TAMING THE TIDE OF GENDER -BASED VIOLENCE AND HIV & AIDS : THE TAMAR APPROACH

TAMING THE TIDE OF GENDER -BASED VIOLENCE AND HIV & AIDS : THE TAMAR APPROACH Christopher Oyoo Yaye Tangaza Men’s Initiative on Gender - Based Violence and HIV&AIDS Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Introduction • HIV&AIDS is a global pandemic, which has evoked responses from many quarters: Governments, NGOs, the Church etc., since it is the greatest challenge to socio-economic and global security. • In many cases the pandemic has been as a result of violence directed towards women and girls by men Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Introduction Cont… • Most NGOs that deal with HIV&AIDS in the areas of advocacy, awareness and mitigation are directed towards women with little or no attention paid to men • There is need to join hands in the global effort to provide care and support in order to reduce vulnerability of HIV and to alleviate its impact from the male perspective Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Introduction cont… • Tangaza Men’s Initiative on Gender-based Violence and HIV&AIDS was started two years ago to tame the tide of violence against women and HIV&AIDS • We do this through a methodology (TAMAR) that deviates from rigid and radical and rigid separation of men and women; boys and girls etc., occasioned by the way we understand Sex and Gender Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

What is Gender? What is Sex? • What CAN a man do that a woman CANNOT do? • What CAN a woman do that a man CANNOT do? • At the Centre of these distinctions lies the very concept of VIOLENCE against Women Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Gender and Sex • Sex • Natural • Biological construct • Common to humanity • Based on facts • Static – time/situations • Gender • Human designed • Social construct • Culture specific • Perceptions • Dynamic Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Definition of Gender • Attributes of male and female labels to social roles and attributes AS IF they arise from sexual differences, although these attributes are acquired by a process of socialization • Women and Men’s roles and responsibilities that are socially determined. • Gender is related to how we are perceived and expected to think and act as women and men because of the way society is organized not because of our biological differences. • Gender is about masculinity and femininity Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

What is GENDER VIOLENCE? • Gender Violence refers to unbiased response to human needs based on gender • Any negative perception and /or attitude that undermines the dignity and identity of one sex over another; it is a discrimination! • It is to keep the discriminated and exploited in fear and, therefore, unable to claim their rights as human persons Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Gender Analysis: Identifying a Gender- Violence Issue • Contributory Factors: 1. Culture: Birth = boy child is more preferred to the girl-child Among the “Shona” of Zimbabwe –when a young woman gives birth to a girl- child, women ululate 3 times. If a boy, the ululation is 5 times; a husband whose wife has given birth to a girl is regarded as “WEAK” Among the Luo of Kenya a boy is regarded as “SIRO” (PILLAR), a woman who has given birth to a boy has completed the process of marriage = TRULY and FULLY married Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Gender Analysis: Identifying a Gender- Violence Issue 2. Patriarchy- men have the power and authority 3. Patrilineality- when lineage is traced through the male/ fathers line even as the society socializes women to be safe in the presence of men, it is the men who pose a lot of danger to the women ; women MOSTLY try to play into the needs of men to avoid controversy and to keep safe within community structures 4. Concubinage and extra- marital affairs 5. Backyard circumcision as real circumcision Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Gender Analysis: Identifying a Gender- Violence Issue 6. Socialization - In most African countries, man is presented as an accomplished sexual performer and a woman is to serve his interests this is what makes men to behave as if the world is in deficiency of men. - The challenge of gender-based violence is further compounded by boy preference manifested even business titling and naming e.g. “OMOLLO & SONS enterprises” etc There is a lot of pressure on the boy child to succeed. Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Gender Analysis: Identifying a Gender- Violence Issue 8. Ecclesiastical hierarchy- even in churches where women are allowed to preach- after they do so, men/ a man is called upon to clarify the issues (raised by the woman) Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

EFFECTS OF G.B.V. The effects of Gender-based violence are obvious: • Sexual Assaults, Rape etc. • Increased Vulnerability of women to STDs and HIV&AIDS • Denial of leadership roles and • Low self-esteem among women etc, Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Way Forward: THE TAMAR APPROACH • The Tamar is a campaign that was launched in Kenya in 2005 under the sponsorship of The Fellowship of Christian Councils of Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa – FECCLAHA • TAMAR focuses on domestic and sexual violence to challenge church and religious institutions to address the crisis of GBV Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Tamar Approach • The Tamar is thus a Contextual 5 - step Bible Study: • Choosing the Theme – the reality of the community • Finding a Biblical Text – reading familiar text in unfamiliar way • Questioning and reading – community consciousness questions; drawing from the lived experiences of the community Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Tamar Approach 4. Articulating and Owning – the theological understandings of the text 5. Developing a plan of Action: Tamar is not only about interpreting the Bible BUT ALLOWING the Bible to equip us to change our world and mentalities for mutuality in existence. Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Tangaza and TAMAR • Facilitate training workshops in colleges and Universities • Discussion days for students and staff on HIV&AIDS. • Make Stickers and write articles to inform people on what is going on – Tangaza Update • Institute assemblies incorporate brief talk on HIV&AIDS during the institute assembly. Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Tangaza and TAMAR • Perform drama and produce Videos on Gender-Based Violence and HIV&AIDS • Establish community outreach programs to support the infected and affected Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

Implications for Today • Those who benefit from oppression of women will never fight it BUT who is benefitting from current scenario? We need to be deeply critical of situations of Violence • Need to create awareness of gender discrimination, gender inequality and gender violence from a male perspective • Put structures in place to address this but incorporate women Yaye, Technologies and Health: A Faith Based Perspective, CCIH - USA

TAMING THE TIDE OF GENDER -BASED VIOLENCE AND HIV & AIDS : THE TAMAR APPROACH