Capacity building to help partners in Cambodia address gender challenges

General

There is a strong gender-imbalance in Cambodian society which means that girls and women have access to fewer opportunities and wield little decision-making power in their relationships and communities. Gender based violence among young people is rapidly increasing. Current HIV prevention campaigns are not adequately gender-sensitive and often do not consider the underlying patterns of behaviour and inequality within relationships between men and women which contribute to HIV prevalence. However, CAFOD partners are increasingly recognising the need to address these underlying gender inequalities. CAFOD partners are also reporting that issues of gender based violence and unequal relations between men and women are affecting non-HIV activities, such as working with indigenous communities to secure land tenure in resource-rich areas. This project will adopt and build on the Communities of Practice approach that CAFOD has previously used to support three HIV partners to develop best practice in gender based community prevention approaches. It will also support two non-HIV partners to consider and address unequal gender relations within their community-based programme activities. The Communities of Practice will be facilitated by long term CAFOD partner Karol and Setha. K&S run an educational programme aimed at adolescents, young adults and couples/ parents, seeking to address issues relating to sexuality and relationships. Through training for youth, teenagers, partners and NGO staff, K&S aims to enhance positive gender relationships by giving an opportunity for people to better understand themselves, their relationships and relationship dynamics in order to contribute to gender harmony, peace and development in society. The K&S approach promotes critical thinking and the provision of full and accurate information to increase people’s sense of responsibility and help them to make thoughtful choices, adjust their behaviour patterns and resist peer pressure. K&S will adapt this approach to support other CAFOD partners to integrate gender sensitivity into their programmes. The CoP will include two 5-day trainings, two 2-3 day strengthening trainings and four follow up sessions. The strengthening sessions will allow K&S to accompany the partners in utilising what they have learnt during the 5-day trainings in action planning, such as the development of gender mainstreaming strategies within their organisations.