Implementing Multiple Gender Strategies to Improve HIV and ... - ICRW

WOMEN FIRST (MULHERES PRIMERO)
LEAD ORGANIZATIONS:
COUNTRY:
HIV PROGRAM AREA:
International Relief and Development (IRD)
Mozambique
Prevention
OVERVIEW:
Women First aims to increase knowledge of healthy behaviors in the community and improve
women’s economic capacity. The program combines health, HIV/AIDS and entrepreneurial training
with the establishment of sustainable businesses for rural women. IRD provides existing women’s
groups with intense training on health and HIV and AIDS, and partners with private sector companies
to create a supply chain of items that women entrepreneurs will sell. In response to feedback from
beneficiaries, Women First also addresses women’s economic empowerment and gender-based
violence. To encourage dialogue on gender-based violence, IRD collaborates with a local theater
group and other community members. Combining education around HIV and violence with an
income-generation component has been key to the program’s success. Another key finding is that
women’s commitment to the program is more important to retention than previous entrepreneurial
experience. An external evaluation shows that the program improves women’s health outcomes and
income, that women put their income to good use, and that participants are healthier and therefore
better able to earn and to care for their families.
BACKGROUND
HIV & AIDS
Program Goals
Women First aims to increase knowledge of healthy behaviors, particularly
HIV prevention, in the community, and to increase women’s economic
capacity so they are better able to practice healthy behaviors. The program
uses a public-private partnership to promote program sustainability and
increase market access in rural areas to affordable basic goods.
Gender Strategies
Addressed
Reducing violence and coercion
Addressing male norms and behaviors
Increasing women’s legal protection
Increasing women’s access to income and productive resources
Other:
Description of
Intervention
Women First combines health and HIV/AIDS activities with entrepreneurial
training sessions and the establishment of sustainable businesses for rural
women. IRD provides women’s groups with intense training on health and
HIV and AIDS. In addition, to increase women’s access to income, IRD
partners with private sector companies to create a supply chain for basic
consumption items that women entrepreneurs sell. The program works with
existing women’s groups in target districts. First, districts are selected by
mapping locations where women’s groups already exist and there is limited
market coverage of products produced by private sector partners. This
helps to ensure that the program will be able to create a sustainable
entrepreneurial business. Women’s groups are then selected from among
those involved with World Vision’s food security program, OVATA. IRD staff
present the program to the selected groups, and those that agree to
participate receive entrepreneurial training as stock-keepers and sellers.
Health and HIV trainings take place in conjunction with weekly monitoring
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