Grant: Team Grant: Violence, Gender and Health

We are proposing to implement and evaluate a two-part project to reduce rates of gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV in the rural Sisonke District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa; and evaluate its applicability to rural Canadian Aboriginal communities which, like black South African rural communities, are disproportionately affected by GBV and HIV within their national contexts. The approach will involve active participation of the local community. The two parts of the proposed project are: 1) strengthening of services for dealing with GBV, and 2) getting members of the communities involved in actions that lead to change, using methods based on drama. The proposed service component is made up of two activities: 1) strengthening of existing support services and/or institution of new services for survivors of GBV, and 2) training of health care and other service providers (police, social service workers, etc.) to recognize clients who may be survivors of GBV, and to provide appropriate referrals to services. The proposed community mobilization component consists of three activities: 1) training workshops for male and female facilitators, 2) community-wide forums, and 3) ongoing support for facilitators and community responses to GBV and HIV/AIDS. We will use research to see whether the project helped to get survivors of GBV to appropriate services, and whether it decreased the likelihood of women being revictimized, thus helping reduce women and girls' vulnerability to HIV infection. We will also research whether the drama improved communication and negotiation skills between men and women, particularly as related to gender roles, masculinity and femininity, sexuality, conflict resolution, and HIV/AIDS. A critical observer team of Aboriginal academic and community members will assess the intervention and research modifications for its adaptation to rural, Aboriginal Canadian communities.