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Bringing “equality” A
Visible Step Closer!
Integrating Gender into
Sexual and Reproductive
Health Interventions

Rouzeh Eghtessadi (MPH)
SAfAIDS Regional Office
479 Sappers Contour, Lynnwood
Pretoria, South Africa
Tel: +27 76 381 2425

Website: http://www.safaids.net
Email: rouzeh@gmail.com

SAfAIDS - P O Box A509,Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe, Tel: 263 4 336193/4, Fax: 263 4 336195, E-mail: info@safaids.org.zw, Website: www.safaids.org.zw Southern Africa
HIV/AIDS Information
Dissemination Service

Overview
• Definitions:
– Sexual and Reproductive Health: a recap & link to the MPoA
– Gender : including LGBTI dimensions

• Linking SRH and Gender and Human Rights
• How to Mainstream/Integrate gender into SRH, HIV and other
developmental programmes
– Step one: gender audit (needs, gaps, knowledge, policy and programme frames,
resources - budget, human capacity , tools etc)
– Step two: entry points (build capacity, break S&D)
– Step three: integration vs vertical programming

• Special Considerations: role of men, role of traditional/cultural structures, role of
parliamentarians, role of media
• Documenting, Sharing, Advocacy, Learning and Scale-up
• Sample generic tools
• Reflection and Relevance Questions
SAfAIDS Regional Office : 479 Sappers Contour, Lynnwood, Pretoria 0081, South Africa.
Tel: +27-12-361-0889 Fax: +27-12-361-0899 E-mail: reg@safaids.net
Country Office - Zimbabwe : 17 Beveridge Road, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Tel: +263-4-336193/4 Fax: +263-4-336195 E-mail: info@safaids.net
Country Office - Zambia : Plot No. 4, Rhodes Park, Lusaka, Zambia.
Tel: +260-125-7609 Fax: +260-125-7652 E-mail: safaids@safaids.co.zm
Website: www.safaids.net

Recap on SRH&R
Refer to the Maputo Plan of Action:
Nine Pillars of SRH

SRH closely linked to ‘rights’: rights to
services, information, supporting structures
(policy, infrastructure, resource allocations)


Unpacking Gender

Gender ‘is’ …….

Gender ‘is not’…….


Gender versus Sex
• Gender refers to what a society believes about the
appropriate roles, duties, rights, responsibilities,
accepted behaviours, opportunities and status of
women and men in relation to one another

• Sex refers to the different biological and physiological
characteristics of males and females (e.g. reproductive
organs, hormones, chromosomes).


Gender Terms….

Gender strategic needs
Gender practical needs
Gender equality
Gender sensitive
Gender neutral
Gender transformative
Stereotyping
Other?


Where does gender inequality
occur?
• Health services and access
• Education
• Employment opportunities
• Legal domain
• Other?


Links between Gender and SRH
(1)
• Gender–based violence: reciprocal influence on sexual
and reproductive health (unwanted pregnancies, poor FP
adherence, HIV/STI infection, etc)

• Limited Access to, and Control over information and
services: increases risk and vulnerability to HIV/STIs

• Burden of Care: less time and opportunity to access SRH
services and adhere to SRH

• “Silence”: poor communication, influence family planning,
safe sex practices, reporting and preventing GBV


Links between Gender and
•
SRH access and informed
Partner Dependence: controls
(2)
decision-making

• Socio-economic factors creating gender inequality

• Cultural Practices and Norms: adverse practices eg dry
sex, unsterile MC, partner counseling, seeking health care
services for the ‘weak’

• Service barriers: male-unfriendly, adolescent unfriendly,
stigma & discrimination for PLHIV women


Integrating Gender into Sexual and Reproductive Health

Gender Management System
• What is a GMS?
– A network of structures, mechanisms and processes within
existing organisational framework established at all levels

– Guides, plans, monitors and evaluates mainstreaming process
while working to achieve gender equality/equity in sustainable
development

– Advances gender equality and equity through promoting political
will, capacity building, sharing of good practices and forging
stakeholders partnerships

* ldeal for larger bodies e.g. governments

What is Gender Mainstreaming
(GM)
In development work, it means strengthening both women
and men’s active involvement in capacity and contribution

Its goal is to empower women and men as equal partners by
creating a ‘win-win’ scenario in development

It involves active and equipped gender equity promotion into
policies/programs/projects and institutions

It is holistic integration of gender issues into all aspects of a
given structure


The Process ….not an event!
For an organisation, it means collective impact of efforts:

• Conducting a Gender Audit
• Development of Gender Policy
• Capacity building of staff at all levels
• Development (or adoption)of tools/guidelines for gender
analysis and mainstreaming
• Development of gender disaggregated data collection,
analysis and monitoring systems
• Gender sensitive budgeting/budget allocation
• Political commitment by senior management

Mainstreaming Model

Situation Analysis
Partner Identification and INTERNAL
Needs Assessment
Management
Employees
Policies
Documentation Material Programmes
Dissemination & Production
Feedback
Monitoring,
Evaluation and
Reporting
EXTERNAL
Experience Sharing Capacity
Beneficiaries
on Mainstreaming Strengthening
(Skills/Awareness) & Partners
efforts and
Advocacy Mentoring


Step 1. When Conducting a
Gender Audit Consider…..
• Baseline evidence and Mapping

• Identifying gaps in knowledge, attitudes and
practices (KAP survey of staff) and structural &
environmental challenges

• Internal (organisational culture, policies, staffing, capacity) and
external (partners, programmes, budgets, M&E systems) factors

• Determine resources (externally) to support GM

Step 2. Entry strategies will be
informed by Audit Findings
Identify key entry points
Develop Gender
Policy E.g.
-Build Capacity of staff,
Gender partners and affiliates
Mainstreaming -Break stigma and
Process discrimination
-Place ‘gender’ on all job
descriptions vs focal point

Link with GM
expert or
mentoring body Develop gender
sensitive budgets Develop gender sensitive M&E
and reporting system


Step 3. Gender Mainstreaming
into Policies
• Types of Policies from a Gender Perspective:
– Gender Neutral/Blind
– Gender Specific
– Gender Transformative/ Redistributive/ Responsive

• Basic Components of a Policy
– Contextual Background
– Policy Goals and Objectives
– Policy Environment
– Policy Thematic Areas
– Policy Implementing Strategy

Step 3 (cont). Integration versus
Vertical Progamming
What are benefits of integrating gender into
SRH programmes rather than having two
separate programme running parallel ?

What are your experiences in these processes?


Keep the Process Alive & Share!
• Document
• Share and exchange
• Advocate
• Learn and Scale-up

Use ICTs - be creative – get technical support


Special Considerations
• Roles
– Men
– Traditional/cultural structures
– Parliamentarians
– Media

• Barriers – fear of unknown, misunderstood, S&D

• Varied sexual orientation & identity (LGBTI)


Sample generic tools
– Mainstreaming checklist for policies
– Mainstreaming checklist for programmes
– Mainstreaming gender into SRH training
programmes
– Mainstreaming gender into SRH M&E
systems (gender indicators)

Find out more about Gender mainstreaming:
UNESCO site, UN-OSAGI site,


Questions….bringing it closer to
home!
What is one potential Am I willing to promote
challenge to safe motherhood for
mainstreaming gender female adolescent
in my organisation ? PLHIV?
?

? Making it a
Reality
Who should
drive the gender
Is this going to agenda in my
? organisation?
dis-empower me?


In-country Strategies for
Sustainability of Gender
Mainstreaming …. Government
Strategy – engaging and complementing
and national partners
• Enables Sustainability and ownership
– Facilitates national buy-in and support by other country
stakeholders.
– Piggy backing on existing efforts made by Govts is critical – not
‘over-riding/impose’ rather be ‘complementary’, and support
meeting national targets e.g. MDGs, UNGASS, MPoA, CEDAW

Strategy – creating dialogue and consultative
platforms for sharing
• Enables cross-learning and scale-up - critical to sustainability of
concerted efforts

Remember
Information …..

…and has the
Power
to Make
a

Difference !

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Integrating Gender into Sexual and Reproductive Health

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