Addressing the Linkages between Gender Based Violence and HIV Infection in Phalombe District: as a Way to Reduce Gender Based Violence and HIV Infections among Women and Girls

This project aims at reducing gender based violence and HIV infection through addressing the interlinkages in Phalombe district. Phalombe is one of the districts in the southern region of Malawi which has the high prevalence rate of gender based violence (GBV) and HIV infection. While it is universally understood and accepted that traditional and cultural ideologies and practices that promote male dominance and the marginalization of women are key drivers of the epidemic, there is a lack of knowledge in Malawi about how to effectively address these practices in a way that it will increase gender equality and reduce vulnerability of women to HIV infection. As such the policy interventions which government has put in place have only managed to raise a general awareness of HIV& AIDS prevention without embracing the root causes of the epidemic and targeting the right people in the country. Hence in the districts where these power relations are so deeply embedded like in Phalombe, such policy interventions cannot penetrate. Therefore the project has put in place strategies that will help us achieve these goals which mainly encompasses community participation in capacity building of the service providers, partnership building with chiefs and faith based leaders, awareness raising campaigns and men´s involvement as agents for change. All these will be communicated mainly through the use of a participatory theater for development.