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

seminars with invited guest speakers on topics including HIV and AIDS,
prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), voluntary HIV
counseling and testing, the role of nutrition in HIV management, drug and
substance abuse, relationships, child rights, violence against women, vital
registration and documentation, and business management.
Adolescent girls and young women accessed loans through the group
lending scheme and started businesses to increase their income. By
earning and saving, as well as through the female mentorship provided by
the program, participants were empowered to resist sexual coercion, insist
on condom use and refuse sex. Through workshops and group meetings,
participants also were informed about gender-based violence and
sensitized on their legal rights.
When the project was introduced, some community members raised
concerns about the choice to focus only on girls. The community felt there
was also a need to equip boys with information on HIV. In response, three
male-only groups were formed, which addressed male norms and
behaviors, including sexual coercion, gender-based violence, condom
negotiation, and perceptions around HIV risk and risky behavior.
Target Audience
Adolescent girls and female youth, ages 16–22, living in low-income areas
of Nairobi
Level of Intervention
District
Geographic
Location
Nairobi
Timeframe June 2001 – May 2004
Funders • K-Rep Development Agency (KDA)
• Ford Foundation
• UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Partner
Organizations
Implementation partners:
• K-Rep Development Agency (KDA)
• Community churches, schools and government officers, such as chiefs
Evaluation partners:
• Population Council staff from Nairobi and New York
• K-Rep Development Agency (KDA) staff
• External consultants
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