EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN TO REDUCE HIV AND AIDS DISCRIMINATION IN THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL MARKET, BALI
Desak Made Sintha Kurnia Dewi1); Luh Putu Upadisari2)
Yayasan Rama Sesana, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Issue: HIV preventions that focus in key populations has not yielded optimal results, due to the presence of PLWHA discrimination. A lack of information and limited capacity of services to provide HIV information to the community has become a factor which has contributed to this discrimination. Distribution of information via ‘peer’ education has long been proven to be effective. Peer educators disseminate information and promote services in a trusted forum and through language that is easy to understand, and free of jargon and the white coats that are associated with hospitals and illness. This study aims to empower women in an effort to reduce HIV and AIDS discrimination.
Activities: This program emphasizes education and prevention, beginning a Peer Educator (PE) program in 2005, where PEs are selected or actively volunteer. Two days of training is provided, including HIV materials and outreach skills. On a weekly basis, PEs distribute informative materials (on topic such as HIV and AIDS), provide free condoms, and promote better awareness and safer behavior, while making referrals for clinical services. Initial training is reinforced at monthly meetings with program staff, and feedback and data are shared. YRS have trained 45 peers, approximately 12 active PEs per year. While some become inactive, new PEs are regularly recruited.
Result: Feedback indicates a unanimous feeling among PEs of increased confidence, knowledge and wider social networks. People in the market environment who have interacted with the PEs generally report enhanced HIV and AIDS awareness, willingness to seek services, and condom use. There are also indications of decreased stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS, such as to being open to working and interacting with PLWHAs. PEs play a major role in breaking down taboos related to sexual and reproductive health among women, and also combat myths and misinformation regarding HIV and AIDS. PEs disseminate approximately 20% of all the materials distributed by YRS and case studies of individual PEs help to illustrate the important impact of this program.
Lessons Learned: Through PEs, more members of the community can be reached, than health workers can reach alone. The program, in terms of knowledge, attitudes and practices, positively impacts PEs and the wider target community. The PE program fosters a special bond of trust among the community, PEs and the health provider. The PE program is an indispensible part of the reproductive health centre’s efforts at continuous health education and provision of services within the traditional market community.
Keywords: HIV and AIDS, empowerment of women, traditional market, peer education.
1) Desak Made Sintha Kurnia Dewi, SKM is a Program Manager at Yayasan Rama Sesana, Master of Public Health, Concentration : maternalchild Health / Reproductive Health, Udayana University
2) Luh Putu Upadisari is a Medical Doctor, Director of Yayasan Rama Sesana, Ashoka Fellow.
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