Christ the Reconciler, Tafelsig takes up the challenge of gender!

Aug 1, 2007

It has long been realised that gender issues are a key part of the battle against HIV. Almost three times as many teenage girls are infected annually than teenage boys.

Peer educators from Christ the Reconciler participated in a Fikelela workshop to develop materials around gender for use in their peer education programme “agents of change”. This workshop was held in collaboration with GOLD peer education programme, running in schools. The materials produced will be used both in the church setting and in the high schools.

Workshop participants

A weekend workshop was held with peer educators from Fikelela and from GOLD.

Four key themes were identified:
   ** Saying No means Yes
   ** Partner violence
   ** Love /sex
   ** Understanding the other's world view: ‘ideal man’, ‘ideal woman’
 
What an amazing day – we learnt so much from these young people!!

The closing moments were very moving as young people shared what they had learnt:

• “I commit myself never to rape for the rest of my life”

• “I know understand how you have to say no so that it is heard. And I will teach others”

Above and below, girls meeting at the workshop.	Above and below, boys in workshop meetings.