UNFPA focus is in the four programme states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. The first year of the CP10 brought new direction, impetus and approach to UNFPA’s initiatives through innovative partnerships with the Government and the private sector, technology-led programming, policy communication, large scale social media advocacy, flagship publications and engagement with youth.

PROGRESS IN 2023

Powered by a rights-based approach and supported by data and evidence, UNFPA’s initiatives are systematically and surely translating to choices for all across the four thematic areas mentioned below. From midwives–‘women in pink’ ensuring safe delivery, to women having more control over their health, young and adolescent people having safe and reliable health information at their fingertips, empowering young girls and women with digital and financial literacy and skills, and encouraging men and young boys to be allies towards a gender equal world.

In 2023, UNFPA supported initiatives to enhance the reach of SRH services, expand the choice of contraceptives, capacitate national midwifery technical institutions and meet the unmet need for family planning in select states.

During the year, UNFPA supported the introduction of two new contraceptives—a subdermal implant and a subcutaneous injection—in the country with technical assistance (TA) to deliver services in two states, Odisha and Rajasthan. This was aimed to offer greater agency to women, especially younger women who can now choose reversible contraception according to their circumstances and preference. Furthermore, in the spirit of the South-South Triangular Cooperation, UNFPA facilitated inter-country visits to Indonesia and Kenya for officials from the MoHFW and four state health departments to understand the nuances of programme management and service delivery of these contraceptives.

To achieve long-term goals for reproductive health, UNFPA supported Odisha and Rajasthan in preparing their Family Planning 2030 roadmaps and facilitated the planning, implementation and review of family planning programmes in all four focus states.

Competent midwives specialising in evidence-based recommended practices can play a significant role in accelerating India’s progress towards the 2030 goal of zero preventable maternal deaths. A well-trained midwife can assist the mother efficiently and respectfully through the birthing process and alleviate the burden on doctors- allowing them to dedicate their expertise to high-risk cases. The two National Midwifery Training Institutes (NMTIs) supported by UNFPA, have developed 23 midwifery trainers ready to operationalise the State Training Institutes. Reliable and accessible SRH services are a core need for the communities and people left behind, especially in the focus states. In these states, UNFPA has, in partnership with respective health departments and donors, undertaken initiatives to transform existing facilities.

Securing gender and human rights are a priority for UNFPA. The agency works with lawmakers to end harmful practices against girls and women in India and to ensure there are strong legal and remedial responses. Building capacity for gender-sensitive media reporting to create a committed cohort of media allies, and creating ‘Girl-Friendly Gram Panchayats’ to localise SDG-5 (Gender Equality) at the village level are multi-approaches towards gender equality.

UNFPA’s advocacy and capacity building efforts in Rajasthan have prioritized the strengthening of the health sector response to GBV and harmful practices. UNFPA’s efforts elicited a policy commitment from the Government of Rajasthan, which specifically allocated funds (USD 500,000) to improve GBV response. The gender cell established at the Rajasthan Police Academy with UNFPA’s support not only sensitised personnel but also led to better coordination with the Department of Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj Department and other allied departments.

Even more difficult to track than GBV can be gender-biased sex selection at birth, since the practice takes place in the shadows, often bypassing procedures laid down by law. Over 100 participants from all 33 States and Union Territories were trained on the effective implementation of the Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 or the PCPNDT Act in a national capacity building workshop in partnership with the MoHFW.

UNFPA’s advocacy in this area has received an encouraging response from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) as well. As a positive outcome at the sub-district and village level, ‘costed response to GBV and harmful practices’ has been included as a parameter to assess the performance of Panchayats’ across the country.

Engaging with the PRIs to create Girl-Friendly Gram Panchayats’ is a scalable intervention that piloted in 2023. The success of this initiative led to its replication across all districts of Rajasthan, which will further expand to Madhya Pradesh in 2024.

Youth and adolescents are India’s strength; but, to fully realise this advantage, accessible and quality health and information, education and life skills is necessary.

UNFPA underscores its support for national flagship programmes such as the School Health & Wellness Programme and National Adolescent Health Programme, which are dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of young people. UNFPA plays a crucial role in designing and testing innovative models for Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS), specifically tailored to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of vulnerable groups. Additionally, UNFPA is committed to developing curricula and training modules aimed at building the capacity of young people and key stakeholders. Through evidence-based advocacy and strategic partnerships, UNFPA advocates for increased investment in youth health, recognizing its fundamental significance for sustainable development.

UNFPA research on population dynamics in India helps in identifying emerging areas of concern for the Government to plan ahead. Apart from supporting several research assignments in population dynamics, UNFPA also directly analysed the data from the National Family Health Survey Round 5 (NFHS-5) 2019–20212 and prepared a series of analytical papers on relevant topics. UNFPA advocated and added to the questionnaire for the ongoing field study for NFHS-6.

The evaluation of the 9th country programme (CP9), 2018-2022, proposed establishing a clearer path from research to policy in the medium run. As a response, the concept of Research for Impact (R4I) Review was recommended in the 10th Country Programme 2023-27. The R4I Review Meetings are designed to help UNFPA engage with eminent scholars, academicians, and researchers from multidisciplinary fields to gain a comprehensive understanding of political and policy processes in India. The review meetings are organized bi-annually and seek advice from experts on various research work in its planning stage as well as share findings in the subsequent meetings.

Innovation is essential for UNFPA to deliver at the scale and pace needed to realize the ICPD Programme of Action and achieve the Three Transformative Results by 2030. To enable UNFPA to be fit-for-challenge to achieve the outputs in complex development contexts, UNFPA harnesses innovation to meet the demands of tomorrow and boost its impact, especially for those furthest behind, and leverage opportunities, social capital, funding and technology.

UNFPA prioritizes a rights-based, gender-equitable, and inclusive approach in innovation, engaging the furthest left behind populations and ensuring new solutions address the deepest inequalities and inequities across all contexts. The innovation to address challenges go beyond technology, focusing also on social norms, behavior change, and systems-level innovation for lasting social impact. The developmental issues that UNFPA deals with are often complex and deep rooted in nature. In this context, conventional means of outreach can fall short while fusion of behavior change strategies coupled with digital technologies do better at overcoming hurdles and limitations.

• Bihar State Madrasa Education Board, Government of Bihar

• Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha

• Patna Municipal Corporation, Government of Bihar

• The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Bayer AG

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• World Health Organization (WHO)

In-kind support

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Laerdal Medical India

• VerSe Innovation