Young married women (YMWs) and first-time parents (FTPs) face a unique set of challenges to living healthy sexual and reproductive lives—challenges that are different to those faced by unmarried adolescents, older married women or older parents. 

To contribute to meeting the needs of YMW and FTPs, Pathfinder International, in collaboration with its Evidence to Action (E2A) project, developed this toolkit, which brings together tools and resources that support program development and implementation. The toolkit includes:

• Publications that supply evidence and programmatic experience, which can inform intervention design or be used in advocacy activities
• Curricula and guidance developed for health providers, community health workers, and small group leaders who are involved in programs targeting YMW and FTPs
• Behavior and social norm change tools, guidance for implementers, and service delivery tools.

The materials in the toolkit address a range of topics relevant to meeting the needs of FTPs and YMW, such as: contraception, healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP), couples' communication and building healthy relationships, maternal and newborn health, gender equality, gender-based violence (GBV), HIV prevention, and lifeskills.

Some of the materials in the toolkit were designed for specific regions or countries (e.g., Uganda, francophone West Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Nepal, Malawi, India, and Madagascar), whereas others are global. All can be adapted to meet the needs of the user’s specific context.

The materials included focus explicitly on young married women and/or first-time parents.