Background: The 2022 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) will take place from November 14-17, 2022, in Pattaya, Thailand. Leaders, researchers, advocates, and donors from around the world will convene to reflect on priorities for and share innovative approaches and findings related to family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programming, advocacy, and research. The deadline for ICFP abstract submissions is Tuesday, March 15.

Event Overview: In anticipation of the conference, the IGWG collaborated with the ICFP Scientific Subcommittee to hold a gender knowledge exchange event on March 1. The event offered an office hours session focused on the open call for abstracts. IGWG members had an opportunity to learn more about the abstract submission and scientific review process, and gain insights into how to increase their chances for abstract acceptance.

This event aimed to increase the number of gender-related and gender-focused ICFP abstract submissions and promote the visibility of gender issues and topics in scientific literature at the conference. By doing so, we hoped to bring more attention to the linkages between gender and FP and urge implementers in this field to incorporate a gender lens in FP/RH programming, advocacy, and research.

Event participants came prepared with a partially or fully completed draft of their abstract or abstract outline. Additionally, this event was intended for individuals submitting abstracts that incorporate a gender lens in FP/RH-related topics. Illustrative topic areas based on ICFP 2022 conference tracks and sub-tracks include:

• Impact of gender norms on FP access, uptake, and sustained use.
• Gender-based violence prevention and response and FP services.
• Reproductive empowerment through self-care, social accountability, or other approaches in FP.
• Male engagement in FP.
• Gender-focused FP programming in humanitarian settings.
• Intersectional approaches to sexual and reproductive health and FP among LGBTQI+ communities.
• Collection, processing, and use of gender-specific data in FP.
• Gender-focused advocacy and/or programmatic responses to COVID-19 that promote FP services.

The event began with a screening of an ICFP-created module designed to provide an overview of best practices and tips for submitting a competitive abstract. Following the screening, participants had the opportunity for Q&A with a representative of the ICFP Scientific Subcommittee to discuss the specifics of their abstract submissions.