In April 2008 the PEER Unit worked with Marie Stopes International Ethiopia to conduct capacity building in the PEER method. The first PEER study was conducted with rural Ethiopian women, to build understanding of the social and economic context in which reproductive health decision making takes place, with a particular focus on gender and household dynamics including the effects of poverty and food insecurity. The research also aimed to identify attitudes to and awareness of long term methods of family planning. Other similar studies are planned with male groups and in other parts of the country.

Findings are being used to support MSIE in:

• Developing decision making tools for improving social marketing effectiveness
• Advocating with local community leaders to advance reproductive health rights
• Increasing the capacity of the communities where MSIE operates to advocate for their own reproductive health rights.

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