The Bahrain Family Planning Association (BFPA) was created in 1975 and since then has been promoting family planning to change attitudes and increase acceptance.

The main components of our strategy to raise awareness of the benefits of family planning and encourage the government to formulate explicit policy guidelines for effective programmes are:

• information, eduation, communication
• research
• training
• fundraising

BFPA plays a pioneering role in the promotion of family planning, quality of care and the extension of services.

Information, education and communication (IEC) programmes target youth and women, while population education and literacy programmes concentrate on rural women.

In addition, advocacy campaigns are directed at political leaders who have an interest in family planning and population policies.  Staff training and fundraising remain important objectives of our strategies.

The government supports us through the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs and Labour.

The rationale for BFPA's future strategies rests on increasing awareness in the community on the benefits of family planning. This is especially true in rural areas.