Lauren Herzog, MA, Program Coordinator, World Faiths Development Dialogue and Wilma Mui, MPH, Program Associate for World Faiths Development Dialogue discuss a program in Senegal to reduce maternal mortality through using family planning and engaging religious networks.

1. Engaging Women’s
Religious Networks on
Family Planning
Lauren Herzog and Wilma Mui
World Faiths Development Dialogue

2. WFDD’s Mission
WFDD is a not-for-profit organization working at
the intersection of religion and global
development. WFDD seeks to reinforce,
underscore, and publicize the synergies and
common purpose of religions and development
institutions addressing poverty; and to explore
issues on which there is little consensus and
where common ground is unclear.

3. Collaboration with CRSD
• Worked together since early 2014
CRSD aims to promote dialogue and cooperation among Senegal’s
religious communities to further development; improve maternal
and child health; protect and support vulnerable populations; and
advance peace and social cohesion.

4. Religion in Senegal
• 94% Muslim, 4% Christian

5. Senegal’s Faith Networks
• Dahiras: Muslim community groups organized at
the local level (specific to Sufism)
• Christian groups: generally organized within the
context of the church

6. Family Planning Workshops
• Dual approach: connecting with faith
communities through activities with national
relationship leadership, but also activities at
grassroots level
• Blending religious and technical
• Scaling up activities

7. Workshops to date
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
Number of Participants
2015 2016
20
282
Number of Workshops
2015 2016
2015 Total: 839
Men Women
2016 Total: 14103
Men Women
Participants by Gender

8. Workshops within Muslim Communities
• Working through the various Sufi orders
• Grassroots approach

9. Workshops within Christian Communities
• Adapting the
workshop model for
Christian
communities

10. Legitimizing the Message
• Whenever possible, a CRSD delegation visits a
region shortly following workshops

11. Interfaith Relations
• Dialogue rather than collective action
• Christian literacy among Muslims and Christians
“We have a clear and transparent position, as Christianity promotes natural
family planning, meaning that before our societies had all of these things, like
medications, family planning was practiced.”

12. Key Lessons and Looking Ahead
• Tailoring the approach to the local context
• Managing expectations of how CRSD’s work
fits into the larger family planning strategy
• Building trust in local communities has
opened new opportunities
• Working at the grassroots level has revealed
key gaps