This episode of The Nonprofit Report features EngenderHealth, a global leader in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through a gender equality lens. In this conversation, the organization’s executive team shares how EngenderHealth works in deep partnership with communities across Africa, Asia, and beyond to shift power, change systems, and improve lives.
Guests:
Traci Baird, CEO
Sekai Chikowero, Vice President of Programs
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points:
- EngenderHealth works in 16 countries, supporting SRHR, maternal health, and prevention of gender-based violence (GBV).
- Programs are co-created with local partners, including women-led and youth-led organizations.
- The organization uses an intersectional gender lens to drive inclusion, equity, and community agency.
- Staff lead from within their countries and cultures while collaborating globally across disciplines.
- Donors, technical experts, and community stakeholders are engaged in transparent, reciprocal partnerships.
- Internal governance reflects feminist values, multilingual inclusivity, and shared leadership.
- In a single program year, the organization helped 1.1 million people access contraceptive methods of their choice.
Other Points on EngenderHealth:
EngenderHealth brings over 50 years of experience in reproductive health to its current work, which emphasizes grassroots partnership and systemic transformation. CEO Traci Baird emphasized that impact begins with centering the voices of those most affected.
Vice President of Programs Sekai Chikowero described the organization’s approach to power-sharing and co-design as essential to its impact. Rather than top-down models, EngenderHealth listens to women, youth, and marginalized populations, designing initiatives with them to address local priorities and social norms.
Baird discussed internal strategies that reflect the organization’s external mission: feminist governance, equitable hiring practices, and multilingual access in all-staff communications.
Donor engagement involves honest, co-creative dialogue. Most funders are experts themselves, but even when values must be triangulated, EngenderHealth’s role is as a trusted facilitator—sharing data, stories, and strategies that build bridges between stakeholders.