Asia

National governments must design, build and maintain policy, legislative and strategic frameworks that support the implementation, scale-up and monitoring of gender-responsive HIV programs. Many tools have been developed for the specific purpose of integrating gender into existing programs. However, noticeably absent are national-level strategic plans and policies that create the enabling environment in which gender-responsive programs and services can thrive, proliferate and be sustained.

This action guide describes a process through which countries can identify strengths and gaps in national strategies, policies and action plans to address gender equality as a social driver of HIV; collaborate with stakeholders to generate and advocate for practical solutions; and develop and advocate recommendations for improvement. Based on ICRW's experience in Cambodia and Uganda, the guide offers lessons and tools that will enable others to replicate similar processes in other countries.

The Measurement, Learning & Evaluation (MLE) project is the evaluation component of the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, a multi-country program in India, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal that aims to improve the health of the urban poor. A key objective of the project is to undertake a rigorous impact evaluation of the country programs, identifying the most effective and cost-efficient programmatic approaches to improving contraceptive use among the urban poor.

This report presents baseline survey results from samples in six cities in Uttar Pradesh, India. These findings provide an in-depth, quantitative examination of the factors that influence contraceptive use and fertility. Data from this survey can help guide program planners and policymakers as they determine which policies and programs are likely to lead to the desired reproductive health outcomes.

The MLE project is implemented by the University of North Carolina’s Carolina Population Center, in collaboration with African Population and Health Research Center and the International Center for Research on Women. For more information about the MLE project, visit www.urbanreproductivehealth.org.

The Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) program aims to promote gender equality among adolescents in school settings by encouraging equal relationships between girls and boys, examining the social norms that define men’s and women’s roles, and questioning the use of violence. The main components of GEMS are group education activities (GEA) and a campaign. The campaign is a week-long series of events, including games, competitions, debates and short plays, aimed at reaching out to students. This campaign guide walks facilitators through steps and ideas to organize similar campaigns on gender and violence in schools.

The Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) program was initiated to promote gender equality and reduce violence by engaging students in critical thinking and self-reflection. GEMS builds on successful efforts in India, such as Yari Dosti for young men and Sakhi-Saheli for young women, to foster more gender equitable attitudes and behaviors among youth, using group education activities (GEA) to engage students in the school setting. Participatory methodologies engage students in relevant interactions and reflection about key issues of gender and violence. This manual is based on the experience of conducting GEA with students. It is organized in seven modules, each corresponding to a specific theme. The GEMS experience provides evidence of a useful and feasible methodology for creating discussion around gender equality within the school setting.