By Innocent Grant, ICFP Secretariat and Co-Chair of the Youth Subcommittee
The late Phil Harvey was more than a pioneer—he was a fearless champion of civil liberties and a visionary who reshaped how the world thinks about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As founder and former chairman of DKT International, Phil dedicated his life to expanding access to family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention, and sex-positive health programs across countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. His groundbreaking work in social marketing reached millions and transformed lives, leaving an indelible mark on the field of global health.
To honor this legacy, the Phil Harvey SRHR Innovation Award serves to celebrate emerging leaders who advance access to SRHR through bold, rights-based approaches. DKT International especially looks for those harnessing the private sector to expand access to information, products, and services that empower people to live healthy, fulfilling sexual lives. In accordance with the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), three global winners receive up to $10,000 USD to implement their innovative projects, along with support from ICFP and DKT International.
Our partners at DKT, who worked closely in reviewing the 15 finalists, shared valuable reflections:
“Phil Harvey believed in the power of bold ideas to change the world. This award continues that spirit by investing in young innovators whose courage and creativity are already transforming lives and communities. Their work ensures that Phil’s legacy not only endures but grows stronger with each new generation of leaders in sexual and reproductive health. Their vision, courage, and practical solutions reflect the very values that shaped DKT International and continue to guide our mission today.” – Christopher Purdy, President & CEO of DKT International
The 2025 Phil Harvey Awards
The winners of the 2025 Phil Harvey SRHR Innovation Awards have already been identified and will be announced soon through a press release and on the grand stage at the Youth Plenary of ICFP 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia. The plenary will take place on November 6, where leaders, including Christopher Purdy, will celebrate and honor the three young innovators. Eloise Cowan, Program & Development Consultant for DKT International, also shared: “I am extremely proud not just of the winners but of everyone who applied. Their boldness, ambition, and drive to change their communities truly honor Phil Harvey’s legacy. It was an incredibly difficult choice to narrow down to only three winners, given the creativity and passion in every application. I am honored to have been part of the process of funding the next generation of leaders in sexual and reproductive health, who will carry forward Phil’s vision with courage and innovation.”
For me, this moment is deeply personal. In 2022, I had the honor of being named a Phil Harvey Award winner alongside my colleagues Tushar and Laura. My project focused on integrating pleasure-inclusive dialogues into an anonymous Facebook forum called Contraceptive Conversations, which now connects more than 11,000 active users. This project was named and funded among stars in global health by Grand Challenges Canada in 2022. From this experience, young leaders who collaborated with me have since come together to form Generation Action Africa, a youth-led network organization advancing health knowledge management and private-sector engagement. This work builds on the foundation we laid at the Young and Alive Initiative in Tanzania, and it continues to grow stronger every day.
My fellow 2022 winners have also gone on to achieve incredible things. Tushar from India, who created an onboarding program with gig-economy platforms to provide women workers with SRHR and gender-sensitivity training that has already reached 824 users, and Laura from Brazil, who founded Ana Autoestima, a WhatsApp-based, pleasure-focused sexuality education platform co-created with women in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas successfully reached 450 women with 80% retention rate of users in the platform. They have both carried forward the spirit of Phil Harvey’s innovation, driving impact in their communities and beyond.
Serving on the 2025 Jury
This year, I am especially honored to return to ICFP as Co-Chair of the Youth Subcommittee at ICFP, with a big focus on designing meaningful youth engagements, including the Youth Summit. In this capacity, I had the opportunity to co-lead the special jury committee for the Phil Harvey Award. Together, we reviewed more than 160 nominations from around the world, a testament to the creativity, vision, and determination of young leaders everywhere. Narrowing down to just three winners was no easy task.
Reflections from the Jury
We asked those who participated in the judging process to reflect, and they shared the following key themes and main takeaways from the experience. Click through the slider below to read their impressions.
Looking Ahead
The drumroll is building. On November 6, we will have the three extraordinary winners of the 2025 Phil Harvey SRHR Innovation Awards at the stage of the ICFP. These young leaders represent the bold, creative, and community-rooted future of SRHR. We cannot wait to celebrate their work in Bogotá and look forward to walking alongside them as they bring their visions to life in the years ahead.
Stay tuned—the future of SRHR innovation is unstoppable. As we watched the video submissions and read through the essays, what shone through most was hope: hope for healthier SRHR outcomes, hope for stronger collaborations, and above all, hope in the power of inclusive young leaders working tirelessly to make their communities safer, healthier, and full of possibility.
If you want to join this exciting event, either online or in-person, make sure to register for the ICFP by October 27.
