Development organization HACEY Health Initiative is one of just 20 organisations from around the world to receive an inaugural With and For Girls Award.
The With and For Girls Awards is a global initiative to identify and support strong development organisations working with and for girls.
The organisation – based in Nigeria and working throughout the country – is recognised for its work to provide sustainable solutions to close the inequality gap that limits women and girls’ access to health services and economic empowerment.
HACEY Health Initiative received the Award at a London ceremony on Monday 16 November 2015, where representatives from the winning organisations attended along with people from a range of foundations, multilateral agencies, INGOs and prominent influencers within the sector.
There are more than 14 million adolescent girls living in poverty in Nigeria. The country has two per cent of the world’s population, but it carries 10 per cent of the maternal mortality burden with the majority of the girls and women who die in childbirth living in the north of the country.
HACEY works with communities across Nigeria to improve the health and economic outcomes for over 300,000 girls.
Through a targeted sexual and reproductive health and rights programme, HACEY has directly engaged more than 1,000 secondary school-aged girls.
The organisation has also raised awareness of gender-based violence using web and mobile technology, through which it has reached more than 100,000 people.
Muna Wehbe, CEO of Stars Foundation – “Despite the critical role that women and girls play in sustainable development, the World Bank estimates that less than two cents of every dollar spent on international aid is directed towards adolescent girls. The With and For Girls Award provides flexible funding to grassroots girl-focused NGOs, empowering them to invest their funds where they need them most. We want to shine a spotlight on these outstanding local organisations and encourage more funders to support girls in their role as vital agents of change within our sector.”
As part of the award package, HACEY Health Initiative will receive US$50,000 of flexible funding and capacity building support.
