Home About Us Our Approaches Best Practices Integrated Programs Community Based Programs Capacity Building Current Programs Gender Integrating HIV/AIDS and RH/FP Postabortion Care Scaling-Up Best Practices in ANE Working with Displaced Persons Youth Postpartum Care Corporate Social Responsibility Promoting the Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy Where We Work Resources



Gender and RH/FP

Related Pages

Constructive Involvement of Men

Women's Empowerment

Healthy Images of Manhood (HIM): An Overview

HIM Training at Unilever Tea Tanzania: A Presentation

Complete ESD Gender Strategy

Gender is about how males and females are expected to act and behave as men and women in their society. It refers to a set of qualities and behaviors that societies expect from men and women. These expectations are based on the belief that certain qualities, behaviors, characteristics and roles are “natural” for men, while other qualities and roles are “natural” for women. What society deems as “appropriate” behavior for males and females is taught and learned.

ESD’s gender equity strategy (developed by IntraHealth) includes two distinct but equally important steps: The first being to encourage constructive male involvement and the second to promote women’s empowerment . Combined, these two strategic elements constitute ESD’s Men and Women as Partners approach.

ESD’s men and women as partners strategy reflects state-of-the-art gender approaches. It also reflects the spirit of the discussion on Gender Equality, Equity and Empowerment of Women at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo as well as more recent developments in regional consensus on gender equality.

Applying the Gender Strategy

Key elements common to male involvement and women’s empowerment activities include:

  • Values clarification on gender
  • Identification of and reflection on traditional gender roles
  • Understanding of male and female power dynamics
  • Identification of gender stereotypes
  • Increase in women’s and men’s awareness of the gender inequities and inequalities that exist

ESD integrates these elements within other RH/FP activities, such as

 

The information provided on this Web site is not official U.S. Government
information and does not represent the views or positions of the
U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.

Agreement Award
#GPO-A-00-05-00027-00