RAPIDWomen: Our Women, Our Girls

In Mali, issues related to equity and human rights that affect access to and use of health services persist. These issues include early marriage; violence against women and girls, including female genital cutting; and cultural and structural barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing health and education services. RAPIDWomen—an interactive software tool that links family planning and women-centered strategies, including girls’ education and decreasing violence against women—was applied in Mali to demonstrate how investing in such programs can increase quality of life for women, girls, and families, as well as overall development. Mali is the first country to apply the RAPIDWomen model and the results have been used to create an evidence base for women's rights advocates, government leaders, and women's organizations to advocate for increased investments in family planning/reproductive health and other women-centered interventions.