Week 3 Discussion Guide: Childhood and Adolescence · International Women’s Health & Human Rights Week 3 Discussion Guide: Childhood and Adolescence Themes from the Week

International Women’s Health & Human Rights www.internationalwomenshealth.org

Week 3 Discussion Guide: Childhood and Adolescence

Themes from the Week

• Adolescence and Change • Female Genital Mutilation • HIV/AIDS • Structural violence

Before You Begin Visit the Discussion Toolkit instructions page and read the instructions thoroughly to prepare for group discussions: http://internationalwomenshealth.org/interact.html The toolkits are a jumping-off point to start your conversations. You may have questions of your own that you wish to discuss with your group, which we also encourage. As you plan your discussion session and choose which of the following questions to address, please remember that you do not have to get through all of the topics. The main purpose of meeting together is to have an engaged and thoughtful discussion about International Women’s Health and Human Rights.

This week, you may decide as a group to discuss one or more of the following topics: (1) Female Genital Mutilation, (2) the incidence of HIV/AIDS among women and girls, or (3) the concept of “structural violence.” Part I. Introductions and Initial Response Meet your Group (5-10 minutes) Briefly introduce yourself to your teammates and describe one new idea or fact you learned from this week on Childhood and Adolescence, either about Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, or Structural Violence. Please also decide if you will focus on a single set of questions or if you want to take more time to tackle all three topics. Part II. Topical Questions to Consider With Your Group We have left space for you to write down some of your thoughts on the subject as you meet with your group.

Topic 1: Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation Background & Definitions of Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (20-25 minutes) 1. Why is it important to study adolescent girls as a separate age group? What are issues that adolescent girls face that children (younger than 10) do not? What are issues that adolescent girls face that women (older than 24) do not? 2. What is the World Health Organization's definition of Female Genital Mutilation [FGM]? Consider the terms “female genital mutilation,” “female genital cutting,” and “female circumcision.” Given what you know about the differences in the procedures between countries, comment on these terminologies.

Culture & Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation (15-20 minutes) 3. What are the justifications for FGM? What are the consequences of FGM? What is being done to change perceptions of FGM in the communities in which it is practiced? If you were a citizen of a country in which FGM is being practiced, how would you address the cultural reasons for conducting the procedure?

Topic 2: HIV/AIDS and Women Contracting and Living with HIV/AIDS (20-25 minutes) 4. Globally, girls and women are more vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS than are boys and men. Why do females have a higher risk than males of contracting HIV? Think about biology, social status, and age differences. 5. How does the stigma relating to HIV/AIDS further endanger girls living with this disease? Treatment and Prevention for Women (10-15 minutes) 6. Despite the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS, there are methods and resources to reduce symptoms and prevent the spread of the disease. Imagine that you are a young woman in a monogamous relationship with an HIV positive male. Consider the following:

• What are some ways to prevent your contracting HIV? • If you plan to have a baby, like Bhanu in From Outrage to Courage, how can you prevent your

child from contracting HIV? • How are some communities helping girls and young women infected with HIV/AIDS?

Topic 3: The Impact of “Structural Violence” on

Women’s Health & Human Rights in Your Community

What is Structural Violence? (20-30 minutes)

Dr. Gene Richardson talked about “structural violence,” which he calls “types of violence that are not physical but that affect the health of populations,” including “institutionalized racism, gender inequality, lack of access to water or to clean water, lack of access to adequate housing—all the sorts of social mechanisms that prevent a population or a group of persons from becoming as healthy as they should be can be thought of as structural violence.”

7. Please think about the community you live in. Are there any examples of “structural violence” in your community that prevent some members of the community from being as healthy as they could be? Please write down some of these examples.

8. Brainstorm and discuss some of the underlying reasons these conditions exist.

9. Are there ways to address these problems? What actions from the government, organizations, or individuals can help eliminate “structural violence” and promote health for all?

Part III. Submit a Report When you have finished, please share your group’s reflections with the IWHHR community. As a team, make sure to fill out the information needed for the Discussion Toolkit report before you conclude your meeting. Your group only needs to submit ONE report. The online report form asks for the following: Date of your Meeting # Group Members participating What you discussed (short write-up of a few sentences) City and Country of each participant Was the meeting online or in person? Access the Sharing Portal at: www.setsail.io Note: For those interested in a Statement of Accomplishment from Stanford University, you should also write an individual reflection on today’s group meeting and post it on the Sharing Portal. You must attend at least three group meetings during this course to receive the Statement of Accomplishment.