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

Sessions center around small group activities. Groups are determined by
two criteria. The first is age, with groupings of 7- to 10-year-olds, 11- to 14-
year-olds, and 15- to 24-year-olds. The communication messages are
adapted according to age and sexual habits of the age group. The second
criterion is by sex, with groups of only girls, only boys, or a mix of the two.
The division between sexes allows the children to speak without inhibition.
Members of the Epouses des Militaires de Côte d'Ivoire (AEMCI), a military
wives association, are trained to conduct sessions with parents, particularly
mothers, on how to discuss sexual and reproductive health issues with their
children.
Peer educators use information, education, and communication (IEC)
materials and educational kits to cover issues such as mutual fidelity and
other means of prevention such as correct and consistent condom use.
Discussions around the fight against stigma and discrimination also occur.
HIV mobile and fixed counseling and testing sites deliver services based on
national norms. Clients are also referred to health centers, local
associations, and nongovernmental organizations for palliative care
services. Peer educators help ensure that uniformed service personnel and
their families are aware of and use available services.
Gender-related activities were planned for and included at the beginning of
the program. OHP addresses gender equity by working with AEMCI to
improve women’s abilities to negotiate condom use, to advocate for
orphans and vulnerable children, and to advocate for the rights of women
who test positive and are rejected by their spouses. In small-group peer
education sessions, the program also seeks to improve knowledge of the
link between HIV transmission and high-risk behaviors, such as genderbased
violence. OHP also uses sessions to target male norms, such as
the perception that infidelity among males is a proof of virility, as well as
improve awareness of harmful masculine behaviors, such as crossgenerational
sex, transactional sex, multiple concurrent partnerships, and
substance abuse.
Target Audience
Uniformed personnel, their partners, and their children
Level of Intervention • Individual
• Family
• Community
• District
• National
Geographic
Location
Nationwide
Timeframe October 2005–September 2009
Funders • The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
through the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC)
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