Alejandra Bonifaz

Project Associate

EDC/EQUIP3

Panel Discussion: Reducing Gender Violence December 7th 2006

EFA Jamaica:

A Cross-sectoral Approach Fostering Positive Gender Attitudes

among Urban Young Men

Education for All (EFA) Youth Challenge Grant

Program• Analyze and strategically address youth

basic education and livelihoods issues, &

• Build partnerships to address youth issues in an integrated and creative manner.

Co-funding mechanism: EQUIP3 Youth Trust & USAID country Missions to:

- Strengthening strategic & innovative projects.

- Provide technical support to Missions and implementing partners.

EFA Projects:South Africa: Adapting a viable US youth-service

model for a South African context to address employment, civic engagement, and education issues. *City Year (CY) /City Year South Africa (CYSoA).

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Uganda: Using sports as a convening mechanism for youth development, education & peace building *The Kids League (TKL).

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Jamaica: Using a holistic approach to address education and employment needs of young men in an urban setting with high rates of violence. *People’s Action for Community Transformation (PACT).

EFA Jamaica: A Cross-sectoral Approach…

Increase participants’:

1. Literacy and numeracy levels.

2. Understanding of their rights as citizens.

3. Self-esteem.

4. Positive attitudes, healthy lifestyles & behaviors.

5. Improve their employment prospects.

EFA Jamaica aims to:

Provide education

Livelihoods training (aquatics, musicology,

etc.) & placements.

Conflict Resolution & violence mitigation sessions

EFA Jamaica addresses gender violence by recognizing that it…

• Cuts across various layers:

Social and economic class, generations.

• Takes place in different ways:

Physical, emotional/mental, sexual.

Towards partners, cousins, mothers, in the street.

Thus, it should be looked at in relation to other conflict-related issues (rather than in isolation) and it should be addressed holistically.

The 3 E’s Approach:

Fostering Positive Gender Attitudes

Education Example

Encouragement

Particularly powerful among youth

EducationProvide information, facts, sexual education,

and education on male/female relationships to promote positive attitudes.

Methods:

• Workshops: Human sexuality and gender equity.

• Sessions: Who Am I? What is my heritage?

• The “Miracle of Life” series: demonstrates how children are born and the respect that is due to women in particular.

Youth have limited access to positive role models.

Expose youth to positive male role models:

• One-to-one male mentors, who are trained to provide a positive safety net for youth.

• Examples of men in public and private life.

• Male presenters for workshop sessions and motivational talks (intergenerational mix).

Example

Provide youth with a supportive environment that allows them to reflect, discuss, and display positive behaviors.

During sessions, youth:

• Engage in motivational talks: Macro & micro levels. E.g. male/female relationships.

• Prepare role plays and skits.

• Discuss and reflect their daily lives behavior.

Encouragement

Main Challenge

Cultural or Social norm

“What’s the big deal if I shout at you?”

How do you undo 20 years, during which youth have grown to accept certain negative behaviors as appropriate?

Experience so far…• Constant attendance during weekly sessions.• Youth are very open and honest during

discussions, despite the size of the group.

• More positive and respectful language: song lyrics that use positive language instead of derogative speech, “girl”.

• Greater respect to one another as they discuss sensitive topics.

• Greater signs of positive leadership: correct and advise one another (e.g. discouraging to have many partners).

Learn from this panel discussion….

Questions / Comments?