17th International AIDS Conference Mexico City, Mexico - August 13 - 18, 2008

INTEGRATING GENDER INTO HIV/AIDS INTERVENTIONS - DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO OUTCOMES?

Int Conf AIDS. 2008 Aug 13-18;17 Abstract No. MOAC0205

E. Rottach¹, K. Hardee ², S. Schuler^1
1Academy for Educational Development, Empowerment of Women Research Program, Washington, United States; ²Population Action International, Research Department, Washington, United States

BACKGROUND: The gender dimensions of the HIV pandemic have been well articulated. Differentials in gender-power dynamics affect both women’s and men’s behavior and their ability to protect themselves from HIV infection and to access treatment and care and support once infected. This paper asks if integrating gender into HIV/AIDS interventions make a difference to outcomes?

METHODS: This paper builds on previous work published in 2004 by the Interagency Gender Working Group to review the evidence regarding interventions that have sought to integrate gender - either to accommodate existing gender norms or to transform gender norms towards more equity - in project activities. This paper provides the most recent evidence from 13 projects in developing countries that have integrated gender and have conducted a rigorous quantitative or qualitative evaluation of the project. The authors identified these projects from a review of the published literature and final reports that included a full description of a rigorous evaluation. The authors contacted experts on gender and HIV to elicit information on relevant projects.

RESULTS: The 13 projects with rigorous evaluations addressed a range of topic and had a wide in geographic spread. Projects addressing male/maculinity norms and MSM were concentrated in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, and one project addressing GBV worked with young men in Tanzania. In Africa, one project in Kenya addressed women’s property rights, one in South Africa addressed MTCT, and another in Tanzania addressed gender-based violence. Finally, Stepping Stones, also implemented in Africa, is a gender transformative HIV prevention intervention.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this review show that integrating gender into interventions, particularly taking a gender transformative approach, can yield significant health and gender equity outcomes. Notions about gender norms have changed as a result of some of the interventions and those normative changes have also resulted in positive HIV/AIDS-related health outcomes.

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2008-08-13
MOAC0205

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