WISH2ACTION is the FCDO's flagship family planning programme striving for universal sexual and reproductive health rights. It is a consortium led by International Planned Parenthood Federation and includes Development Media International (DMI), MSI Reproductive Choices, Options, Humanity and Inclusion, and the International Rescue Committee.


DMI's role in the WISH2ACTION consortium was to produce engaging multimedia content focused on five key messages: birth spacing, delayed first pregnancy, myths around contraceptive methods, youth stigma, and the role of men in family planning. DMI produced content including radio spots, dramatic animations for TV broadcast, informational animations for use in clinics, a 10-episode series of short animations aimed at youth, and a six-episode series of short live action films aimed at men. The two series were created to be distributed via mobile phones and social media.


Local scriptwriters devised scripts centrally, which were adapted to work in the local context of each country. The content was translated into 26 languages and was broadcast on 100 radio stations and 16 TV stations over 24 months. DMI used mass media and its Saturation+ methodology to reach over 100 million people across seven countries, and consortium partners ensured DMI's content reached marginalised groups including youth, disabled people, and those in poverty.


This video showcases three of the most well-received family planning videos produced by DMI as part of the WISH2ACTION campaign.

Modern contraceptive use in the Philippines among married women has been stagnant for almost a decade at around 40% and low among all women at 25%. Family planning (FP) is easily accessible, culturally acceptable, and free. So why are there so many women who do not desire a child right now not using an FP method? Clearly it is time to think differently about FP. To begin, the USAID ReachHealth project, USAID's flagship family planning project, conducted an innovative qualitative research study to explore motivators and barriers to FP. In depth interviews with women and men revealed that the barriers to FP use are not structural as much as they are social and cognitive. Specifically, fear and anxiety topped the list of barriers to FP use. To counter these barriers, we developed a two-minute music video that addresses the fear of FP by juxtaposing it with the anxiety around of an unwanted pregnancy. The video is a great example of how to turn research findings into emotional and relevant creative programming. Its basis is the extended parallel process model which tells us that to motivate those who are stuck we need to increase their fear and then couple that with efficacy-what to do to decrease the fear. By bringing up the fear and anxiety associated with a pregnancy scare and then quickly providing a response in a warm and inviting FP clinic, we provide the viewer with the emotional motivation needed to overcome her own fear of FP.

As the fifth most populous country in the world with a 2.4% rate of growth, the adoption of modern methods of family planning is a national priority for Pakistan for economic and social reasons; to reduce strain on available water resources, on public services and to lift families out of poverty.
The DAFPAK[1] program exists to address the unmet need for contraception of six million[2] women and empower them to choose when and whether they have children. 
KhairKhwah (well-wisher) is a brand created for the program. It unifies all communications with a common visual language and identity and acts as an authentic and trusted voice to provide reliable information and friendly advice about family planning to young Pakistani couples.
Our campaign launched nationally across TV, radio and digital and reached 92 million people. It used visual metaphors to bring to life the taboos that exists around family planning and encouraged couples to break those taboos and discuss it, with the strapline 'Let's Talk'. 
A complimentary mix of emotional and rational communications led to significant increases in knowledge about modern methods, discussion between family members, increases in intent and signs of norm shifting. 
Recommendations for the field include ensuring an emotional appeal to compliment instructive messages, role-modelling the desired behaviour and ensuring that communications are from a familiar and relatable voice.
[1] Delivering Accelerated Family Planning in Pakistan (DAFPAK) https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/projects/GB-GOV-1-300435/summary 
[2] Population Council, Gates Foundation (2016) Landscape analysis of the family planning situation in Pakistan, accessed November 2019