This document discusses developing communication capacity for gender transformative change. It describes an activity where participants describe objects to each other without seeing them to build communication skills. It then discusses how gender norms can impact conversations around topics like family planning. The document proposes a gender communication capacity framework where developing knowledge, challenging gender norms, and improving communication skills leads to changes in attitudes, norms, and knowledge that result in improved couple communication and outcomes like decreased unintended pregnancies. The framework is intended to measure how communication capacity building interventions impact gender-related outcomes through changes in communication.

1. Communication Capacity Development -
Planning for Gender Transformative Change
Dominick Shattuck, PhD
In collaboration with colleagues at FHI:
Miriam Hartmann, Michele Lanham

2. Overview
• Warm-up activity
• Communication Capacity Activity
• Research Foundation
• Model

3. Warm-Up
• Fartlek
• Monte Carlo Modeling
• Lorax
• Starting from the top, can anyone tell me what these
terms mean/are?

4. Warm-Up
• Where had you heard these terms before?
• How might your knowledge of these terms influence
your ability to articulate them to a peer?

5. Communication Capacity Activity
• Count off into groups
• One-way Communication:
– Identify one person who will describe the item I am
about to give them.
– Other group members will be note takers – listening
or writing notes only.

6. Communication Capacity Activity
• Describers
– Name your item for the
group.
– Describe the function of
your item.
– Explain the value of this
item to you, your family, or
the greater community.
• Note Takers
– Listen for:
– Key words
– What words would you
have used to describe the
item?
• Are they the
same/different?
– How did the description
and your understanding
change over time?
– How would this have been
different if you couldn’t
see the item?

7. Communication Capacity Activity
• Rounds:
– 1. Item only
– 2. Terms about item
– 3. More information about the item

8. Communication Capacity Activity
• Describers
– Name your item for the
group.
– Describe the function of
your item.
– Explain the value of this
item to you, your family, or
the greater community.
• Note Takers
– Listen for:
– Key words
– What words would you
have used to describe the
item?
• Are they the
same/different?
– How did the description
and your understanding
change over time?

9. Communication Capacity Activity
• How did common language facilitate your
understanding of the item?
– Give some examples of terms that you understood
– How differently would you have described the item?
• Did gender play a role in the descriptions of any
items?
– If so, how?
• How would two-way conversation change the
description process?

10. Gender Communication Capacity Activity
How could gender norms and one’s capacity to
communicate impact a conversation about:
• IUDs
• Partner violence
• Domestic responsibilities
• There is a need to both challenge gender norms, and
a responsibility to equip men and women with the
necessary language to have functional
communication.

11. Gender Communication Capacity Framework
• Previous attempts: Miller, Severy, Pasta (2003)
– Modeling fertility motivation in couples
– Navigates: desires, perceived desires and behavior
• similar to Interdependence Theory – Thibaut & Kelly, 1959
– Might it be easier and more equitable to teach people how to
communicate?
• Stepping Stones, Promundo, IMAGE, Salud y Género, SIDH, Men as
Partners, Male Motivators (among others)
– Identified communication between men and women as a facilitator of
change
– A goal of Stepping Stones: To enhance decision-making and
communication skills and ability to discuss sexual issues
• My intention was to develop a framework to help measure the
relationship between changes in communication capacity resulting from
interventions and the associated gender related outcomes.

12. Gender Communication Capacity Framework
• Communication Capacity is
developed through:
– Knowledge
• Already high in many
sites
– Challenging gender norms
– Developing
communication skills
• Clear & open articulation
• Listening
Capacity Development
Learning about FP Methods
& Side Effects
Challenging Gender Norms
Developing Communication
Skills around FP

13. Gender Communication Capacity Framework
• As capacity is developed,
anticipated changes should be
identified in:
– Perceived gender norms
– Attitudes toward FP
– Increased knowledge
• Improvements in
communication
– Establishing a dialogue about
contraceptive uptake
– Influenced by changes
individual outcomes
– Have influence on individual
outcomes
Individual Outcomes
Improved Communication
About Family Planning
Increases in knowledge
about FP
More positive perceived
gender norms
More positive attitudes
about FP

14. Gender Communication Capacity Framework
Outcomes
• Short-Term:
– Establish dialogue about
fertility desires
• Intermediate:
– Articulated contraceptive
intentions and plans
– Decreased discontinuation
• Increased ability to navigate
time between methods
– Increased contraceptive use
• Long-Term:
– Prevention of unintended
pregnancies
Couples Outcomes
Improved Communication
About Family Planning
Family Planning Use
Develop shared contraceptive
plan with partner
Lower rate of discontinuation

15. Gender Communication Capacity Framework

16. Gender Communication Capacity Framework
• Considered a component of larger gender-centered
interventions
• Framework developed in the context of family planning
– Adapted to GBV
• Lends itself to testing both direct and indirect relationships
between variables
– Anticipated analysis: SEM
• Conforms with the “hit-list” of gender-related factors, but
emphasizes the role of communication
• Focus – dyad, modifications need to apply to community or
peer groups