THE DIVINE DIVAS
A radical new approach to reducing teenage pregnancies
More than half of the population of Zambia is under 18 years of age, and the teen pregnancy rate is startlingly high (and growing). IDEO.org was hired by Marie Stopes International to design a radically new—and effective—solution to address this challenge and reverse this trend.
I was a service designer on this project and together with my team I ideated, tested and launched a full-service, teen-only clinic experience. It has been tremendously effective and has been scaled throughout the region.
Partnership between IDEO.org & Marie Stopes International
The Diva Centre
The Diva Centre is built to make contraceptive information more accessible, in a language that teens understand and with an experience that is welcoming (not intimidating).
Since launching the third Diva Centre, Marie Stopes International is seeing twice as many girls in the 15-19 age range, and 85% are getting contraceptive services.
In the first 12 months of operations:
2,237
WOMEN & GIRLS SERVED
518
UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES AVERTED
161
UNSAFE ABORTIONS AVERTED
Core77 Best Service Design Award 2017
Jury commentary:
“We chose this because of the innovative way they are breaking down the barrier between the girls they serve, and the information they need by anding an activity that’s safe and approachable, like getting your nails done.”
“This was a full system that spoke to a specific context and felt very human-centered. The problem is enormous, but the solution felt very intimate.”
