UNFPA’s Women and Girl’s First Programme (WGF) is a large multi-year, multi-donor initiative, that provides knowledge and technical leadership in partnership with civil society organizations and a wide range of national stakeholders to advance:  gender equality, improving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, responding to and preventing gender based violence (GBV) and integrating of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS).

The first phase of UNFPA Myanmar’s WGF Programme (2016 -2019) has addressed the empowerment of the most vulnerable women and girls through pioneering integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender-based violence (GBV) response and prevention services. Working across the humanitarian, development and peace-building nexus in selected ethnic conflict-affected states of Myanmar, the programme was launched in December 2015 and has been implemented at central policy and field levels in collaboration with a range of government, United Nations and NGO implementing partners (IPs) in Rakhine, northern Shan, Kachin, Kayin and Mon States.

The design of the second phase of WGF Programme (2019 - 2022) is based on experiences and lessons learned by the WGF community of partners and documented in the independent mid-term evaluation conducted in 2017. WGF Phase II continues to strengthen health and social protection systems, expand access to an integrated package of SRHR and GBV services with a greater focus on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). Activities engaging individuals including specific interventions for girls, young people and men will aim to improve coping strategies, promote positive social norms and non-violent behaviour at home and in the community, while civil society organizations and platforms for women and youth will be supported to promote participation and decision-making.

Recognizing and addressing the issue of MHPSS service gap and limited availability of Mental Health professionals in Myanmar, UNFPA has initiated a series of capacity building initiatives to increase the number of MHPSS professionals who able to provide clinical services in two ways: short-term and long-term. For a longer-term, UNFPA has started to discuss with the Psychology Department of University of Yangon to integrate Clinical Psychology Coursework in their curriculum. This process requires a multi-layered approach and needs to involve different departments at the ministry level. At the same time, as an immediate response to increase the availability of specialized MHPSS services, UNFPA plans to provide IAT Certification Training ​for front line workers and local MHPSS professionals.

Integrative ADAPT Therapy (IAT) is a theoretically guided (evidence based) approach based​ on the Adaptation and Development After Persecution and Trauma (ADAPT) model. IAT aims to strengthen the capacity of humanitarian workers/mental health providers in providing specialized services for common mental disorder, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and adjustment problems. Evidence shows that IAT is an effective treatment for improving mental health, adaptive stress, and resilience amongst refugees and displaced people.