At the International Conference of Family Planning #ICFP2022’s Red Carpet Evening on November 15, 2022, TabuTabu founder Laura received the Phil Harvey Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Innovation Award on behalf of our organization for our project Ana Autoestima. Here is an overview of the award, the event, and what’s next for Ana!
The Phil Harvey SRHR Innovation Award is named after the founder and chairman of DKT International until his passing on 2 December 2021. Harvey was a champion of civil liberties and pioneered large-scale social marketing programs for family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention worldwide. This award is being given in honor of his bold and innovative dedication to the family planning sector and the positive disruptions he made that have changed the lives of millions for the better.
Awarded by DKT International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, the Phil Harvey SRHR Innovation Award recognizes and encourages emerging SRH leaders to explore bold, sex-positive, and rights-based approaches that advance access to information, products, and services that support individuals to enjoy healthy and fulfilling sexual lives.
The ceremony was held in Pattaya City, Thailand, on the evening of November 15 as part of the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP2022). Introducing the award, DKT International’s Chairman of the Board, President and CEO Christopher Purdy said: “We wanted to do something that honors the spirit of Phil Harvey, to try to think about the next generation of social entrepreneurs, of people who are thinking creatively, intuitively, with innovation about how to change and impact on the world of reproductive health.” Selected amongst 130 applicants, Laura received the award alongside Innocent Grant and Tushar Singh Bodwal. Each of the three finalists presented their pitches on the ICFP2022 plenary stage.
Laura shared the background on Ana Autoestima, explaining how it was previously tested with a small group of women in the urban periphery of Rio, and how the US$10,000.00 will help scale Ana Autoestima to four communities. She also highlighted the key role of meaningful learner participation, and the technical aspects of the service that make it user-centered and contextually relevant.
Want to find out more? Watch the pitch video submission below: