This document discusses best practices for gender-sensitive reproductive health programs in Tanzania. It identifies four best practices: tackling gender norms, catering programs to men, providing support during and after programs, and ensuring programs are community-specific. The document then examines two case studies in Tanzania - a workplace program that partnered with USAID and focused on HIV/AIDS prevention and family planning, and a faith-based organization in Zanzibar that worked with religious leaders to educate communities. Both programs had successes in engaging with men, but also challenges around integration of services and addressing gender norms. The conclusion states that male inclusion is important for reproductive health programs to be effective, as it gives men agency in their gender roles and

1. IT TAKES TWO:
BEST PRACTICES FOR GENDER-
SENSITIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
PROGRAMS IN TANZANIA
Ewa Cichewicz
MA Candidate
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

2. Introduction to RH
Background and literature
Research question
Case studies and results
Conclusion
OVERVIEW
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3. • Reproductive health is a human right
• Treated as a “women’s issue”
• Men missing in RH development initiatives
INTRODUCTION TO
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (RH)
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4. WID to GAD
GAD approach “...is not concerned with women per se but with the social
construction of gender and the assignment of specific roles, responsibilities,
and expectations to women and men” (Rathgeber 494).
IS GAD MAD?
Male inclusion has been a challenge as “men are rarely explicitly mentioned
in gender policy documents. Where men are included they are generally
seen as obstacles to women’s development (Cleaver 2002).
BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

5. THE ICPD (1994)
Reproductive health is “…the capacity to reproduce and the freedom to decide if,
if, when and how often to do so. […] the right of men and women to be informed
and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family
planning of their choice…” (Chapter VII, section 7.2)
MDGs Goal 5
BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE
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6. THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF
TANZANIA
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

7. Country Stats
• Population 47 million
• Population growth 3%
• Fertility rates 5.29 births per
woman, 5.1 in Zanzibar
• MMR estimated at 578 per
100, 000 (WHO), 279 per
100,000 in Zanzibar
Contraceptive Stats
• 20% women using modern
contraceptive method, 12.5% in
Zanzibar
• Unmet need for contraceptives
(married women) is 35%
WHY TANZANIA?
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

8. • HOW DOES MALE-INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING HELP PROMOTE
GENDER EQUALITY?
• WHAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE BEST APPROACHES TO
EFFECTIVE RH PROGRAMS?
• USING CASE STUDIES FROM TANZANIA, WHAT ARE THE
PRACTICAL IMPLCATIONS OF MALE-INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

9. FOUR BEST PRACTICES
TACKLING GENDER NORMS
CATERING PROGRAMS TO MEN
PROVIDING SUPPORT DURING/POST PROGRAM
MAKING PROGRAMS COMMUNITY SPECIFIC
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10. FOUR BEST PRACTICES
TACKLING GENDER NORMS
CATERING PROGRAMS TO MEN
PROVIDING SUPPORT DURING/POST PROGRAM
MAKING PROGRAMS COMMUNITY SPECIFIC
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

11. FOUR BEST PRACTICES
TACKLING GENDER NORMS
CATERING PROGRAMS TO MEN
PROVIDING SUPPORT DURING/POST PROGRAM
MAKING PROGRAMS COMMUNITY SPECIFIC
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

12. FOUR BEST PRACTICES
TACKLING GENDER NORMS
CATERING PROGRAMS TO MEN
PROVIDING SUPPORT DURING/POST PROGRAM
MAKING PROGRAMS COMMUNITY SPECIFIC
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

13. • Socialization is at the core of
our behaviour and practices
• Gender norms have a strong
impact on RH, especially in
patriarchal societies
• Associated with cultural
practices, more difficult to
change
FOUR BEST PRACTICES:
TACKLING GENDER NORMS
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

14. • Male-only programs can
address male-specific issues
and needs
• Allow men to question their
position/roles in safe
environment
• Discuss violence and its
impacts
FOUR BEST PRACTICES:
CATERING PROGRAMS TO MEN
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

15. • Access to health specialists
• Access to contraceptives
• Services should be available
and accessible
• Have role models in the
community
FOUR BEST PRACTICES:
PROVIDING SUPPORT DURING AND
POST PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

16. • Need to take into
consideration religion, culture
norms, stereotypes around
sexuality/ RH
• Cultural sensitivity will help
with acceptance by the
community
• Use local knowledge and
have room to grow with
participants and community
FOUR BEST PRACTICES:
MAKING PROGRAMS COUNTRY/
COMMUNITY SPECIFIC
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

17. • A workplace program at Unilever Tea Tanzania Ltd and collaborated
with USAID
• Company has 6,000 employees, extends health services to the
community of approximately 200,000 people
• Goal to increase men’s use of available HIV/AIDS prevention, care
and treatment services, and use and information of family planning
services (USAID 2010).
CASE STUDIES :
HEALTHY IMAGES OF MANHOOD
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18. SUPPORT
• facilities, 160 peer health educators
(PHEs), information and condom
distribution, counselling
• Extensive training for PHEs
• Community role models
• Short staffed
GENDER NORMS
• strong focus on changing
behavioural practices and gender
norms
• increase in services use by men
and changes in relations between
men and women
COMMUNITY
• trained local staff and PHEs
• Some backlash from religious
leaders
MALE- SPECIFIC
• focused on helping men assess
their behaviour
• Structure centred around health risk
for men
• Mixed-gender group approach, can
alienate women
CASE STUDIES RESULTS:
HEALTHY IMAGES OF MANHOOD
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

19. • Established in 2005 by the Inter-Faith Forum (IFF), a venue for
religious groups to educate their members on development from a
religious perspective
• Focuses largely on the modern interpretation of family planning
within the Muslim and Christian faith
• A faith based organization (FBO) working locally in Zanzibar
CASE STUDIES : THE ZANZIBAR
INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT AND AIDS (ZIADA)
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

20. SUPPORT
• Guidance and information, less
distribution
• Integration of RH services is very
slow in Zanzibar
• Focus on abstinence, and condom
use for married couples only
GENDER NORMS
• Religious interpretation to family
planning
• Gender-sensitive interpretations to
holy texts
• Lack of female religious leaders for
better input on guidelines
COMMUNITY
• 95% identify as Muslim, faith-based
approach can have a large impact
• Community leaders have intimate
access and awareness of FP issues
• Mullahs are respected, local with
knowledge of language and culture
MALE-SPECIFIC
• Promotion of condoms as a
contraceptive
• Male religious leaders=male-
oriented approaches
• Men attend mosques/lectures
• Women less likely to get information
CASE STUDIES RESULTS: ZIADA
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

21. PROGRAM COMPARISONS:
HIM AND ZIADA
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22. • Male-inclusion has been necessary for RH to work, especially in
patriarchal societies where women may not have complete
autonomy over their own sexual health.
• Men, just as women, need guidance and access to RH information.
• Without giving men information about sexual safety and treating
men as obstacles to equality, we are not giving men any options to
rise above their own gender roles.
CONCLUSION
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23. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND
ANY QUESTIONS
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