BACKGROUND FOR THE FACILITATOR
The imbalance of power in the social and economic world translates into a power imbalance in heterosexual relationships. As a result,
men, more often than women, are able to control when, where and how sex takes place.
Women are often at risk of HIV infection due to their position in the community. This translates to a power imbalance in relationships
that contribute to risk situations to get HIV:
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Women sometimes have a lack of control over when and where they want to have sex.
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They are not in a position to assure faithfulness in relationship.
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Various forms of coerced sex: from violent rape to cultural and economic obligations.
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Women are often blamed for spreading HIV, because they get tested first even though their partners infected them.
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Women are not in a position to decide on condom use to protect them. Partners often do not like to use condoms, and women
do not feel in a position to stand up for what they want.
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Violence or threats of violence may limit the ability to negotiate safe sex.
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Negative socio-economic conditions may contribute to transactional sexual relationships.
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Sharing HIV test results may increase the risk of violence.
Similarly, if men threaten to abandon the women, are violent towards them or question their faithfulness, women have few options.
They also find it difficult to question a man's faithfulness.
Even when women haven't experienced violence at the hands of their partners, they fear it, and that regulates their behaviour as to
whether they will suggest condom use or question their partner's faithfulness.
Young and adult women are reluctant to even ask about the sexually transmitted diseases, because that does not fit society's norms
of femininity and what is a "good girl". For all of these reasons, women find it difficult to protect themselves against infection.
ASSESSMENT
Reflect in the group: What have you learnt from this conversation?
APPLICATION IN PRACTICE
Ask the group to think about ways that they can try and improve their relationships with their partners. Ask the group to discuss
today's session with their partners.
CLOSURE
Discuss the way forward and preparation for the next session. The next session will address emotional experiences. Ask the group
to think about any questions they may have for the following session, and write them down if they think they might forget.
Discuss the children's group session. In the group session for the children, the focus was placed on the identification of assets the
children have in themselves, their families, friends and in their community.
CHILDREN'S HOMEWORK
During the children's group session, the focus was placed on assets. Explain that an asset is a gift, a strength or ability. It helps making
life easier for a person. We all have lots of assets in our lives, but we have to purposefully search for them. Our family, our friends,
our schools, our neighbours, our community hospitals, our churches, to name a few, are all assets in our life. We also have lots of
assets in ourselves. Some of us can run fast, or sing beautifully, or bake wonderful cakes, or easily make friends. We must first be able
to identify our assets before we can use them effectively. In t he children's session they investigated the assets that are available to
them. They were asked to show their drawings to you and to ask you to help them to identify and to discuss the assets they forgot
to mention.
HIV
Intervention Programme for the ENHANCEMENT OF CHILDREN'S RESILIENCE
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