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The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) is an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in developing countries.

History

CEDPA was founded in 1975 as CEFPA, or the Centre for Population Activities. The initial focus of the organization was family planning and healthcare programs with training workshops for healthcare workers and managers to ensure that local organizations reflected community needs. CEDPA’s first expansion began with provisions for women’s training programs on management skills. As CEDPA continued to grow, the focus broadened to include programs dealing with education and development for girls and youth and gender and governance. Today, related projects have produced more than 5,000 alumni and affected millions of lives in almost 150 countries. Many alumni have remained involved in CEDPA’s work around the world, including some who have gone on to run satellite projects and work in CEDPA’s international offices.

Organization and beliefs

CEDPA works closely with women leaders, local partners and other organizations to expand access to education for women and girls, improve reproductive health and confront HIV/AIDS, and train and empower women to become leaders in their communities and countries. CEDPA also holds regional and global training workshops and regularly publishes materials related to gender and development. Through social mobilization and advocacy, CEDPA works to change policy, social norms, and behavior to yield sustainable development. CEDPA believes that:

• gender equality is essential to progress
• improving the future for women begins with girls
• solutions and programs must be comprehensive and tailored to each community
• men and boys must be included and engaged
• working with local organizations prompts sustainability.

Programs and partners

CEDPA programs and projects are funded and supported by USAID Offices of Population and Women in Development, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the United States Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Center for Research on Women, and others. Programs include:

• Better Life Options Program: breaks gender stereotypes, develops life skills and vocational training, builds self-esteem and leadership; BLOP spread to Ghana, India, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa
• Choose a Future!: educates on sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, hygiene, self-image, civic responsibility and gender relationships
• Towards New Horizons: CEDPA worked with 365 non-governmental organizations to reduce the gender gap in education. The program launched a girls’ scholarship program to keep youth in school, and to address the harmful effects of female genital mutilation

and others

Offices

• Washington, DC (headquarters)
• Egypt
• India
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• South Africa

External Links

• http://www.cedpa.org (official site)
• http://www.phishare.org/partners/CEDPA (documents and training manuals)
• http://www.myspace.com/CEDPA