Dorase Zulu - LPCB, Zambia

Addressing Gender Disparities through Organization Development

LOCAL PARTNERS CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM

Local Partners Capacity Building Program

• LPCB is an organization development and competitive grants program for HIV and AIDS organizations in Zambia

• Funded by PEPFAR through USAID-Zambia

• Aims to improve the capacity of local NGOs, FBOs and CBOs to ensure efficient and effective expansion of HIV and AIDS programs

LOCAL PARTNERS CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM 2

Gender and HIV and AIDS

• Gender disparities impact the spread of HIV and AIDS through unequal power relations and their affect sexual behaviour

• Among LPCB partners,

the majority of senior staff

positions were held by

males while the majority of

beneficiaries were female


Key Interventions

1. Gender and Leadership training for 107 Partner Organizations (POs)

2. Training in Gender Analysis for 107 POs

3. Gender Framework (guidelines) developed

4. LPCB funded community gender initiatives

5. Mentoring/backstopping of POs


Gender and Leadership Training

• General introduction to Gender and how it is relevant to Organization Leadership– Governance (board, mission, autonomy)

– Management & leadership style (barriers to women’s advancement in organization)

– Organizational culture (attitudes/behaviour that influence decision-making,)

– Day-to-day interaction between men and women


Gender Analysis Training• Practical gender analysis using Harvard

Analytical Framework

• Integrating results from gender analysis into development programming

– Internal (within the organization)

– External (in relation to programs)

• Social, cultural norms (attitudes/behaviour that influence decision-making, etc., in society)

• Day-to-day interaction between men and women in communities with whom POs work


Gender Framework

• Numbers of women and men at every level of organization (Board & decision making roles )

• Policies to promote gender equality in governance, strategy, programs, and HR

• Organizational culture that promotes inclusion, diversity, safety

• Practices to implement policies effectively

• Reference to National plans and frameworks


Community Gender Initiatives• Grants encouraged gender initiatives• Examples of activities selected for funding:

– Awareness-raising on

gender-based violence(GBV)– Increasing male involvement

in PMTCT– Sensitization on how unequal

power relations impact HIV/AIDS – Couples counselling using

“RESPECT” model


Mentoring of POs• On-site follow-up by LPCB HIV and AIDS

Technical Team• Similar support provided from Capacity Leaders

and Organization Development Facilitators (ODFs) trained by LPCB


Resources Required & Challenges

• To date a total of approx. USD 105,000 was spent on gender trainings and USD 321,561provided in direct funding to POs focusing on gender activities

• Specific gender activities were initiated later in LPCB’s period of performance

• Changing deeply-entrenched cultural norms cannot happen overnight

• Women and victims of GBV do not feel empowered to challenge the status quo


Achievements

LOCAL PARTNERS CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM

• LPCB successfully:– Incorporated gender into its OD approach – Funded 9 community-level initiatives addressing

harmful gender norms and behaviors

• In 2012, 54% of partner organizations enrolled were woman-led or women-focused, an increase of 32% from 2007-2011

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Lessons Learnt• Focus on Gender should be built into project

design from the beginning

• Require gender training & gender analysis as part of grant funding

• Gender analysis findings must inform programming

• Data collection efforts should focus on the impact of gender interventions on HIV

• Evaluate changes in gender norms as a result of programming


Conclusion

• Increasing awareness of and response to gender equity issues is a critical component of HIV programming and OD

• Behaviour change communication activities to transform deeply entrenched gender norms need to be on going

• Addressing gender disparities requires commitment at all levels: funder, organization, and community


Health & Medicine

Dorase Zulu - LPCB, Zambia