Using Entertainment to Improve Lives: Results from Sierra Leone

1 st EARTH DAY: 1970 Population: 3.6 billion Since the first Earth Day, the population has doubled. By 2050, the population will have tripled. 44 th EARTH DAY: 2014 Population: 7+ billion

“Human population reduction is not a quick fix for environmental problems.” - Corey Bradshaw and Barry Brook

“Slowing population growth could provide 16-29% of the emissions reductions suggested to be necessary by 2050 to avoid dangerous climate change.” - Brian O’Neill, PNAS in 2010

“Each child adds about 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the carbon legacy of an average female, which is 5.7 times her lifetime emissions. A person’s reproductive choices must be considered along with his day-to-day activities when assessing his ultimate impact on the global environment.” - Paul Murtaugh and Michael Schlax

“Rapid population growth exacerbates vulnerability to the negative consequences of climate change, and exposes growing numbers of people to climate risk. Population growth is also one of the drivers of the growth in greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.” - Kathleen Mogelgaard

Saving a gigaton of carbon by reducing our 2050 population by 1 billion, through education for women and family planning information and services, would cost 1,000 times less than any of the other technical options - nuclear power, renewables, or increased car efficiency.

Family planning "should absolutely be seen as a climate resilience strategy in poor regions." - Andrew Revkin

Access to Family Planning Since 1960, the contraceptive use rate increased from 10% to 56% Total World Population: 7.3 billion Total Reproductive Age Population Married or in Union: 2.3 billion Total Users of Modern Contraceptives: 1.3 billion Total Non-Users of Modern Contraceptives: 1.0 billion Total Unmet Need for Modern Family Planning Methods: 0.4 billion

Net Non-Users Who Don’t Want to Space or Limit Childbearing: 600 million Top Reason for Non-Use: Want More Children

Gender Inequality Lack of education Lack of control/male or family opposition Fear of side effects of birth control Fatalism Religious Opposition Why are women pregnant if they don’t want to be?

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: lack of access

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: fear of side effects

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: health concerns

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: knows no method

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: religious prohibition

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: spouse opposed

REASON FOR NOT USING CONTRACEPTION SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Main reason not to use a method: wants more children

Gender equality is a basic human right. Empowering women is vital to advancing development, reducing poverty, improving reproductive health, and stabilizing population numbers worldwide. Importance of Gender Equality

PMC Overview Population Media Center (PMC) uses entertainment-education Works globally with broadcast media (radio, TV, online, print) Non-profit, non-governmental organization, 501(c)(3)

PMC Effective Because Uses multiple media Addresses multiple issues Focuses in countries with highest need Uses local producers and writers Works with national & local broadcasters

Human Health Family Planning HIV/AIDS/STIs Reproductive Health Maternal & Child Health Nutrition Female Genital Mutilation Human Rights Gender Equality Access to Education Domestic & Other Violence Child Marriage Environment Climate Change Reforestation Some of the Issues We Address

Proven To Work Around World Impacted more than 50 countries worldwide.

Positive Characters Guided by remarkable morality and embody the positive values in the “values grid” Are icons (an ideal to which the audience can aspire) Are constantly rewarded for their positive deeds Negative Characters Embody the negative values in the values grid Negative behavior is slightly exaggerated Are regularly punished for their bad behavior Occasionally suffer internally and regret their actions but DO NOT CHANGE Transitional Characters Most similar to target audience Faced with real-life dilemmas Are rewarded or punished for good or bad actions (oscillate) Struggle to change their behavior Eventually move toward positive behaviors and are rewarded Character-Driven: 3 Types Photo by Tom GettingPhoto by Mark PelleiterPhoto by Ellen Morgan