Gender responsive programming: An approach to planning and implementation

Gender responsive programming

An approach to planning and implementation

Elena McEwan, MDSenior Technical AdviserCatholic Relief ServicesCore Spring meeting, April 2010

What does Gender mean?

Gender refers to a set of qualities and behaviors expected from males and females by society. Gender roles are socially determined and can be affected by factors such as education or economics. They may vary widely within and between cultures, and often evolve over time.

What does Sex mean?

Sex refers to the biological differences between males and females. Sex differences are related to males’ and females’ physiology

Catholic Social Teaching & Gender

Responsive Programming

Integral Human Development To better understand the complex world of the communities we serve and design programs that improve livelihood outcomes and increase household resiliency

Catholic Social Teaching

To promote right relationships among all people by ensuring that men and women have the opportunity, capacity, voice and support they need to participate on an equal basis, to realize their full potential, and to reduce the disparities and imbalances of power including those which exist between men and women.

Catholic Social Teaching- Guiding Principles

• Sacredness and Dignity of the Human Person

• Rights and Responsibilities• Social Nature of Humanity• Solidarity• Option for the Poor

The use of a Gender lens in CRS programs

Project cycle:– Pre proposal:

• Secondary data disaggregated by sex• Seek & analysis of information (health outcomes

vs. gender issues)• Include both (women and men)for feasible

solutions to the same problem

– Proposal development and implementation:• Innovation: Changing men’s behavior regarding

health care • How to measure and evaluate its contribution to

better health outcomes

Changing men’s behaviors regarding care during partner’s pregnancy, delivery and post-partum/neo-natal periods:

Which danger signs would make men seek help

During pregnancy:• 26% of men

mentioned bleeding, • 15% fever or

abdominal pain and • 33% did not know of

any sign.

During delivery: • 31% mentioned

bleeding,• 14% fever and • 32% did not know

any sign

During postpartum period:

• 29% mentioned bleeding,

• 13% fever and • 17% did not know

any sign

Danger sings in newborns:

• 41% mentioned fever

• 17% rapid and difficult breathing.

Source: CSP Baseline, 2008

What is the problem in seeking care?

0

10

20

30

40

50

men together women

Who makes the decision

Pregnancy

Birth

For newborn

Systematic approach for behavior change

Planning and Strategy Development

Developing and Pretesting Concepts, Messages, and Materials

Implementing The Strategy

Assessing Effectiveness and Making Refinements

3

2

4

1

1. Organization of targeted communities

2. Field work3. Findings

analysis and development of community strategies

First Phase:Formative Research

What is the problem?

Formative research findings:Reasons why men don’t get involved in wife and children health:

1. Don’t know how to do it2. Lack of communication

with wife regarding pregnancy

3. Lack of motivation due to feeling left out by the health staff during care

4. They feel embarrassed to be seen by other women when taking care of the newborns

Second Phase:Probing phase and development of BCC materials

Key behaviors /% achievement

1.Collect fire woods and water: 76%2.Support wife with household work: 100%3.Take care of newborn and older children day and night: 71%4.Feed children (one snack and dinner): 98%5.Agree with wife to stay at the maternity waiting home seven days post partum:75%6.Find someone to take care of the house while he goes with wife to HU: 80%

Key behaviors, cont…

• Go with wife to ANC, ask questions during care: 66%

• Go with wife to HC stay in the delivery room during labor and delivery: 50%

Conclusions:

• Behaviors practiced during the probing phase are feasible and men were willing to try them

• Include in the BCC strategy the health staff to change behaviors

• Of the ten selected behaviors only 8 were practiced, but not due to men willingness but related to the program– Learning curve of field staff– A behavior related to seeking care during L&D

(date of the birth was miscalculated)– Some behaviors couldn’t be evaluated because

the man was not at home during the visit

Thank you!