Content Type
FOUND 651
Attitudes towards gender that are formed in early childhood can play a significant role in creating adult behaviors that lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS. This working paper explores how to use the early years to lay the foundations for HIV/AIDS prevention.
This paper reviews the demands placed on men by definitions of masculinities, definitions that often increase their risk of HIV infection, and reviews successful strategies for change. Case studies on male involvement in sexual and reproductive health and rights review successful HIV/AIDS initiatives, and lessons identified can be applied to HIV/AIDS projects.
Understanding the needs and desires of HIV positive men and fathers is essential for assisting them in shaping their own lives and those of their families. This publication shares the stories of thirteen HIV positive fathers from around the world, role models in parenting in the context of HIV/AIDS. They discuss the challenges of choosing to become a father, disclosing their positive status to their children, and their love and concern to…
Prepared for the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on "The role of men and boys in achieving gender equality", this paper highlights the lack of male participation in caring and supporting those ill with AIDS. Research in Southern Africa is reviewed to emphasize the definitions of masculinity that prevent men from being involved in domestic activities. Finally, the paper suggests community level strategies for increasing male involvement…
This paper prepared for the September 2006 Expert Group Meeting on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination and Violence Against the Girl Child outlines the abuses against girl's human rights in situations of armed conflict and suggests ways to prevent and address them. The analysis section includes a section on girls and the spread of HIV/AIDS and notes best practices by UNICEF in Afghanistan and Eritrea.
Promundo's Program H stimulates young men to analyze traditional gender roles and norms associated with masculinity, challenging them to consider the advantages of gender equitable behaviors. The program consists of educational workshops, lifestyle campaigns, innovative approaches to attracting young men to health facilities, and a culturally sensitive impact evaluation methodology. The workshops draw on 5 training manuals which aim to support…
Women are especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in hard-hit Southern Africa with increasing numbers being infected compared to men. This toolkit is written for women and girls living with HIV/AIDS and addresses their special treatment needs, including adherence, women-specific opportunistic infections, effects of treatment their biological (physical and emotional) lifecycle, post-exposure prophylaxis, and PMTCT Plus programmes. It contains 12…
This paper applies a gender perspective to young men in Africa, drawing particularly on interviews and focus groups in Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, and Uganda. It considers the many definitions of masculinities and their implications for sexual behavior (especially HIV/AIDS) and violence. Several protective factors for gender equality, health-seeking and protecting behavior, and non-violence are identified. Promising approaches are detailed…
Pact Viet Nam is pleased to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) for a program entitled "Changing sexual norms among young men in Viet Nam: a media and peer outreach approach." Up to 3 million USD will be provided over a three-year period in order to enhance and expand a national media campaign and accompanying community outreach interventions, with the objective of changing male sexual norms and reducing use of sex workers among…
Meeting the needs of children affected by AIDS Millions of children across the world have already lost their mothers to AIDS. Millions more are caring for their sick mothers, knowing they will die soon. With proper support within their communities, mothers can be cared for in their homes, and continue to care for their children. Until now, support for children affected by AIDS has focused on orphans. In Missing Mothers: Meeting the needs of…
A new paper published by the UNAIDS-led Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA) shows that when women have an income and a safe place to live, they are much better able to negotiate abstinence, fidelity, and safer sex. Economic security, the paper stresses, is a major factor in enabling women to protect themselves from HIV. Highlighting the link between poverty and HIV risk for women and girls, the paper outlines examples of promising…
As with other chronic illnesses, the ideal AIDS care model is a holistic combination of public health, home and community care. The WHO believes that HIV/AIDS should be managed at home because home care is more comprehensive, more compassionate, less expensive and allows the patient to maintain a certain level of dignity and normality. However, caring for a family member with advanced HIV infection or AIDS is a physically challenging and…
This paper reports on the men's travelling conference (MTC) which took place as part of the 2003 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign in Africa. The conference covered Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, and involved a range of events and participatory activities with communities along the conference route. The report finds that the MTC was an effective learning opportunity both for participants and…
A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that the number of people on HIV antiretroviral treatment (ART) in low- and middle-income countries more than tripled to 1.3 million in December 2005 from 400 000 in December 2003. Charting the final progress of the "3 by 5" strategy to expand access to HIV therapy in the developing world, the report also says that the lessons…
This publication highlights the urgent need to identify, test and implement effective strategies that address violence against women in conflict settings. Included in these strategies is the need to integrate programmes that address violence against women, HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and care in conflict settings. The challenges of doing this are enormous, as immediate needs for food, shelter and security often take precedence over…
The report considers the broader impact of HIV/AIDS on development by reviewing the impact of AIDS on households, firms, agriculture, health, education and the macro-economy. Specifically, the report documents the wide-ranging impacts of HIV/AIDS: on population size and growth and national mortality levels; on families and households; agricultural sustainability; business; the health sector; education, and economic growth. The study also…
This report examines the use of sexual violence in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and demonstrates how women and girls in the DRC have been exploited as producers and reproducers both in order to maintain fighters and ensure their day-to-day survival as well as to provide them with sexual services. The authors conclude that rape in conflict in the DRC was a coordinated tool used to degrade enemies and rip apart societies…
The annual AIDS epidemic update reports on the latest developments in the global AIDS epidemic. With maps and regional summaries, the 2005 edition provides the most recent estimates of the epidemic's scope and human toll, explores new trends in the epidemic's evolution, and features a special section on HIV prevention.
In 2004, the Horizons Program undertook a study of six different home-based care programs to provide key information to NGOs, government ministries, donors, and the programs themselves to inform decisions about service delivery. The study analyzed the cost of Home-Based Care services, the best use of resources, and how well programs are able to meet the needs of beneficiaries and their families.
This is number 15 in the series, YouthLens: on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. This issue looks at the health risks associated to early marriage for female youth; including a distinct and substantial risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS. This Issue also discusses ways in which to reduce early marriage, such as programs that help foster policies and norms that support later marriage and offer services, resources, and options to families to delay…