Mobilizing Religious Communities to Respond to Gender-Based Violence and HIV

"Women of faith have called attention to gender-based violence in their communities, citing a need for religious leaders to raise awareness of the issue and address it. Religious leaders and women of faith are well positioned to identify, validate, and promote best practices on preventing and reducing GBV as it relates to HIV."

This manual from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) | Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1 is designed to guide trainers in conducting workshops for religious leaders and women leaders of faith on gender-based violence (GBV) and HIV. The 3-day training detailed here includes:

• Day 1: Workshop Overview; Exploring GBV
• Day 2: Linking GBV and HIV; Multi-Religious Approach to GBV and HIV
• Day 3: Approaches to Mobilising Communities of Faith to Address GBV

The resource includes details about activities to be conducted on each day of the agenda, as well as handouts and sample prayers and reflections. The latter section includes an Islamic Prayer, a Jewish Prayer ("Universal Prayer for Peace"), and a Hindu Prayer ("Universal Prayer").

The purpose of the workshop is to enable participants to: identify different types, causes, and consequences of GBV; understand the link between GBV and HIV; name approaches for addressing GBV through religious organisations, institutions, and/or communities; and initiate dialogue on how religious leaders and women leaders of faith can mainstream GBV into faith-based interventions.

This training emerges from the experience of Futures Group and Religions for Peace (RFP), which - under the USAID | Health Policy Initiative Task Order 1 - conducted a regional training on GBV and HIV for women of faith and male religious leaders (drawn from RFP's African Women of Faith Network and National Inter-Religious Councils). Participants in theNairobi, Kenya, training came from 8 countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. This manual was piloted at the regional training and has since been revised to reflect suggestions from participants.

For more information contact: Health Policy Initiative, Task Order 1 Futures Grouppolicyinfo@futuresgroup.com