UNFPA Africa Regional Framework on Partnering with Faith-Based Organizations for the Promotion of Gender Equality and Maternal Health 2010-2013

The purpose for developing this framework, is to make available a tool that will guide UNFPA’s technical and program support to countries and partners on partnering with faith based organizations (FBOs) for the promotion of gender equality and maternal health in Africa. The framework addresses the African contextual gender disparity and maternal health related issues; builds on experiences, best practices and lessons learned from past programs that focused on partnering with FBOs to address these issues; is anchored on UNFPA corporate frameworks and is focused on harmonizing approaches used by UNFPA and partners in these programming areas.

Furthermore, it identifies priority areas in which UNFPA Africa region should strategically direct its support to FBOs’ programming efforts towards addressing the identified priority issues that are anchored on UNFPA’s comparative advantages and experiences. The strategy could be also used as a tool to mobilize resources, advocate for increased allocation of funds to faith-based programs, and also as basis for scaling up successful faith-based interventions that UNFPA has supported in the region.