New York Times: Melinda Gates: Eliminating Bias in Family Planning
Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

“…As the largest generation in history enters its reproductive years, the evidence tells us that bias is one of the biggest barriers standing between these 1.8 billion young people and the tools and information they need to protect themselves and their futures. … How do we make [high-quality, nonjudgmental] counseling available to more young people in more places? One of our foundation’s partners may have a solution. Pathfinder International’s Beyond Bias program takes an innovative, data-driven approach to strengthening empathy and understanding between providers and their patients in Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and Pakistan. Its methods include sending young adult ‘mystery shoppers’ into clinics to see how they are received when they ask questions about contraceptives and reproductive health. The information they gather is used to design interventions that encourage providers to examine how their biases show up in their work…” (8/5).