EnCompass is the gender and youth integration partner on the USAID-funded Benin Private Sector Health Partnership Activity (PSHPA). PSHPA aims to improve access to and quality of private sector health services, including for traditionally underserved and vulnerable populations. The team does this through expanding volume of high-quality, high-impact reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services delivered by private sector providers; increasing the availability of affordable and quality health products through private sector channels; strengthening public-private engagement to promote universal RMNCH outcomes; and identifying, piloting, and applying innovative, successful, private sector models.

EnCompass utilizes a collaborative and iterative process for gender and youth integration in project activities. During PSHPA’s first year, our team conducted a gender and youth assessment to identify opportunities and constraints for women, men, youth, and other vulnerable populations for the management of and access to RMNCH services provided by the private sector. Using a participatory and equity-focused designed and delivered a workshop with USAID, the Benin Ministry of Health, and private sector stakeholders to develop a project-wide gender and youth strategy based on the assessment results.

EnCompass supports the PSHPA team to implement the gender and youth:

• Identify strategies to address gender- and youth-related considerations through periodic activity design reviews and during annual work-planning workshops
• Measuring the progress of gender and youth activities and brainstorming solutions to challenges using participatory semiannual pause-and-reflect sessions
• Providing direct technical assistance including developing and facilitating training content on gender and youth for private health sector providers focusing on the Government of Benin’s package of RMNCH high-impact interventions, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, malaria, gender-based violence, male engagement, and youth friendly services

EnCompass partners with Abt Associates on this activity.

Photo by USAID Benin-ARM3 (U.S. Government work)