Vitala Global embraces the theme of Women’s International Day ‘Inspire Inclusion’, by empowering girls and women to make their own decisions regarding sexual and reproductive issues.
"The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights”, Gloria Steinem said, and this year's theme for Women’s International Day reflects that same thought: “Inspire Inclusion”.
It is important to support women-led organizations that collaborate with local groups to ensure that their work is responsive to the needs of the end beneficiaries. According to UN Women: “When the treatment of women is not equitable, we must take action”. That is exactly the work of organizations like Vitala Global, which co-creates and implements digital solutions that allow women and girls to make healthy, informed choices and engage in appropriate self-care.
Vitala Global developed Aya Contigo, a virtual sexual and reproductive health companion launched in Venezuela in 2022, to address the barriers for women and girls to access sexual and reproductive health services and tools in the country, where abortion is illegal and contraception is not always available.
Venezuela does not publish official stats about abortions. Still, an estimate by the Asociación Venezolana para una Educación Sexual Alternativa (AVESA) is 15 abortions per day, i.e., more than 2,200 in the year. Since its launch, 6.500 unique users have engaged on the Aya Contigo app and had 850 conversations with the Aya Contigo Care Team.
This work expanded in 2023 when Vitala partnered with US organizations like Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Plan C to advance reproductive autonomy. After Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, we conducted outreach and user testing to see if Aya Contigo could support Latina/x and Hispanic communities in the US who have been disproportionately affected by the abortion bans.
Now Aya Contigo is planning to bring it's harm reduction approach to Guatemala, another hostile context with restrictive abortion laws.
Vitala Global also created The Rise in Reproductive Justice Fellowship, a 7-week program aimed at empowering the next generation of activists and guiding them in creating content at the intersection of sexual and reproductive health with self-care and mental well-being. The team also developed MyPostCare, a comprehensive digital platform that supports individuals after a surgical abortion in Canada.
Inspire Inclusion by Taking Informed Decisions
Helping women and girls make informed decisions about their health is one of the pillars of “Inspire Inclusion”. Unintended pregnancy is among the most troubling public health problems and a major reproductive health issue worldwide imposing appreciable socioeconomic burden on individuals and society.
The University of Chicago published a study confirming that reproductive autonomy is vital to women’s earning power. Unintended pregnancies have a lasting and harmful effect on women’s careers, and their ability to make a living and achieve their full potential.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, when it comes to teenagers, this is worse. “When an adolescent becomes pregnant or has a child, her health, education, earning potential, and her entire future may be in jeopardy, and she may be trapped in a life of poverty, exclusion, and powerlessness”.
By backing organizations like Vitala Global, you contribute to the broader narrative of breaking barriers, challenging biases, and creating spaces where all individuals, regardless of gender, can actively participate and benefit from social and economic development. It's a powerful way to celebrate and advance the cause of women's rights and inclusion on a global scale.