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

to contraceptives (particularly condoms) and poverty all contributed to the
AIDS epidemic in Tanzania.
T-MARC addresses male norms through various campaigns, including Sikia
Kengele, Vaa Condom and Mama Ushauri. Sikia Kengele (Listen to the
Bell) is a national communications initiative to encourage fidelity. Using
various forms of media (radio, road shows, print materials), the campaign
targets men who choose younger partners, particularly along major
transportation corridors and in mining and plantation regions. The
campaign also addresses gender-based violence by including violencerelated
messages in the materials and information shared. Through the
symbolism of the bell, T-MARC hopes to sound a wake-up call for sexual
behavior change.
The Vaa Condom (Wear a Condom) campaign developed “DUME,” a male
condom for men. The campaign focuses on correct and consistent use of
condoms as well as making condoms widely available through local
commercial outlets and public events.
Mama Ushauri (Mama’s Advice) is a three-year weekly television drama
series. The episodes, 15 minutes each, cover a range of topics such as
reproductive health and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
T-MARC also improves women’s access to income by providing a grants
program for female sex workers and women involved in transactional sex
(i.e., engaged in sexual barter, usually irregularly). This program provides
education and offers economic opportunities so that girls and women have
other ways to support themselves and their families. Earning income could
also help women resist pressure to have sex without a condom for a higher
price. The grants program also supports Risk Reduction Days, which bring
new and creative methods of interpersonal communication in the workplace
to the highest risk regions and communities of Tanzania. AED partners with
Africare and through the T-MARC Company on the grants program,
reaching 15 partners at the community level.
Target Audience • Men
• Women
• Female sex workers
• Women who engage in transactional sex
Level of Intervention • National—messaging on male social norms and access to
contraceptives
• District—messaging on family planning
Geographic
Location
• Nationwide
• 10 (out of 21) regions with highest HIV prevalence
Timeframe October 2004–September 2009
Funders • The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
through the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and
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