Trusted Voices: How Faith Leaders Can Communicate Evidence-based Family Planning Information | |
23 January from 8:00 to 9:30 am EST / 1:00 to 2:30 pm GMT | |
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Communities listen to trusted leaders when making personal decisions, including choices about their reproductive health and planning their families. With 85 percent of the world population belonging to a faith tradition, religious and lay leaders are often very influential, making it extremely important that they have accurate, evidence-based information to share with their communities.
Hosted by the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) Faith Subcommittee in celebration of World Religion Day, this discussion will explore examples of equipping religious leaders with facts about family planning, and share strategies, challenges, and tools to help faith actors protect the health of their communities.
About the International Conference on Family Planning
Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) serves as a co-chair of the ICFP Faith Subcommittee, along with the Faith To Action Network and Muslim Family Counselling Services. The International Conference on Family Planning will be held 3-6 November 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia. The Faith Subcommittee organizes the faith-based presence at the conference. This webinar is the first of a series of events ICFP will hold in advance of the conference. Learn more about the conference here.
**The webinar will feature live translation via Wordly**
| About the Speakers and Moderator | |
Sheikh Saliou Mbacke is President and CEO of Cadre des Religieux pour la Santé et le Développement (CRSD) in Senegal.
CRSD is a Senegalese interfaith organization that brings together all religious families, Islamic associations, as well as the Catholic and Lutheran churches in Senegal. Created in 2014, CRSD supports the Ministry of Health and Social Action in the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for Family Planning. Sheikh Mbacke is also an International Consultant on Religion, Peace, and Development and a member of the ICFP Faith Subcommittee and the Faith Working Group of FP2030.
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Reverend Puleng Mkhatshwa is a Development Officer for UN Women South Africa. She has over 20 years of experience with international NGOs, UN agencies, and faith-based organizations. She has expertise in gender-based violence, livelihood programs, and evidence-based advocacy, coupled with a deep passion for issues surrounding children, gender, and health. She holds an MA in Development Studies and a BTh (Hons) in New Testament and Early Christian Studies. As a former Gender Program Coordinator for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, she led interventions addressing gender-based violence across multiple countries.
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Krishiel Ferenal is Philippine Director of Health Operations for International Care Ministries (ICM). She is a registered nurse and began working for ICM 11 years ago as a health implementer in the community. She works alongside the Local Health Unit as well as with ICM's Partner Pastors in the communities. One of ICM's health programs is screening women of reproductive age who are not using family planning, educating them about the different methods to time and space pregnancies, and referring them to local health facilities for family planning use.
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Nagwa El Deeb (Moderator) is a Program Manager and Gender Advisor. She specializes in gender equality, women's rights, youth empowerment, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. She has extensive experience with faith-based organizations across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, engaging religious leaders in community development and advocacy for women's rights. She served as a Program Manager on various initiatives funded by SIDA, the European Union, and the World YWCA. Nagwa presented on the TV show “It’s Her Right” (من حقها), which addresses community issues facing girls and women in Arab society.
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