Building capacity to address gender and gender-based violence in HIV prevention in Mozambique

ABSTRACT

This article analyzes strategies that address gender inequality and gender-based violence (GBV) as part of HIV prevention efforts in Mozambique and describes the institutional support needed to implement these strategies. The analysis begins with a scan of the literature on pivotal HIV and GBV strategies. It then describes the context of the high prevalence of HIV and GBV in Mozambique, where civil society organizations (CSOs) involved in disease prevention and social services are limited in their organizational resources. An analysis of the experiences of six HIV prevention CSOs in Mozambique receiving capacity building inputs from FHI 360’s Capable Partners Program (CAP) from 2006 to 2015 to combat the twin epidemics leads to findings and conclusions relevant for literature and practice. Our findings indicate that community-level changes in attitudes regarding gender norms and organizational-level changes in the integration of gender and GBV are possible through a combination of interventions: provision of technical support, development of organizational capacity, and engagement of communities.

KEYWORDS:

• capacity building
• gender
• HIV/AIDS prevention education
• Mozambique
• service practices