Africa POWER Consortium Secretariat Moves to Columbia’s PopFam to Advance Women’s Empowerment Research and Policy Change

Women’s empowerment is one of the most powerful drivers of healthier, more equitable societies—yet today millions of girls remain out of school, women hold only one in four parliamentary seats, and just 52 percent of women in unions make their own decisions about contraception or health care. These structural disparities limit opportunity and well-being for women, their families, and entire nations.

To help change this, the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health (PopFam) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health is proud to announce it will serve as the Secretariat for the Africa POWER Consortium - a global collaborative dedicated to advancing women’s empowerment and human well-being across Africa.

The Africa POWER Consortium unites five leading African and international organizations: African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), IDinsight, EconInsight  Center for Development Research, AidData, and PopFam. Together, members contribute diverse technical strengths and local expertise, co-creating priorities, conducting rigorous, cross-sectoral research, and forging alliances for actionable policy change.

“By situating the Secretariat at Columbia PopFam, we are better positioned to accelerate collaborative research, strengthen evidence translation, and ensure that the findings of Africa POWER reach the policy tables where they matter most,” said Dr. Mahesh Karra, Associate Professor of Population and Family Health and the Director of the Program on Women’s Empowerment Research. “Our African and international partners bring complementary expertise—across sectors, methods, and geographies—and together we will push forward research that changes lives on the ground.”

“We are thrilled that Africa POWER has found a home at Columbia’s PopFam,” said Dr. Naa Dodoo, Director for Human Capital Development, AFIDEP. “For us, this partnership means more than an institutional base—it is an opportunity to amplify African voices, expand partnerships, and ensure that evidence generated in Africa informs the global agenda. With PopFam’s global impact, we are confident this next chapter will elevate our shared mission.”

“For more than five decades, Columbia PopFam has been at the forefront of advancing women’s health and amplifying the power of women and girls.   We are honored to be the new home for Africa POWER,” said Dr. Thoai Ngo, Chair of PopFam. “The Consortium aligns seamlessly with our mission to use rigorous science to promote equity, agency, and justice. By joining forces, we can deepen the impact of women’s empowerment research – it is partnerships like these that can leverage shared expertise and resources for impact that no single institution could achieve alone.” 

As the Secretariat, PopFam will help convene partners, amplify evidence, and champion policy change that advances women’s agency, representation, and opportunities across Africa—work that will reverberate far beyond, strengthening families, communities, and societies.

Learn more about Africa POWER.