COMMUNITY ACTIVITY IN HARMONIZING CULTURAL PRACTICES WITH REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS PROJECT  Implemented by Creative Centre for

Community Mobilization (CRECCOM)

Funded By: Swedish Organization for Individual Relief (SOIR)

Background Information Huge gender disparities prevalent; discrimination and

marginalization of girls and women, GBV Rooted in cultural values and practices

Projects

1. Social Mobilization Campaign for Gender Equality ;2007 - 2009

2. Elimination of Harmful Cultural Practices ;2009 - 2011

3. Community Activity In Harmonizing Cultural Practices With Reproductive Rights Project : 2012 – 2014

MDGs unlikely to be met

MDG 3: - Ratio of boys and girls in secondary education (Drop out due to child marriages, pregnancies)

- Share of women in wage employment in non-Agriculture sector

MDG 5: - Maternal mortality (675/100,000 births)

- Proportion of births attended by skilled personnel

A ‘Hyena’ – ‘Fisi’

A victim of sexual cleansing

Project Goal

To improve sexual and reproductive health for men, women, boys and girls in targeted communities, through a broad community dialogue challenging gender stereotypes and harmful practices in 120 targeted villages of Thyolo district

Project objectives 

To sensitize communities on women’s rights and gender promoting laws and policies

Communities (including men and boys) are empowered to engage in dialogue, take action, and demand accountability on the reduction of harmful socio-cultural factors

To improve women’s access to information and social skills that enable them to claim and defend their rights

To mobilize local structures to actively participate in district policy and by-law formulation processes that address harmful social cultural practices.

CRECCOM’s APPROACH TO RIGHTS AND GENDER PERSPECTIVE

Gender and Development (GAD) approach and participatory approach to ensure individual and collective empowerment towards behavioural and attitudinal change – shifting of gender roles

PROJECT PLANNING STAGE

Empowering participation where local women and men set women’s and the gender agenda, independent of outsiders

Methodology: Societies Tackling Aids through Rights (STAR) circles

- Action research on all existing socio-cultural practicesTools: - Focus group discussions - Key informant interviews e.g. initiation counsellors or

elders- Pair wise ranking: Men and women compare

problems and list them in order of seriousness/urgency

Star Circle in Action

 

PROJECT PLANNING STAGETool: 1. Service and Social Network mapping: This map

shows networks or various service providers that are dealing with gender based violence and Sexual and reproductive health issues

2. Stakeholder analysis: identify stakeholders and duty bearers that have the power and responsibility/influence to address the barriers that causes exclusion of women and girls. Then come up with strategies to address and/or support these actors.

3. Power analysis among women: Intersection of age, class, tribe/ethnicity, health status, socio-economic status etc of women (shapes targeting - Initiation counsellors, PLWAs, identification of STAR facilitators and STAR circle members)

IMPLEMENTATION STAGEMeeting practical and strategic gender needs in order to

emancipate women and release them from their subordinate position

 InclusivenessDealing with barriers and structures of discrimination

that cause and exacerbate vulnerability of women and non-fulfilment of their rights (address root causes of gender in-equality and discrimination)

Target the cultural system and its custodians to achieve redress of values, and commence an honest dialogue among cultural institutions’ custodians and the whole community to enable sensitization and review for shift of gender roles and removal of stereotypes.

 

 

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

 Methodologies; Workshops for cultural custodians/institutions, Use of catalytic and female role models,

STAR circles, village meetings, Establish support groups for marginalized

women

Tools: Gender roles identification tool

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Involvement of men Shift of gender roles

Redefine masculinity and femininity, which constitutes the roots of the power relations between men and women, have to be dealt with instead of just dealing with the effects which are manifested through the persistent inequalities. ‘Masculinities’ have been defined as an “embodiment of cultural norms and social pressures that help to determine the roles, rights, responsibilities and relations that are available to and imposed upon men, in contrast to women (Kimmel 2000, p 29).

This entails the process of unravelling the dynamics in men/boys not just as perpetuators of violence on women/girls but also as gatekeepers of women’s/girls’ empowerment as well as victims of gender-based violence.

However, involvement of men should not be done to incorporate their interests but rather it should be for the interrogation and destruction of men’s super-ordinate gender power.

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Examples of methodologies; - Theatre For Development (TFD) – ice breaker,- Targeting conduits of definitions of masculinity

e.g. family, chiefs’ structures, male initiation institution;

- male dominated activities such as Drama and soccer;

- Men for Gender Equality NetworksSTAR CIRCLES: STAR Facilitators (50% male)

voluntarily spearhead circle meetings every fortnight in every village for consistent dialogue in reviewing traditions.

Tools: PROBLEM TREE

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Social Mobilization Campaign Provides extensive awareness and

conscientization of gender as a developmental issue

Methodologies: 1.Theatre For Development (TFD), 2.Duty bearers training as change agents, 3.community based sensitization/advocacy e.g.

open days, interface meetings, community score cards

4.Mass media interventions

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE – Theatre For Development

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Women’s Capabilities EnhancementThis is when, for instance, women and

girls bring meaning, motivation and purpose to their right (e.g. economic emancipation). Examples include decision-making, bargaining, negotiating, intangible cognitive processes of reflection and analysis.

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Questions projects should always ask:If girls are given an opportunity of education, to

what extent does education enhance decision-making in girls such as how much education she should have, what kind of livelihood and when and who to marry?

If a woman accesses a loan, who manages her micro business, who controls the money and who benefits from the proceeds? How has access to loan impacted on her decision making on other issues that affect her life?

How does a project avoid reproduction of existing power imbalances between men and women?

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Projects should go beyond possession of the commodity or the utility that provides proxies in wellbeing but rather what the woman/girl actually succeeds in doing with the commodity and its characteristics.

Projects should garner agency in women that would be seen in their ability to defy long time traditions.

Empowered choices: Power relations are expressed not only through the exercise of agency and choice, but also through the kinds of choices women make, which can sometimes stem out of women’s subordinate status. For example using proceeds from the micro business in making boy child preferences over girls child.

IMPLEMENTATION STAGE

Examples of methodologiesWomen workshops on leadership,

assertiveness, rights, laws and policies etc Establish Village Savings and Loan (VSL)

scheme (that includes marginalized women)Establish support groupsFemale initiation counsellors workshopsLearning visits and role modellingTools: Intra-household resource allocation and

household disaggregated data (Pre and post Surveys on rights awareness, Access, control and benefits, division of labor etc)

PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION TOOLS

Tools: 1. POCKET CHART This is a tool that is used when you want to get information

on confidential issues e.g. how may people are HIV+ or risky behaviours , how many use condoms or contraceptives, or had gone for VCT among a group without infringing on their right to privacy/confidentiality.

To do this, you agree on symbols or signs that are to be used in order to come up with the desired data. Make sure that they are anonymous and confidentiality is maintained. Then the scribbled papers (with symbols) are put in a box. It is like a confidential vote where it is only you the voter who knows whom you have voted for.

2. Pre and post Surveys (on rights awareness, Access, control and benefits)

Achievements

1. Sustained village forums/dialogue on gender and women’s issues

2. Cultural Practices which were regarded as taboo to be discussed are discussed openly in open forums.

- 100% of targeted communities modified at least two harmful practices e.g. ‘fisi’ – hyena,   initiation rites

3. 80% of targeted villages have formulated bye laws against harmful cultural practices

And monitoring systems in place

 

 

2. Reporting domestic violence (village heads relinquished power to STAR circles)

3. Increased re-enrollment of teen mothers

4. Over 300% increase in demand for contraceptives

5. Increased number of women making empowered choices

 

6. Increased community/women coordination with service providers e.g. medical circumcision (initiation counsellor relinquished power)

  Mary takes her own profession to support the family

Improved lives

Steveria with her husband in their garden

FRESH START

Mr Bisale former fisi

Challenges

Increased community demand versus inadequate resources and slow response by service providers e.g. contraceptives

Poor reception /treatment of GBV victims by some service providers e.g. police officers, health personnel.

Political interference into administrative structures