The ICFP Power of Family Planning Award is a travel award recognizes outstanding efforts to advance research, programs, and policy innovations that position family planning (FP) as a foundation for broader health, economic, and social development.
While FP is often viewed narrowly as a means of preventing unintended pregnancies, growing evidence demonstrates its transformative, cross-sectoral impact. As William H. Gates Sr. Institute (WHGI) Director Dr. Philip Anglewicz stated at the ICFP 2025 Press Conference,
“This is not an area of research that is hugely explored, and there is much more work that needs to be done [to expand our impact] as a field and expand what we know about why when you invest in family planning you get benefits and dividends in other areas.”
The 2025 ICFP Power of FP travel awardees were selected for their work exploring FP as a driver of sustainable development through diverse approaches, including rigorous empirical research, innovative program design, advocacy, and systems-level strategies. Their contributions highlight FP’s critical role in improving maternal health outcomes, strengthening household economic resilience, and advancing gender equality across regions and contexts.
“These were papers that did the best job in either policy, programs, or research, in exemplifying why when you invest in FP you get benefits in a whole range of other outcomes, such as overall economic growth for the country, women’s economic empowerment, and women’s labor force participation,” Dr. Anglewicz stated.
View each travel awardees’ name and their award-winning abstract title below.
Congratulations to these award-winning researchers and thank you for bringing your important work to ICFP 2025!
Dr. Anglewicz concluded his remarks on the award with the following,
“Looking toward the future, [demonstrating this impact of investing in FP] is how we bring more people into the work that we do.”
