Gender, Migration and HIV Though it is mainly men who are migrants, the number of female migrants is increasing significantly. This has made the gender dynamics of migration more explicit and it has become more critical that interventions are designed in such a way that they recognise the different circumstances and needs of both men and women. Men’s health and well-being are also jeopardised by rigid gender roles. A number of studies show that contemporary gender roles encourage men to equate risky behaviour with manliness and, conversely, to regard health seeking behaviour as “unmanly”. Such gender roles leave men and women vulnerable to HIV infection and decrease the likelihood that men will seek HIV testing services or access medical services until they are already very ill. To confront gender issues, PHAMSA has been working with the Sonke Gender Justice Network (SGJN), an NGO based in South Africa with a regional remit. SGJN’s vision is to “create a society in which men and women can enjoy equitable, healthy, and happy relationships that contribute to the development of a just and democratic society”. Staff from Sonke Gender Justice facilitated week-long “One Man Can” workshops as a part of PHAMSA’s Commercial Farm Workers HIV Prevention & Care Project in Hoedspruit, South Africa, implemented in partnership with the Hoedspruit Training Trust’s Hlokomela programme. The workshops used activities aimed at challenging traditional attitudes about the roles of men and women, and educating participants about how those attitudes put them at risk of HIV infection. The workshop drew participants from 28 local farms with three distinct groups represented: male supervisors, young male and female workers, and Hlokomela’s caregivers “That workshop changed everything for me. Before, when I beat my wife I was very angry, but after five minutes I felt so ashamed, so I wanted to change. I now belong to a farm committee called a 'Life-style Action Team' "We're trying to engage people with sports and recreation so they drink less."Sam Baloyi, a supervisor on Richmond Farm, Hoedspruit, South Africa |
Recognising the impact that gender plays in HIV vulnerability, coupled with mobility and migration factors, PHAMSA has mainstreamed gender throughout its programmes: · Advocacy for policy development: Gender issues will be included in all policy and information material, as well as addressed in all consultative workshops with decision makers and stakeholders. · Research and Learning: Gender issues and sensitivities will be consistently included in all research. · Regional Cooperation and Technical Cooperation / Pilot Projects: PHAMSA and Sonke Gender Justice will roll out a regional “One man Can” initiative targeting key stakeholders, implementing partners and IOM staff.
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