The Normative Dimensions of SBC as Part of a Community Action Cycle FEVEN MEKURIA

1. Core group spring conference
May 2016

2. • Define and describe the SAA process – with a focus
on the Reflection and Dialogue
• Discuss critical reflection and dialogue – what and
why?
• A program example - theory of change and research
finding
• Reflect on how SAA can help catalyze change
• Summary

3. • A facilitated process through which individuals and
communities explore and challenge the social norms
and practices that shape their lives and health.
• Goal = Catalyze a community-owned change process
• Facilitates critical reflection & dialogue  Identify how
health and well-being are shaped by social norms
• Offers opportunities to engage in problem solving
dialogue and envision alternatives
• Individuals and communities challenge restrictive
norms and act together to create more equitable
gender norms

4. What is the SAA Process?
1) Reflection,
dialogue and
exploration
2) Envisioning
alternatives and
challenging harmful
norms
3) Community-led
action for health
and rights
Three Core Elements:
Community Action and Project Cycle
+ Ongoing Critical Reflection and
Dialogue

5. A space and facilitated dialogue that enables individuals
and communities to:
• Surface and reflect on norms and beliefs
• Explore how norms may harm health and restrict rights
• Discuss sensitive or previously “taboo” subjects
• Question norms and envision alternatives
• Challenge restrictive norms
• Identify positive examples, e.g. role models
• Act together to shift social norms

6. Staff:
• Space to reflect on our own
attitudes & beliefs and how they
affect our work
• Identify & manage own biases
to ensure we don’t inadvertently
reinforce stereotypes & power
inequities
• Prepare for leading the
challenging process of exploring &
questioning deeply-held beliefs
with the community
• NB. objective is self-reflection,
not self-disclosure
Community:
• Surface invisible social norms
which negatively influence health,
restrict rights
• Create space to reflect and
question discriminatory norms
and understand the link with
undesirable outcomes/ their
consequences
• Supports envisioning of
alternative norms and behaviors
to catalyze change/ enact more
equitable and healthier practices
• Identify influential or “entry
points” in the community to
support the change process

7. Approach: Catalyze ongoing community dialogue about gender, power
relations, sexuality and family planning – SAA, core community
dialogue approach
Dialogue was specifically aimed to:
• Normalize discourse about gender and family planning
• Create safe spaces for reflection and learning (community
meetings + small groups)
• Critically analyze how gender norms restrict FP
• Provide role models for couple communication, equitable
gender norms and family planning
6/2/2016
7

9. • Normalized discussion about gender and FP
• Public discourse precipitated conversations on FP
in the household (couples discussion)
• Increased the perceived social acceptability of FP
and benefits of open couple communication
• Created positive outcome expectations for couples
communication and FP (stories from satisfied
couples help dispel myths, role models)
• Legitimize men’s participation in communication
and decision-making about FP  positively
influenced their approval of FP (predictor of FP use)

10. • Public dialogue may have increase the perceived social
acceptability of FP and of the benefits of open couple
communication about FP,
• And these normative changes at the community level
may have enabled more equitable communication and
decision making at the couple level.
• Interventions that encourages and supports dialogue and
communication about gender norms and sexuality can
shift gender relations and positively influence family
planning use, especially for women.

11. • explore barriers related to underlying gender and social
norms - address root causes, including rigid gender roles
and social inequities
• engage the community to define their own problems and
generate solutions – lead the change
• Build trust – skilled facilitation!
• is centered around ongoing critical reflection and
dialogue – deeper probing to understand complex and
sensitive norms
• Can be used for identifying and reaching the marginalized
• Starts with ourselves

12. Our role is different.
• We work with partners in the community, they drive the
change
• We are “co-explorers” not teachers
• We ask why and how
• We don’t bring the answers
• We pose questions & avoid delivering messages
• We engage in ongoing reflection with ourselves