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A Case Study:
Gender Education & HIV/AIDS in Sonya Kalyniak
LESOTHO training and in school HIV/AIDS clubs. The modules include topics of stereotypes, discrimination, understanding the difference between sex and gender, understanding gender roles in a Lesotho context, gender discrimination and gender equality. An interesting area that can be a struggle for Canadians as well is discussing the definitions of sex and gender; basically, sex is biological where gender is socially and culturally defined concepts of masculinity and femininity. This promotes the idea that gender roles can evolve and have changed in the participants’ lifetimes. Young people gave examples that in the past, girls could not attend school or work, whereas now these things are becoming socially acceptable. Games and activities are incorporated to help participants understand these concepts.
Learning the context of HIV/AIDS Education in Lesotho As a young social worker about to embark on a six month internship to Lesotho, a small developing country surrounded by South Africa, I spent hours reading and learning about the beauties and hardships of this kingdom. Lesotho has a population of 1.8 million with an official HIV prevalence of 23%, one of the highest rates in the world. My mind numbed learning about the amount of sexual violence in Southern Africa and the realization that addressing the gender inequality present is necessary to slow the spread of HIV. The statistics I read about came to life two weeks after arriving as I drove down a highway just after dark and a fourteen year old girl ran directly towards into our speeding car. She was desperate to escape a man who was chasing her and had torn away her clothing in an obvious attempt to rape her. Explaining this event to my Basotho colleagues, I heard many similar stories. Indeed what I witnessed was not a rare event but something becoming close to normalcy.
Reflecting on Experiences My experiences have been varied, thought-provoking and challenging, and as I learned about people’s perceptions, I found myself reflecting on my own gender values and how these were formed. In my attempts to be non-judgemental throughout these processes, I recognized the need to analyze my own reactions and balance my personal viewpoints within Lesotho culture. This was not easy, and the
In a country so affected by HIV/AIDS, it is impossible to speak about women and children’s health without addressing gender issues. Women are more vulnerable to HIV infection than men, partially due to gender equality related factors including access to resources, education, employment and also the need for many women to be dependent on men for survival, making it difficult to negotiate sexual encounters. Until women, including the youngest of girls, are able to negotiate their bodies and sexual relationships, men will continue to have the power to make life-altering decisions such as when to have sex and condom use. . Lesotho is a culture that is generally male-dominated, and although things are changing, many women have little to no sexual decision-making power. In speaking to a male Mosotho colleague, he explained that it is a new concept for a woman to be able to decline sex. Although men are starting to understand that ‘no means no’ in the capital, Maseru, it is a developing recognition in the rural areas. It is heart-breaking to see young women forced to leave school for becoming pregnant, some without understanding how pregnancy happens. Also devastating is the increasing stories of grandmothers being raped as they are seen as generally HIV negative. During my time in Lesotho, every person I met was somehow affected by HIV, from a colleague supporting her orphaned teenaged neighbours to a local grandmother being left to care for seven children after her daughter passed away.
“ In a country so affected by HIV/ AIDS, it is impossible to speak about women and children’s health without addressing gender issues.” deeper the conversations became, the more I struggled. As I tussled with thinking about my own perceptions, I realized how much the young people I was working with must also be actively reflecting to fit these concepts into their perceptions. A crucial part of gender training is encouraging thought processes to help know oneself and learning different ways to look at self and society. One example that appears to open minds to a new level is discussions with young men about having a partner who will love and respect rather than fear. The topic of respect versus fear is also influential in talking to our young women.
Developing Methods of Gender Education Understanding the influence of gender-related determinants of HIV/AIDS infection has grown in the past decade with a multitude of techniques about how to put this knowledge into gender education . Gender education basically involves teaching people about masculinity and femininity and how these concepts affect social roles. In Lesotho, with memorization being the key to academic success, there is little room for developing critical thought. Gender education is about opening participant’s minds to a new way of thinking about themselves as male or female and how they relate to their society, along with what it means to respect those of the opposite sex. It is also about giving young girls and women information to know how valuable they are as individuals and they have the right to make decisions to protect themselves. The modules Help Lesotho have developed involve working with children, adolescents and teachers and is presented in our youth leadership
One interesting challenge I faced in this training was when young people questioned me about my culture. These questions mainly arose through messages North American media dispels into African society through MTV and white-male dominated politics. I readily admitted that ‘western’ culture has a ways to come. As a young woman in a female dominated profession, I thought a lot about how I became a social worker and if this was a result of the gender roles in my society. Although Lesotho has a way to come in gender relations, the government is addressing some issues through progressive stances to set 30% of local government seats to women. I question what a similar policy would look like in Canada. Areas for Growth Gender education is not something that can produce instant results; it takes
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