What We Do

Over 3 million newborns and around 250,000 women die each year during pregnancy, childbirth or the first month of life.  In some parts of the world, one in every eight women is affected. For every woman who dies at least twenty more suffer health complications, leaving them with lifelong disability and pain.

Women and Children First is an international development organisation dedicated to reducing these unacceptably high, and largely avoidable, mortality rates.  Women and Children First works primarily through women’s groups in rural communities in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia to improve maternal, newborn and child health.  We empower women to find their own solutions to maternal, newborn and child health problems.

Established in 2001, the charity has an excellent 10-year track record of working with partners to deliver projects which have a proven impact on maternal, newborn and child health.  Funding for this work has come from a range of sources including the UK government, UNFPA, the UK national lottery, charitable trusts, corporate supporters and individual donors.

We are a niche organisation offering technical expertise, support and consultancy to our partners.  We use evidence-based methods to empower women to advocate for their right to health, building women’s capacity to take control of their and their children’s health.  We adopt complementary approaches and support communities to demand quality health services provided by the government, the private sector and NGOs at local and national level.
 
We advocate for maternal, newborn and child health to stay at the top of the local, national and international agenda.