What Works for Women and Girls

in the intervention village were significantly less likely to report that violence againstwomen is justified under various scenarios. The program was designed based on formativeresearch among young men and women regarding the context of sexual relationshipsamong youth at risk for HIV, including gender norms and roles, partner violence,and sexual behavior. The theme of transactional sex and the active roles of young menand women in the practice also emerged in the formative research as is described byMaganja et al. (2007). The interventions for young men were designed around threethemes that emerged from the formative research, namely, infidelity, sexual communicationand conflict (Maganja et al., 2007). (Gray III) (gender norms, peer education,violence, condoms, Tanzania)A peer group HIV prevention intervention that compared matched workplaces betweenan intervention group that addressed issues of gender inequality with a delayed controlgroup for 300 urban employed women in Botswana found that the intervention grouphad significantly higher post-intervention HIV prevention behaviors consisting ofpersonal safer sex behaviors; positive condom attitudes and confidence in condom use;higher levels of knowledge of HIV transmission, sexually transmitted diseases andpositive attitudes towards persons living with HIV/AIDS. After the intervention, 76%of the intervention group felt confident about using condoms correctly, compared to44% in the delayed control group. Almost half of the intervention group reported practicingsafer sex compared to 34% of the delayed intervention group. The interventiongroup also had increased community HIV-related activities, with a mean of 6.1 activitiescompared to 4.7 activities for the delayed control group. The intervention group hadan 83% positive response towards persons living with HIV/AIDS compared to 68% inthe delayed intervention group, with stigma being “an important aspect of preventionthat needs direct attention” (Norr et al., 2004: 222). The intervention consisted of sixninety-minute weekly or bi-weekly sessions with hands-on condom skills and partnernegotiation skills. The peer group leaders sustained the program for more than fiveyears after the end of research funding. As a preliminary phase of the study, 56 in-depthinterviews were conducted with urban women in Gaborone, Botswana regarding theirHIV prevention needs. A concern that mixed-gender groups might expose women topartner violence led to a decision to have women-only groups. The peer group sessionsoccurred in workplaces during lunch or after work (Norr et al., 2004). (Gray III) (gendernorms, condoms, workplace, Botswana)2. Mass media campaigns concerning gender equality as part of comprehensive and integratedinterventions can increase HIV protective behaviors. [See also Chapter 5A. Preventionfor Young People: Encouraging Behavior Change—many of the media interventions promoteequitable gender norms]An evaluation of Somos Differentes, Somos Iguales that included a cohort of 4,800 youngpeople ages randomly selected in three cities in Nicaragua who were interviewed atWHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS295