PRESS RELEASE: International Youth Foundation to Lead USAID's Flagship Global PROPEL Youth and Gender Project

[BALTIMORE, MD] – The International Youth Foundation (IYF) is thrilled to announce that it has been selected to lead U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s global Promoting Results and Outcomes through Policy and Economic Levers (PROPEL) Youth and Gender (PROPEL Y&G) project, which will improve sexual and reproductive health and rights outcomes and advance gender equality outcomes for individuals at all life stages using policy, advocacy, health financing, and governance approaches. The IYF-led consortium includes core partners Palladium, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, and CHOICE for Youth & Sexuality.

PROPEL Y&G is a groundbreaking initiative that will draw upon the collective expertise and extensive experience of these organizations to advance health and gender equality outcomes for women, men, couples, and gender-diverse individuals; respond to the specific needs of youth and adolescents; and utilize gender transformative approaches to advance gender equality outcomes for youth and adolescents.

PROPEL Y&G will employ an inclusive systems approach to create a more robust enabling environment, facilitating equitable and sustainable access to health services, supplies, and information. The initiative will foster the well-being of healthy, productive, and engaged youth and individuals of all genders across various life stages. This approach involves close collaboration with local stakeholders, particularly young people, aimed at catalyzing multisectoral change and enhancing the capacity of local partners and institutions.

Susan Reichle, President & Chief Executive Officer of IYF, expressed, "We are truly honored to receive the PROPEL Youth and Gender Award. This award reaffirms our commitment to empowering young people and advancing gender equality globally. We believe that by working together with our esteemed partners, we can create a future where all youth and people of all genders have the opportunity to exercise their rights, fulfill their potential, and contribute to thriving communities."

USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide. For media inquiries, please contact Arpine Baghdasarian or +1-410-951-2314.

About IYF
The International Youth Foundation® (IYF®) stands by, for, and with young people. Founded in 1990 through a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, IYF is a global nonprofit with programs directly benefiting 7.7 million young people and operations spanning 100 countries so far. Together with local community-based organizations and a network of corporate, foundation, and multilateral partners, we connect young people with opportunities to transform their lives. We believe that educated, employed, engaged young people possess the power to solve the world’s toughest problems, and we focus our youth development efforts on three linked objectives: unlocking agency, driving economic opportunity, and making systems more inclusive. Our vision is to see young people inspired and equipped to realize the future they want. The International Youth Foundation: Transforming Lives, Together. To learn more about the International Youth Foundation, please join us at iyfglobal.org.