality, women's empowerment, and fulfilling the potential of the youth.

Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), emphasized UNFPA's partnership with the Government of Ethiopia and the technical and financial support provided for the delayed 4th Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia. She revealed that UNFPA invested nearly $1 million over the past four years to support census preparations.  It is noted that the census is essential for evidence-based decision-making and planning. The census will provide valuable data on population size, distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics. She said that the funding provided by the UNFPA went into the following initiatives, including the Procurement of computer tablets, the Posting of a census Chief Technical Advisor, and Training technical personnel on utilizing technology for the digital undertaking of the census.

“The costs involved encompass training on new technology, such as assessing populations in hard-to-reach areas. We have implemented new technology for this purpose,” Dr. Kanem explained. “Currently, we are sending a team from the statistical office to South Sudan to learn how to estimate populations in inaccessible areas.”

During her recent mission to Ethiopia, the Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr. Natalia Kanem, participated in several high-level events and met with key stakeholders to discuss issues related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

•    37th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit: Dr. Kanem participated in the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, where she addressed the need for increased investment in young people, specifically focusing on adolescent girls and young women. She also emphasized the importance of intergenerational partnership and unity in working towards gender equality.

•    Meeting with the African Women Leaders Network Elders: Dr. Kanem met with the African Women Leaders Network Elders, a group of distinguished women leaders from across the continent. They discussed strategies for promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Africa.

•    28th Ordinary General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development: Dr. Kanem participated in the 28th Ordinary General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development. She highlighted the important role that first ladies can play in advocating for gender equality and women's empowerment in their countries.

Dr. Kanem underscored during the high-level meetings that harmful cultural and social norms that perpetuate gender-based violence must be challenged and positive masculinity should be promoted to create a more gender-equal society. She highlighted that UNFPA is committed to working with partners to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Through the various interactions she had with the officials of the African Union Commission (AUC), the Executive Director undertook advocacy to rekindle efforts at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Africa through the Campaign on the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA Plus 2021-2030).