Celebrating 30 Years of Commitment to Advancing Reproductive Health

Read our reflection on 30 Years of Commitment to Advancing Reproductive Health on ISSUU, or download a PDF here.

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This month, we turn 30—there is so much to celebrate, and even more to look forward to.

The Institute’s work has always centered on informed choice and ensuring that a wide range of methods are available to meet the family planning needs of women and couples worldwide. Our role as a family planning innovator has powered our growth and evolution into a research institute that creates scalable interventions in sexual and reproductive health, addressing issues that are critical gaps in existing programs.

Recently, we have had the opportunity to further develop some of the most exciting interventions and concepts in our field—from empowering very young adolescents to take charge of their reproductive health, to mobilizing technology by bringing family planning directly to women via mobile phones, and working within communities to propel positive social norm change around such complex topics as gender inequality, stigma, and domestic violence.

What drives us is a commitment to empower communities with the tools and knowledge they need to live healthy lives. We want to see communities worldwide thrive because men, women, and youth are equipped with accurate—and actionable—reproductive health knowledge and embrace gender-equitable norms that lead to transformative and sustainable social change. We are so honored to be afforded the opportunity to work on issues that enrich and empower lives within so many communities, across so many countries, and alongside so many partners and supporters.

To our hundreds of partners around the world, we extend a warm thank you! And while together we have expanded family planning choice, contributed a substantial body of research to scaling up reproductive health innovations, and tested new paradigms for social norm change, we are just at the beginning of our impact journey. As we look ahead, we are motivated by what implementation science and technology can bring to the field of sexual and reproductive health, and how we are part of advancing that story.

Thank you for your partnership and support!

Victoria H. Jennings, PhD
Director, IRH