Friends of UNFPA is a
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
, headquartered in New York, that supports the work of the
United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a United Nations System, UN agency aimed at improving reproductive health, reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, incr ...
(UNFPA), the sexual and reproductive health and rights agency of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. Friends of UNFPA advances UNFPA's work by mobilizing funds and action for the organization.
The organization was founded in 1998 to raise political and financial support within the United States for UNFPA. Initially known as Americans for UNFPA, the non-profit changed to its current name in 2012 to reflect its global scope.
Work
UNFPA works in 155 countries to ensure that women and girls everywhere have access to
reproductive healthcare. In particular, UNFPA works to end preventable
maternal death
Maternal death or maternal mortality is defined in slightly different ways by several different health organizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a pregnant mother due to complications related to p ...
, provide
family planning
Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marit ...
, and end
gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification, culture may have a role to play, being lower in egalitarianism societies and higher, sexist ...
, including practices like
child marriage
Child marriage is a practice involving a marriage or domestic partnership, formal or informal, that includes an individual under 18 and an adult or other child.*
*
*
*
Research has found that child marriages have many long-term negative co ...
and
female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM) (also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision) is the cutting or removal of some or all of the vulva for non-medical reasons. Prevalence of female ge ...
. UNFPA improves maternal health by increasing access to voluntary family planning, training
birth attendants, and increasing access to emergency
obstetric care. UNFPA assists countries in forecasting and supplying their needs for
contraceptives
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...
,
condoms
A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condoms, also called male condoms, and internal (female) ...
, and other reproductive health supplies. Each year, the organization provides 500 million couples with contraception.
Fundraising
Friends of UNFPA mobilizes funds towards UNFPA’s worldwide programs and services as well as their campaigns such as Maternal Health Thematic Fund, Campaigns for Fistula and Humanitarian Relief.
Leadership
Officers of the Board of Directors:
*Jacob Onufrychuk (Chair of the Board), Senior Manager, Breakthru Beverage Group.
*Mari Simonen (Vice Chair of the Board, Nominating Committee Chair), Former Special Adviser to the Executive Director of UNFPA.
*Connie Smith (Development & Communications Committee Chair Secretary) Speech pathologist and Co-founder of the Global Neighborhood Fund.
*Monica Parekh (Treasurer) Senior Corporate Analyst at American Century Investments.
References
{{reflist
External links
friendsofunfpa.org
United Nations Population Fund