Violence, gender inequality, and high rates of HIV transmission are three major problems at all levels of South African education. Gender inequalities play out in a variety of different types of violence: girls are raped by boys and boys are the main perpetrators of sexual assault but boys can also be the victims of assault by other boys. Yet, many interventions reflect the perception that boys are perpetrators and girls are the victims. How can the gap between rhetoric and practice in addressing boys' and girls' vulnerability be addressed?

A joint intervention between Dramaide, a South African NGO, and the University of Natal has recently been carried out in two Durban schools. Dramaide works with groups of learners to develop plays designed to raise HIV/AIDS and gender awareness. Outcomes reveal that the use of evaluative research to test the effectiveness of the intervention can deepen its impact.

'Mobilising Young Men to Care’ used a mixed gender approach, allowing single-sex work and mixed gender interactions. Small single-sex focus groups discussed with a researcher/evaluator from the University team the impact of the drama work by focusing on the changes in their understanding about gender equality. This allowed the learners to reflect critically on their lives with new awareness. By building a strong rapport with the learners in this way, the team was able to challenge entrenched ideas about gender inequality. Girls in particular were able to ‘test’ their new understanding, for example the realization that it was not obligatory to have sex with an assertive boy or to do the bidding of a fellow male learner, and in this way to challenge pervasive gender relations.

For boys, the work led them to take more responsibility for their actions, to express their emotions better and to develop an understanding of the possibility of at least ‘doing masculinity’ differently. The evaluation process enabled learners to evaluate themselves through a process of self-reconstruction. The girls in particular were much clearer about who they are, their rights, their position as women, the impact of gender inequalities historically upon their lives AND committed to asserting themselves more forcefully in social and educational contexts in the future.

Research findings:

• Despite the focus on male learners, the biggest impact was amongst female learners.
• Interviews with learners revealed that girls became more expressive, outspoken and confident in challenging exploitative and uneven gender parameters within intimate relationships. They insisted on being consulted and respected by boys and by friends and teachers.
• Interviews also revealed that the boys became more reflective and open to ideas of gender equality in their own lives and relationships.

Policy implications

• Attempts to reduce violence and levels of HIV infection in schools must include a gender strategy that tackles gender inequality in schools. In South Africa this could form part of the Life Skills Curriculum.
• Interventions need to work with male and female learners and teachers. An approach which allows for mixed and single-sex group work is likely to assist the renegotiation of gender relations.
• Interventions must take the message down to the level of the individual learner so that s/he may begin the personal work of introspection necessary for gender transformation.

Source(s):
‘HIV/AIDS Policies, Schools and Gender Identities’ in Indicator South Africa, 18/2 by Robert Morrell, Elaine Unterhalter, Lebo Moletsane and Debbie Epstein, 2001

Funded by: British Council and University of Natal

id21 Research Highlight: 28 January 2002

Further Information:
Robert Morrell
Faculty of Education
University of Natal
Durban 4041
South Africa

Tel: +27 31 260 1127
Fax: +27 31 260 2609
Contact the contributor: morrell@nu.ac.za

Dramaide, South Africa

Other related links:
'Dangerous game of love? Challenging male machismo'

'Learning and Teaching About AIDS at School' from UNESCO

'Young Lives at Risk - Adolescents and sexual health' from Panos

‘Dying of sadness: gender sexual violence and the HIV epidemic’ from UNDP

UNDP has several reports examining issues around gender violence and HIV/AIDS