EmpowerHer "Made Possible" Family Planning Campaign
The EmpowerHer “Made Possible” Digital Storytelling Campaign, executed by Women in Global Health (WGH) in partnership with the Population Council/FP2030, successfully achieved its objectives through a combination of community engagement, faith-based outreach, youth empowerment, and extensive digital advocacy during October 2025. The campaign focused on promoting family planning (FP) as a tool for health, empowerment, and economic stability, while actively confronting widespread myths and misinformation.
Community Convenings and Outreach
The campaign successfully executed two community convenings, strategically held in Lagos and Abuja as specified in the contract.
Faith-Based Outreach in Lagos (Adithat Muslim Society, Alimosho LGA)
This outreach was designed to integrate FP discussions within an Islamic setting. To overcome initial resistance to the FP branding, the organisers improvised by introducing complementary services, such as free health check-ups. The event successfully used faith-based approaches, with the convener affirming that child spacing aligns with Islamic teachings, citing Quranic and prophetic references. The outcome was significant, with 169 individuals adopting modern family planning methods. The successful engagement was shared online via LinkedIn as part of the digital advocacy component.
Low-Resource Convening in Abuja (Wassa IDP Camp)
The convening at the Wassa Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp adapted its strategy after discovering that the intended service point, the Wassa Primary Health Centre (PHC), was non-functional. The theme pivoted to “Family Planning is Possible Even Without Money and Clinic,” focusing exclusively on simple, no-cost, or low-cost FP methods. The event achieved high attendance with 92 participants, exceeding the monitoring target, and utilised Hausa interpretation. A key challenge was the low turnout of men, underscoring the urgent need for targeted male engagement in future programs to address spousal consent barriers. The successful convening was also documented and shared on LinkedIn as a digital story.
Targeted Advocacy and Youth Engagement
The campaign included significant advocacy and engagement efforts aimed at specific groups, aligning with the deliverables for developing fact sheets and advocacy briefs.
Youth and Teacher Learning Forum (Cross River State):
This learning forum, attended by 141 students, teachers, and health workers, focused on strengthening awareness and commitment toward Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) objectives. Speakers actively addressed common adolescent myths, such as the belief that contraceptives make people promiscuous or permanently infertile. Recommendations included establishing Reproductive Health Clubs in schools to sustain peer education. The forum’s success was documented and shared as a digital story on LinkedIn.
Addressing Core Barriers in Old Umuahia:
The “Plan Well, Live Wella” convening in Old Umuahia tackled the high discontinuation rates and fear fuelled by misinformation. It directly confronted myths, such as the fear of devices causing cancer or leading to severe bleeding, by providing accurate clinical information. A crucial component was the engagement of the Ward Development Committee (WDC), whose representative formally endorsed FP, emphasizing its direct link to financial stability and reducing child delinquency/crime. The experts also clarified the widespread misconception that FP services are free and accessible at the local Primary Health Centre. This effective engagement was promoted through a digital story on LinkedIn.
Digital Storytelling
The campaign included significant advocacy and engagement efforts aimed at specific groups, aligning with the deliverables for developing fact sheets and advocacy briefs.
EmpowerHER Health Fellow Documentary:
This project produced and disseminated a short, 3-minute documentary across platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. The goal was to humanize FP through relatable storytelling by showcasing the lived experience of a working mother who used FP to balance her health, family, and career growth. The fellow conducted a filmed interview and recorded footage at her home and workplace to portray this balance.
The video was disseminated to engage audiences through advocacy that reframed family planning as an empowerment strategy. The audience engagement was strong, with [1000+] combined views, 52 comments, and 17 reposts. Key insights included the finding that many women are unaware that withdrawal and condom use are valid FP methods, and that fear of side effects is a major deterrent.
Second Digital Story Dissemination (Reyan's Story):
second digital storytelling project, featuring the story of Reyan, was successfully executed and disseminated across multiple social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. The participant, Reyan, responded in Hausa, demonstrating an effort to reach specific linguistic and regional audiences.
Faith-Based Outreach Digital Story (Lagos):
A digital story documenting the successful FP outreach at the Adithat Muslim Society in Lagos was published on LinkedIn, serving as powerful evidence of community engagement within a faith-based context.
Wassa IDP Convening Digital Story (Abuja):
The convening at the Wassa IDP camp was also featured as a digital story on LinkedIn, showcasing the high attendance and the campaign’s success in pivoting to low-cost FP methods in a challenging environment.
Youth and Teacher Forum Digital Story (Cross River State):
A LinkedIn post was used to promote and share the outcomes of the Family Planning Learning Forum forAdolescents, Teachers, and Health Workers, highlighting the youth-focused advocacy
Old Umuahia Convening Digital Story:
A digital story detailing the addressing of core barriers and myth-busting efforts at the “Plan Well, Live Wella” convening in Old Umuahia was shared on LinkedIn, reinforcing the campaign’s work in confronting misinformation.