The topics of sexuality and reproductive health have long been considered controversial, sensitive, and sometimes even taboo. As a result, healthy human development and the exercise of personal decision-making in these areas have often been compromised. Few donors focus on sexuality as a fundamental element of human experience.
We believe that a deeper understanding of human sexuality is essential to culture, human rights, and social relationships, and that reproductive health is a cornerstone of health in the family and the community.
We believe that a deeper understanding of human sexuality is essential to healthy societies, culture, human rights, and social relationships.
Key strategies and priorities include:
- Identifying Models. We focus on identifying, documenting and disseminating models of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and education programs that meet the needs of women, men and youth in vulnerable communities. These programs address HIV/AIDS and other diseases; access to family planning; sexual and gender diversity; gender-based violence; maternal health; traditional practices that affect sexual and reproductive health; sexuality and aging; and quality of services.
- Promoting Understanding. We fund research on social and cultural influences on sexuality and reproductive health to inform public policy and promote widespread public understanding. This work is supported by a group of regional sexuality resource centers that constitute The Global Dialogues On Sexual Health and Wellbeing initiative. We also support efforts to build research and training capacity in the social sciences and related disciplines to develop the next generation of scholars and policy makers.
- Enforcing Sexual and Reproductive Rights.We work to secure recognition and enforcement of sexual and reproductive rights as embodied in the agreements that emerged from the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.
Our grant making strategies in the fields of Sexuality and Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS are deeply interrelated. Please review our work in this field to learn how our initiatives in these areas are linked.
Information for grant seekers working in this field »