Troublesome Masculinities: Masculinity in Trouble

This article explores the notion of troublesome' masculinities that characterise much of the policy discourse and programme thinking on problems of young men and gender. It critiques the dimorphism that shapes this view of young men's gender trouble, and the ‘culturalism’ that constrains the perception of the troubled times in which many young men live. The article argues that young men can be enlisted in the feminist struggle to transform ideologies and institutions of male power, but only by troubling both the notions of masculinity that underpin them as well as the structural inequalities within which they are enmeshed

Infographic: Tackling the structural drivers of HIV

Infographic: Tackling the structural drivers of HIV Women and girls between the ages of 15 to 24 are the population most vulnerable to HIV. STRIVE and ICRW have collaborated on an infographic to explain structural factors that contribute to this vulnerability: Gender inequality and violence; Poverty and limited livelihood optionsl; Stigma and criminalisation; Alcohol availability and drinking norms. The video identifies a selection of interventions to tackle each of these factors. The infographic was created by ICRW’s GOODMaker Challenge winner, Deirdre Mahon

"You are wasting our drugs": health service barriers to HIV treatment for sex workers in Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: Although disproportionately affected by HIV, sex workers (SWs) remain neglected by efforts to expand access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). In Zimbabwe, despite the existence of well-attended services targeted to female SWs, fewer than half of women diagnosed with HIV took up referrals for assessment and ART initiation; just 14% attended more than one appointment. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the reasons for non-attendance and the high rate of attrition. METHODS: Three focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in Harare with HIV-positive SWs referred from the 'Sisters with a Voice' programme to a public HIV clinic for ART eligibility screening and enrolment. Focus groups explored SWs' experiences and perceptions of seeking care, with a focus on how managing HIV interacted with challenges specific to being a sex worker. FGD transcripts were analyzed by identifying emerging and recurring themes that were specifically related to interactions with health services and how these affected decision-making around HIV treatment uptake and retention in care. RESULTS: SWs emphasised supply-side barriers, such as being demeaned and humiliated by health workers, reflecting broader social stigma surrounding their work. Sex workers were particularly sensitive to being identified and belittled within the health care environment. Demand-side barriers also featured, including competing time commitments and costs of transport and some treatment, reflecting SWs' marginalised socio-economic position. CONCLUSION: Improving treatment access for SWs is critical for their own health, programme equity, and public health benefit. Programmes working to reduce SW attrition from HIV care need to proactively address the quality and environment of public services. Sensitising health workers through specialised training, refining referral systems from sex-worker friendly clinics into the national system, and providing opportunities for SW to collectively organise for improved treatment and rights might help alleviate the barriers to treatment initiation and attention currently faced by SW

Counting girls : policy interventions with potential to address daughter discrimination in India and China; consultation meeting report, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, April 1-2, 2009

The consultation highlighted the need to identify policy interventions that work on the ground, and to understand how government and non-government initiatives interact to impact on daughter discrimination. Highlights of the discussions gave insight into the types of policy responses to the problem of daughter discrimination in India and China, and approaches best adopted for analysis of these policy interventions. ‘Types of policy responses’ was key to understanding their role and impact, rather than emphasis on specific or individual policy interventions. Analysis of laws that lead to discrimination against daughters was deemed important for responding effectively to the role played by the legislature