Final evaluation : women and AIDS research program -- International Center for Research on Women

The project was a success. Phase I provided grants to research teams from local NGOs or universities which used primarily qualitative research methods to examine the context and content of women's sexuality, sexual relations, and knowledge of HIV and AIDS in 13 developing countries. ICRW staff synthesized research findings and used them to develop policy recommendations for USAID. Results clearly showed the need to consider gender issues in HIV/AIDS prevention programming. Phase II focused on training, materials development, interventions with target populations, and evaluation of the intervention process; efforts proved more demanding than the data collection stages, since research teams needed a great deal of assistance in interpreting the formative research findings. The use of multiple grants was well suited to Phase I objectives, allowing research to be conducted in a large number of sites and in quite different contexts. The small scale of the research designs and the use of qualitative methods was highly appropriate for examining sensitive issues about which very little was known. The participatory and community-based approach contributed enormously to the development of relevant and effective interventions. The small grants mechanism worked well in generating new knowledge about research methods and the context of exposure to HIV infection for low-income women. The similarity across sites was striking. Women were able and willing in small groups to discuss their own experiences with sexual relations and their fears about exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV. The process of peer group education had very positive effects on the self-image and self-confidence of participants. ICRW has clearly demonstrated that qualitative research can be used productively to better understand the context of women's vulnerability to HIV infection and to develop interventions appropriate to their situation. Besides confirming a number of often reported findings (especially about the lack of communication between men and women), project research documented that: young women and men are not well-informed about reproductive health; women believe they have relatively little power to determine how and when they have sex with their male partners; and both women and men seem to accept a double standard regarding faithfulness to one partner. In regard to the mother-daughter relationship, it was often found that a mother could not initiate conversations about sexual relations with her daughter without implying recognition of the daughter's sexual maturity, an admission that seemed difficult for many mothers. Young girls who sought to discuss sexual matters with their mothers risked being labeled as "loose". Several aspects of the project are replicable: (1) The strategy of beginning with a broadly defined understanding of the relevant issues with a general (rather than differentiated) population proved very productive. (2) Giving small applied research grants to NGOs with a proven track record both built NGO capacity and improved NGO links to service populations. (3) Using qualitative research methods (e.g., group discussions, though not necessarily focus groups) to explore sensitive issues and develop participatory interventions proved effective in influencing communities to examine difficult subjects. Planning interventions without knowledge of local concepts is not likely to produce change. (4) Rapid analysis and diffusion of research results and of the effects of intervention should be encouraged.