Amsterdam 2015
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| Abstract #2155 - Poster 2 | ||||
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Session: 59.30: Poster 2 (Poster) on Tuesday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Dr Lisa Langhaug - REPSSI, Zimbabwe |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Violence against children is an urgent and universal problem affecting millions of children worldwide. Research suggests that violence can have devastating and long term impacts on children and young people’s well-being, including physical and mental health problems, lower educational achievement, and slower brain development. As the HIV epidemic continues to unfold, a growing body of evidence from sub-Saharan Africa highlights its intimate connection to gender-based violence (GBV). A comprehensive review found that gender-based violence both directly and indirectly contributed to HIV infection (Andersson et al, 2008). Predominantly, girls and women are viewed as victims, with boys and men as perpetrators. However, recent programme evidence suggests that rarely do we tackle these two areas together. In a recent summative report, authors challenged programmes to address gender inequities and norms by “working with men and women in a coordinated or synchronised way.” (Greene and Levack, 2010). Programmes to address violence have predominantly focussed exclusively on adult women, with some focus on men. Very few programmes have focussed on young girls and young boys. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Project: REPSSI responded to this call to action through the development of a unique programme to prevent GBV that works with boys, girls, and the community. The intervention is based in Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Health Belief Model which both emphasize the importance of sequenced stages when implementing successful behaviour change. Girls engage in a programme that strengthens their self-confidence and self-determination while providing them with specific self-defence skills (e.g. identifying opportunities to escape, using their voices). Boys engage in a programme that addresses prevailing cultural gender norms and develops their emotional awareness and empathy. Both young men and young women also explore sexual and reproductive health issues. Following their separate training, these young people join forces with adult community leaders to create a springboard for community-based action to make their community safer. To date, no known published evidence exists of this holistic intervention design in Africa. This programme in currently being implemented in nine primary schools in Malawi (3 urban, 6 rural) in collaboration with the Malawi Girl Guides Association and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Implementers were recruited from the communities and trained on how to facilitate use of the resources. Students from grades 5-7 (age 10-18 years mean age 13.4±1.8 years) meet once a week after school for two hours in single gender groups not larger than 20. | ||||
| Results / Comments: A total of 712 students enrolled in the programme. Programmatic outcomes are measured through an interviewer-administered questionnaire before and after the programme. Process evaluation explores programme acceptability and feasibility. | ||||
| Discussion: Lessons Learned: Recruitment and training of implementers is a critical component within the programme. There is an important balance between finding individuals at community level while also recognising their need for substantial training on topics that have not previously been explored in such depth in such a participatory manner. Keeping young people motivated to attend the programme has proved challenging. Sessions should not be longer than 1 hour. | ||||
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