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Examples of initiatives that have employed multiple strategies to target both the
individual and his social context:
� Sexto Sentido (Nicaragua)
� Soul City Series 4 (South Africa)
� Program H (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, India, among other
countries)
� Raising Voices (Uganda)
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Ensure Adaptation for Different Settings
If a programme from one setting is being implemented in another setting, it is important
to also carry out formative research to ensure its appropriateness to the local culture
and context, particularly since ideas of masculinity may vary from one setting to
another.
CASE STUDY
Formative Research Carried out by CORO for Literacy (India) to Adapt the Program
H Initiative (Brazil)
This case study describes how the Horizons Program; CORO for Literacy, an India-based NGO; and
Instituto PROMUNDO, a Brazilian NGO, conducted operations research to:
1) Examine the impact on young men of promoting gender equity as part of an HIV prevention
programme in India; and
2) Adapt the Program H manuals developed for use in Brazil to the context of India.
Specifically, the research addressed the following questions:
� How is masculinity understood and expressed by young men in India?
� How can gender equitable norms and behaviours, including those related to violence and
HIV/STI risk reduction, be promoted among young men?
� Will this type of intervention (Program H) be feasible and acceptable in the Indian context?
� What impact will the intervention have on attitudes toward gender norms, and HIV and other
risk behaviours?
� How can change in attitudes toward gender norms be measured?
Formative research was conducted with young men in low-income communities in Mumbai, India, on the
links between gender and masculinity, sexuality, and health risk, including:
� 51 interviews with young men aged 16 to 24 years;
� Four focus group discussions with NGO leaders, political and religious leaders, and young
women from the same communities;
� Intervention activities for young men were then developed / adapted; and
� Peer leaders were trained to facilitate group education sessions.
The feasibility and acceptability, as well as the impact of the intervention, were measured by:
� Monitoring attendance at the sessions and keeping track of the themes discussed during
the activities;
� Pre- and post-intervention surveys with the young men (n = 107 and n = 92, respectively) by
an independent research team;
� Qualitative interviews with a subset of young men after selected sessions (n = 16), with
those who had dropped out of the intervention (n = 11), and with the intervention facilitators
(n = four).
� Observations of selected intervention activities also took place.
In light of the formative research findings, the Program H curriculum was found suitable for the Indian
context, and was adapted during a weeklong workshop, followed by two months of community
consultations. The team adapted and pre-tested 20 group exercises based on participatory methods of
learning with extensive use of role-plays, discussions, and debates.
Men and Boys Knowledge Module January 2012 26
,” Horizons Research Summary. New Delhi: Population Council.