Engaging Men in Challenging Gender Inequality in HIV Context

1. The role of men in challenging gender inequality in the context of HIV? Tim Shand, Sonke Gender Justice Network, South Africa

2. Why discuss engaging men within NSPs? • Prevention: fostering +ve attitudes/behaviours • Men’s role in supporting others: direct benefits or health implications for women and children • Regional public health concerns require men as part of solution: HIV, GBV, MCH, care • Men’s own HIV needs and concerns • Men as gender justice advocates • Existing global mandate • It works – evidence-base

3. Principles for work with men • Promote women’s and girls’ rights. • Accountable to /allies with women’s rights orgs • Engage men from positive and enabling perspective • Diversities among men, including sexual diversity • Human rights and gender as relational perspective • Addressing structural determinants • Building on the evidence base / existing UN mandates • Taking work to scale

4. Self-reported physical violence toward female partners Participation in care work, caregiving of children Use of health services Self-reported acts of delinquency Number of sexual partners Condom use Substance/alcohol use Rates of self-reported STI symptoms WHY GENDER NORMS MATTERIn numerous applications of the Gender Equitable Man (GEM) Scale, gender-related attitudes correlated with men’s and boys’ The underlying norms that create and sustain men’s domination of women also create harmful outcomes for men’s and boys’ lives and inhibit men from connecting to others in relationships of equality and solidarity.

5. HIV

7. GBV In spite of 5-10 years of laws against GBV andprevention activities, rates still alarmingly high Results from the International Men and Gender Equality Survey – ICRW and Promundo

8. Economic/work stress Childhood witnessing of IPV and experiences of violence in the home, school and community Gender norms Alcohol use Other trends: Higher rates in the last year among younger men; higher lifetime use among older men Many of these same factors are related to HIV-related vulnerabilities and risk GBV Key factors associated with men’s reports of Intimate partner violence

9. WHO-Promundo review: evaluation data from 57 programs engaging men & boys in health-based interventions (Barker, Ricardo, Nascimento, Segundo, 2007)

10. Gender Transformative Programmes Seem to be Even More Effective in Achieving Attitude or Behaviour Change (n=27 programs)

11. Program evaluations: services/clinics, outreach/campaigns and education • Group education: Program H in (Brazil/India): • Group education + community campaign = increased condom use, lower STIs rates, attitude change • Group education: One Man Can (South Africa) • Workshop based training and awareness campaigns led to increased HIV testing, increased condom use and increased reporting of GBV • Clinic based: Men As Partners (Africa and Asia): • Changes in attitudes after participation • Campaigns: Soul City (South Africa): • exposure to TV shows led to more gender-equitableattitudes and increased communication re GBV

12. Final thoughts – International Men and Gender Equality Survey • Growing percentage of men participating in care work • Gender equitable men report more life satisfaction and satisfaction with relationships • In some countries evidence of generational change: younger men more equitable norms • A few countries showing dramatic changes due to policies, eg men’s participation in childbirth in Chile

13. Well designed interventions with men to improve HIV and GBV outcomes can change behaviours Gaps in HIV and GBV programming (NSP analysis) Most interventions small scale and not included within public policies Should be integrated within a gender relational and women’s empowerment approach Key messages….

14. Thank you • www.menengage.org