Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2010 2013 2014

Details for Mechanism ID: 12636
Country/Region: Caribbean Region
Year: 2010
Main Partner: Not Available
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $0

This will be a new TBD mechanism that will focus on providing more data and designing activities to address gender norms, stigma, and sexual and gender-based violence which impede the effectiveness of HIV prevention and care efforts in Jamaica.

Stigma and discrimination discourage those who are infected with and affected by HIV from seeking needed services. Ideas about the lifestyles of people living with HIV contribute to a sense that the disease is a problem that affects others, which may undermine individuals estimation of their own risk and reduce their motivation to take preventive measures. Additionally, there are a number of social, economic, and cultural factors such as gender roles which impact the health outcomes of individuals. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a major public health concern in Jamaica. Women often experience violence from men they know, often husbands or male family members. In addition to violating the human rights of women, sexual and gender-based violence poses significant risks to womens health, including immediate physical and psychological injury, as well as less obvious risks such as unsafe abortions, unwanted pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Jamaica recently completed a 2008 Reproductive Health Survey which included a component on GBV and HIV/AIDS. This new national data will be used to inform the design of this new program.

This program will complement the work already begun under PANCAP on stigma and discrimination (S&D). PANCAP will continue to focus on addressing S&D through policy reform and legislation. This activity will work more with civil society organizations, private sector, universities, faith-based partners, and the Ministry of Labor & Social Services to target the general population in high prevalence urban areas, such as Kingston & St. Andrew and Montego Bay. This activity supports the cross-cutting area under gender reducing violence and coercion as well as addressing male norms and behaviors. The program will strive for greater cost-effectiveness through partnerships with the public and private sectors involvement in the data collection, design, and implementation. The activities begun under this program can be adopted and easily replicated by other HIV prevention programs in Jamaica and across the Caribbean region to ensure quick scale-up and greater reach.