Project Peanut Butter is an awardee of Action for Women's Health!

Project Peanut Butter (PPB) has been announced as one of 80+ organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global open call, launched in 2024 to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world.

Although women make up half of the world’s population, they face inequities in nearly every aspect of their health. Women’s health is chronically underfunded and under-researched, and even when resources and solutions do exist, they often aren’t reaching the women who need them.

Project Peanut Butter has been actively working in sub-Saharan Africa for over 20 years to promote the health of women and children facing malnutrition. In a recent study, PPB emphasized the importance of a locally adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on pregnant mothers in Sierra Leone. Due to this foundational research, PPB applied for the Action for Women’s Health global open call. The value of this work was recognized by the group, awarding Project Peanut Butter with an opportunity to scale up current maternal mental health programs in Sierra Leone and pilot treatment in other sub-Saharan countries with a need for CBT care.

“The data is astounding. CBT improved these women's mental health remarkably. We are overjoyed to press on and extend our counselling services thanks to Action for Women’s Health.” – Mark Manary, Founder of Project Peanut Butter

Over 4,000 organizations from 119 countries applied, offering solutions across the lifespan for women. After a rigorous peer and expert review process, 80+ organizations have been identified, many of whom have historically lacked access to major funding streams. This funding will have real impact for women across geographies, life stages, and identities.

Action for Women’s Health is funded by Pivotal, a group of impact organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, and managed by Lever for Change, an organization with a track record of identifying bold ideas to solve the world’s most pressing problems. More information about the initiative and awardees is available at: https://leverforchange.org/open-calls/action-for-womens-health.