Men and Reproductive Health Programs: Influencing Gender Norms Prepared by
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Funding SourcesFunding information not available. Contact InformationFundacion Puntos de Encuentro Apdo Postal RP-39 Managua, Nicaragua Tel: (505) 268-1227 E-mail: puntos@puntos.org.ni
SourcesDocuments provided by Ruben Reyes. Stepping Stones(several African and Asian countries) OverviewStepping Stones is a life-skills, communication, and relationships training package designed in 1995 for use with communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Over time, the training package has been adapted and modified to suit the needs of populations in a variety of settings throughout the world. ScopeThis set of workshops has been conducted in Cambodia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. ObjectivesSpecifically related to social norms, the workshop series seeks to transform gender relations; curb gender-based violence; increase understanding of how stigma and social constraints limit the lives and health of others with whom participants share their lives; and instill an appreciation of the effects of individual behavior on others. AudienceStepping Stones broadly focuses on the entire community, not just on individuals who engage in high-risk behaviors. The project aims at social change by getting communities to strategize about harmful values and practices rather than rely on individuals to do the changing by themselves. ImplementationStepping Stones uses a planned series of community-based focus group discussions with periodic report back to the wider community. The facilitators often recruited from the community. It follows these steps: 1. Meetings are organized with community leaders to explain the purpose and process of the Stepping Stones program and to obtain their support. 2. Community members are invited by community leaders to learn about the program and are invited to participate. 3. A series of workshops ensues for four separate groups: older men, older women, younger men, and younger women. 4. At regular intervals over the course of three to four months, 18 three-hour workshops divided into four theme areas are held with each group, with report back to all four groups together. 5. The four groups come together and the entire community entertains “requests for change” from each group while the groups perform dramas reflecting the lessons imparted. 6. Each group is encouraged to continue meeting in order to sustain the change and serve as a support group. The program promotes gender equity by getting individuals and communities to question the inequities that contribute to the spread of HIV and other problems. Workshops centered around three themes directly address gender equity and gender-based power dynamics. One thematic module, “Group Cooperation,” engages participants in contemplating their sentiments about sex, the meaning of love, and blame-shifting. In another module, “Why We Behave in the Ways We Do,” participants are provided with space to explore the rationale behind their behavior in sexual situations, the benefits and costs of traditional practices, issues involving household financial management, and the acceptance of personal responsibility. In the last module, “Ways in Which We Can Change,” participants learn and rehearse ways to communicate assertively and tactfully their desires and needs using “I” statements. Evaluation and OutcomesThe U.K. Medical Research Council has conducted a formal evaluation of a Stepping Stones project in The Gambia. In other countries, informal evaluations through group discussions, structured interviews, and e-mail correspondence have assessed the outcomes of Stepping Stones activities. Available findings include enhanced shared decision-making and communication skills applied to sexual and nonsexual issues and improved relationships; and changes in behavior such as higher levels of equitable household income redistribution, reduced gender violence, and increased prevalence of safer sex. Funding SourcesFunding varies by community in which the workshop series has been implemented. Donors have included the U.K. Department for International Development and Spanish AID. Contact InformationE-mail: info@steppingstonesfeedback.org www.steppingstonesfeedback.org SourcesThree case studies: Involving men to address gender inequities. Prepared under the auspices of the Interagency Gender Working Group, Subcommittee on Men and Reproductive Health. July 2003. Stepping Stones home page, available at the following Web address: www.steppingstonesfeedback.org. Accessed October 13, 2003. Soul City(several African, Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American countries) OverviewThe Soul City Institute of Health & Development Communication television and radio series was first broadcast in 1994. Its aim is to create an enabling environment to overcome structural barriers—including gender inequity—to good health and social development. ScopeSoul City media reaches more than 16 million South Africans. Its programs have also been broadcast in other African countries as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. ObjectivesThrough its broadcasts and materials, the object of Soul City is to develop a culture in which people can solve health and development problems through introspection, development of useful skills, and eventually transformation of societal norms, including gender norms. AudiencePriority groups are primary and secondary school students, and adult learners in educational settings. In addition, Soul City reaches out to the general public. |