HKI’s Approach to Gender in Bangladesh-Institutionalizing Gender in Nutrition and Agriculture Interventions by Ramona Ridolfi, Gender Advisor, HKI Bangladesh

HKI’s Approach to Gender in

BangladeshInstitutionalizing Gender in Nutrition and Agriculture Interventions

International Women’s Day, 9th March 2014, Dhaka

Ramona Ridolfi, Gender Advisor, HKI Bangladesh [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

• Section 1: HKI’s Gender Interventions in Bangladesh

• Section 2: Nurturing Connections Curriculum – A New Integrated Gender and Nutrition Package

• Section 3: Results and Lessons Learnt

• Section 4: Adaptation and Next Steps

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presentation overview

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Photo © HKI / Hannah Taylor

SECTION 1: HKI’s GENDER INTERVENTIONS IN BANGLADESH

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HKI’s Diabetic Retinopathy programs in Chittagong and Dhaka since 2011

adopted an “Intensive Case Management” (ICM) package to work with entire families in identifying and overcoming barriers to women’s healthcare.

SECTION 1: HKI’s GENDER INTERVENTION IN BANGLADESH

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From a “Focus on Women”…Eg: REAL Project (2008-2010) incyclone Sidr-affected area: livelihoodopportunities and assets for extremepoor and widowed women.

To Testing Innovative Approaches…Eg: PLB (Project Laser Beam, since2011) in Satkhira: gender messages innutrition and courtyard sessions;mid-project assessment for women’sdecision-making on child nutrition.

To a Gender Transformative Approach…

BEAM (2011-2013) in Nilphamari: has a specific integrated nutrition andgender intervention package that challenges discriminating gender norms in thehousehold which contribute to malnutrition.

- Nurturing Connections Manual

M2W2 Scale-up (2013-2015): Meaningfully engages men, women andcommunity leaders in planning to improve nutrition and increase women’s accessto markets.

1000 Most Critical Days Project (MCDP, 2013-2015): in Khulna District,implemented in partnership with Save the Children, uses Nurturing Connections.

SECTION 1: HKI’s GENDER INTERVENTION IN BANGLADESH

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Photo © HKI/ Mushfiq Fahad Ameen

SECTION 2: NURTURING CONNECTIONS CURRICULUM

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• Inspired by Stepping Stones

– A training package developed by researcher Dr Alice Welburn in Uganda between 1993-95 to for HIV prevention through peer and community groups.

• Draws on HKI’s previous nutrition interventions

– Materials include nutrition and gender integrated activities to empower women and improve their health and that of their children.

• Aims to challenge intra-household inequalities that contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition

– The curriculum builds skills in communication, assertiveness and problem-solving while discussing nutrition and food security.

SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM

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• Behaviour Change is not a rational path: comes from within and requires time todevelop

• Recognises that malnutrition cannot be addressed without challenging unequalgender relations and opening up communication and dialogue about taboo subjects

• Recognises the power of group dynamics

• Works with both men and women and with different age groups, both separately andtogether

• Uses participatory methodologies that enable all community members, includingthose who are not literate, in their own peer groups first and then together.


The Nurturing Connections Approach: characteristics

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• The “Blocks”

1) Let’s Communicate;

2) Understanding Perceptions and

Gender;

3) Negotiating Power;

4) Acting for Change.

• The “Community Sessions”One at the end of each Block, brings

together husbands, FILs, wives and MILs

to discuss the main learnings in each

Block in a mediated community setting.


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Design of the Activity: 1. Begins with an action or

experience.2. The action is followed by a

reflection: “What happened? What does it mean? Why did it happen?”

3. From the reflection we draw a learning and we name it.

4. The learning leads to planning: “Now what? What will we do to change the situation?


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• Pilot testing the curriculum in Building Equity in Agriculture and Markets (BEAM) Project

- 3 stakeholders groups: women; husbands/fathers-in law; mothers-in law

- 1 session every two weeks (2 hours a fortnight) over a six-month period

- 40 producer groups in Nilphamari and Kishoregonj upazilas, randomly chosen

- 20 facilitators (some facilitating alone, some in pairs, especially with MILs)


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Photo © HKI/ Micaela Arthur

SECTION 3: RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNT

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SECTION 3: BEAM BASELINE

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99%89%

33%

96% 90%

35%

1%11%

67%

4% 10%

65%

BL ML EL BL ML EL

you can delay household work sometimes, withoutbeing punished

your husband's family will support you, if you have apersonal problem or difficulty

How confident are you that

With some difficulty Not at all confidentFairly confident Very confident

SECTION 3: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM ENDLINE…

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33% 97% 1% 45%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Baseline Endline Baseline Endline

Child health care family or relatives visit

Figure 1: Proportion of women who report having a say in decision making about

the given topics.

SECTION 3: PRELIMINARY RESULTS…

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Figure 2: Proportion of women who received assistance from their husbands

for household activities.

• Suggestions from HKI’s pilot test:

- The manual is NOT to be seen as a set of activities, separated from other components

- Need organizational capacity and commitment

- Make it fun and provide refreshments for participants

- Maintain a register of participants

- When adapting, note important discussions, difficulties

- Retrain the facilitators, offer continuous support

SECTION 3: LESSONS LEARNT

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Photo © HKI/ Jeff Holt

SECTION 4: ADAPTATION AND CONCLUSIONS

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Training on Homestead fish culture

• Training is primarily focused on the technology and specific knowledge and skills related to using it

• Integrate Nurturing Connections to address gender based constraints to adopting and benefiting from the technology, such as around:

– Building self-confidence to use the technology

– Unequal distribution of fish and its benefits for women and children

– Intra-household negotiation over resources needed to use technology, and resulting fish production & income

Maintain the approach in peer and community groups

SECTION 4: EXAMPLES OF ADAPTATION

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UNDERSTANDING OF NUTRITION AND INTRA-HOUSEHOLD POWER

(Flipchart from aquaculture manual, used to guide open discussion)


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- Indigenous small fish that can be found in ponds e.g. mola,darkina, puti etc.- These fish are rich in vitamin, iron and zinc as well as otherminerals- Small fish is an important contribution to meeting the nutritionneeds of the family members especially the women and children- Women members for the household can be directly involved infish culture

• Sharing workloads and benefits

- Do (unequal) power relations withinthe household affect the ability ofwomen to make decisions that suittheir preferences (eg: aroundinvestments) or allow them to receivebenefits in line with theircontributions?

- Encourage joint work on the pond andin the household and equal sharing ofbenefits.

- Block 3 of Nurturing Connections:“Exploring Power Relations”


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• HKI has developed a GTA that:

a) Is Innovative: promotes the transformation of discriminating gendernorms and social habits.

Nurturing Connections targets all main decision-makers of the household, not justwomen, with the aim of challenging and changing discriminating social practices.

b) Can be adapted for use in different contexts

NOTE:

Transforming habits and preference around food and care takes effort, research,resources.

Behaviour Change, especially around gender, requires time – it involvesattitude change.

SECTION 4: CONCLUSIONS

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THANK YOU

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.”-Helen Keller

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HKI’s Approach to Gender in Bangladesh-Institutionalizing Gender in Nutrition and Agriculture Interventions by Ramona Ridolfi, Gender Advisor, HKI Bangladesh

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