Facilitator’s Manual for Discussions on Gender, Sexuality, and Family Planning in Rural Tanzania

The sessions were launched in January 2011. The manual was designed to help facilitators lead a series of discussion exercises with young couples ages 18-35 to increase their use of modern contraception, improve couple communication about sex and family planning, and promote gender-equitable attitudes. The manual is based on several assumptions, including that gender inequality is a barrier to family planning, family planning makes sense for most people, and poor couple communication discourages family planning. The discussions aim to help participants understand that gender is a socially constructed concept, think about reasons to practice family planning, question the validity of male domination and violence in couple relationships, and break down barriers to the expression of healthy sexuality based on gender equality and communication about sexuality and family planning. The manual provides guidance for four sessions of discussions scheduled one week apart, each taking 3 to 4 hours and comprising a number of exercises. Two facilitators, one male and one female, are required to conduct these sessions. Each conducts the respective men-only and women-only exercises, and they jointly conduct exercises for mixed groups of men and women. Session 1, Setting the Stage and Exploring the Concept of Gender, establishes a relaxed atmosphere for free discussions, introduces the idea of gender as a social construct, and examines how it influences power dynamics in partner relationships. Session 2, Strengthening Demand for Family Planning and Encouraging Responsible Parenthood, discusses the relationship between family planning and meeting economic needs, examines responsible fatherhood and roles that men can play in support of contraception and family planning, and identifies strategies women can use to discuss contraception with their partners. Session 3, Sexuality and Communication about Sex and Family Planning, discusses sexual pleasure, consensual sex, and family planning, with the aim of breaking down inhibitions about discussing these topics. Session 4, Communication between Men and Women, explores different types of communication, encourages non-violent communication about sex and family planning, and reinforces the idea that contraception enhances sexual pleasure. Each exercise includes guidance for facilitators in a standardized format, outlining the exercise's purpose, audience, literacy levels, recommended time, materials required, advance preparation, steps, and closing/key learning points. The manual also includes a note for facilitators, pointing out important aspects of the exercise, background information, and tips to help prepare for the exercise and lead the discussion more effectively. The facilitator's manual is designed to be adaptable to different reading levels and contexts, with exercises that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes or as long as two hours. The manual is intended to be used by community-based mobilizers with Marie Stopes International in rural communities in Tanzania, but its principles and exercises can be applied in other contexts as well.