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Family Empowerment Media (FEM) is an evidence-driven nonprofit that enables informed contraceptive decisions through clear, engaging, and accurate communication.
Enabling couples to access modern contraceptives may be one of the most cost-effective ways to avert maternal deaths and improve lives. Numerous studies show the positive effects radio-based social and behavioural change campaigns can have on empowering women and men to realise their contraceptive intentions.
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Progress
Established in September 2020, FEM has implemented multiple campaigns across Nigeria with promising results. We have:
4000
Broadcast ads >4000 times on stations in northern Nigeria across 3 campaigns
5.6M
2650
Reached an audience base of 5.6 million listeners
Conducted extensive listener research with
> 2650 listeners
Production of a radio show in Kano State
Focus group discussion with radio listeners
Plans
Our plans for the next year are ambitious. Key highlights include:
PROOF OF
CONCEPTS
Conducting short campaigns in three promising expansion countries
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RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Conduct a Randomised Controlled Trial validating our impact further with our innovative technology​
COST-EFFECTIVE EXPANSION
By 2027, FEM aims to reach 25M listeners, saving a life for every $2,600 of funding
Model
Inputs
- Locally adapted content designed to meet the specific needs of families in the communities in which we work
- 1-2 minute information adverts on radio 10 times a day, 7 days a week
- 20-30 minute shows 6 times a week, including expert interviews, first-person narratives, Q&As
Outputs
- Families learn about the reproductive opportunities open to them
- Women who wish to take up a form of contraception know where they can find it
- Women who have previously used contraception are reminded of their options
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Outcomes
- Families who desire to take up new contraceptive methods get access to their desired form of contraceptives in local health clinics
- Families who desire to continue using the same method get access to their desired form of contraceptives in local health clinics
Impact
- Improved maternal health
- Reduction in fistulas, caesarean sections, postpartum anaemia, and postpartum depression
-Increased subjective well-being
- Increased opportunities for children to attend school
- Families realise their contraceptive goals.
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Values
We strive to achieve optimal impact with the resources available to us. We define optimal impact as helping the largest number of women to realise their reproductive goals. We aim to have the following principles guide our organisation:
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Evidence-based: Rigour and evidence have formed our organisation from its inception. We aim to continue to use evidence to guide our decisions. We will be highly critical in evaluating our impact.
Culturally sensitive: We recognize that beneficiaries in different countries and locations have different information needs. We aim to base our content creation on formative research that actively involves our beneficiaries.
Lean & experimental: We strive to remain a lean organisation with a strong focus on testing and iteration as we improve and scale our model.
Humble and transparent: We aim to be humble and open-minded while learning from other actors in the space and from our beneficiaries. We also aim to reach the highest standard of transparency.
FEM’s work was awarded d-prize and Grand Challenges Canada's Stars in Global Health Award in recognition of its cost-effective, innovative, and evidence-based approach.
Evaluations
Giving What We Can: This charity, devoted to highly effective giving, recommended FEM as a top-rated charity.
Founder's Pledge: In a research report on mass media (summarised here), charity evaluator Founders Pledge estimated FEM's work in northern Nigeria as 22 times as effective as unconditional cash transfers, when considering the impact on maternal health.
Rethink Priorities: Research and implementation group Rethink Priorities recently published this research project on our work suggesting we may be as much as 60 times as cost-effective in northern Nigeria as unrestricted cash transfers.