FPIL-SOM
Estimating the Impact of Gender-Transformative Interventions on Contraceptive Use and Reproductive Autonomy in Somalia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial for the Family Planning Impact Lab
Sponsor study identifier
interventional
5,436
1 country
1
Study Start
October 2026
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
Primary Completion
May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
Study Completion
May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
Since 2019, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has led family planning programming in Somalia under the Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) program, funded by the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. This study will assess contraceptive and gender-norms outcomes in communities in Galgaduud region, where the IRC implemented WISH-1 (2019-2025) and continues programming under WISH-2. Approximately one year into WISH-2 implementation, the IRC will add gender-transformative programming, which this study will evaluate over the subsequent two years. The intervention aims to change harmful gender norms that constrain women's family planning decision-making, through programming with women, men, couples, and communities; the IRC will implement an intensive and a light-touch version. This study is independent of the IRC and is one of four studies in the Guttmacher Institute's Family Planning Impact Lab (FPIL), which produces experimental research estimating the causal impact of family planning interventions on women's health, wellbeing, and development outcomes.
Registry-reported information. Elapsed time and enrollment totals alone do not measure study progress or recruitment pace.
May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
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Dates and qualifiers reported by the registry. Estimated dates do not confirm that a milestone has occurred.
October 2026
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
October 22, 2026
Actual (reported)October 29, 2026
Actual (reported)May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
Change in the proportion and number of women using preference-aligned fertility management between baseline, midline, and endline
Change in the proportion and number of non-pregnant women aged 15-49 whose contraceptive use or non-use is aligned with their preferences, adapted from the preference-aligned fertility management indicator developed by Holt and colleagues; the study instrument elicits current use before contraceptive preference, whereas the original index elicits preference first. Users are classified as aligned if they want to be using a method, want to be using their current method, and report no other method they would prefer to use; non-users are classified as aligned if they want not to be using a method. A pre-specified sensitivity analysis classifies women reporting any pressure on their use or non-use as discordant.
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in men's agreement with the statement "A husband should have the final say about whether his wife uses contraception," between baseline, midline, and endline
Married men aged 18-60 are asked whether they agree, partially agree, or do not agree with the statement: "A husband should have the final say about whether his wife uses contraception." The measure is summarized as the proportion of men in each response category. Men are sampled cross-sectionally at each wave, one man per household, from households not selected for the women's survey.
Settlements in this arm will have access only to the standard family planning intervention implemented under WISH-2. This arm serves as the control.
Settlements will have access to WISH-2 services as well as an intensive gender-transformative intervention.
Both the intensive and light-dose programming will target the patriarchal gender norms that constrain women's reproductive autonomy in Somalia. These norms manifest in multiple forms: partner opposition to contraceptive use, women's inability to access services without male permission, reproductive coercion, intimate partner violence related to family planning decision-making, and women's limited ability to act on their fertility preferences even when services are available. The intensive version of the intervention may be implemented as a multi-component, community-embedded program built around a structured couples' curriculum supplemented by broader community norm change strategies.
Multi-site (household surveys) throughout Galgaduud
Dusa Marreb, Galgaduud, Somalia
Jewel Gausman, PhD
Guttmacher Institute
First Submitted
October 22, 2026
First Posted
October 29, 2026
Study Start
October 2026
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
An mHealth Trial to Promote the Use of Postpartum Contraception
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion and number of women aged 15 to 49 using a modern contraceptive method (modern contraceptive prevalence) between baseline, midline, and endline
Change in the proportion and number of women aged 15-49 who use, or whose partners use, a modern contraceptive method. Modern methods comprise female and male sterilization, copper and hormonal IUDs, implants, provider-administered and self-administered injectables, oral contraceptive pills, male and female condoms, emergency contraception, foam/jelly, the Lactational Amenorrhea Method, fertility awareness-based methods (standard days method, Billings ovulation method), and other modern methods reported through an open response (e.g., patch/ring, diaphragm). Any-method contraceptive prevalence - adding withdrawal, the rhythm method, other traditional and fertility awareness-based methods, and probe-identified users - will be reported as a pre-specified variant.
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion and number of women aged 15 to 49 who have unmet need for family planning between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion and number of women aged 15 to 49 with person-centered unmet need for family planning between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion of women who report making the final decision about contraceptive use alone or jointly with their partner, between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion of women reporting that their contraceptive use or non-use was entirely their own choice, between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the level of reproductive self-efficacy as measured by the Contraceptive Self-Efficacy Scale for Sub-Saharan Africa (CSESSA) between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the 12-month contraceptive discontinuation rate, estimated from the contraceptive calendar, between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion of women aged 15 to 49 with unmet need for family planning attributed to partner or family opposition, between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Change in the proportion of current contraceptive users whose husband or partner is unaware of their contraceptive use (covert use), between baseline, midline, and endline
Pre-Baseline (Month 8 pre-intervention); Baseline (Month 1 pre-intervention); Midline (Month 11 post-intervention); Endline (Month 23 post-intervention)
Settlements will have access to WISH-2 services as well as a light-touch gender-transformative intervention.
A reduced-intensity version of the gender-transformative programming, designed to test whether a less resource-intensive approach can achieve comparable effects at lower cost. The intervention package is being finalized by the IRC; this record will be updated with the final components before implementation begins.
The IRC's standard WISH-2 family planning service delivery package, implemented by the IRC independently of the study team in all study settlements. The package strengthens facility-based family planning services through provider training, commodity availability, service integration, and community mobilization, with services delivered through static, outreach, and community-based channels.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Primary Completion
May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
Study Completion
May 2029
EstimatedPlanned date reported by the registry; this milestone is not confirmed as achieved.
Last Updated
October 29, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-10
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Source: ClinicalTrials.gov.
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