Targeted Intervention Project
The Family Planning Association of India (FPAI), Panchkula Branch, has organised a self-help group of young homosexual men in village Mauli Jagran, Chandigarh, India. This alliance, which emerged from an AIDS awareness campaign conducted by FPAI, involves several men from the village and its surrounding rehabilitation colonies who undertake jewelry design and sales in an effort to become economically independent - at the same time banding together to cope with the stigma against them and to learn about ways to avoid engaging in behaviour that puts them at risk of HIV/AIDS.
Communication Strategies
This initiative involves drawing on an economically productive activity - the design of jewelrey - as a backdrop for empowering and shaping the behaviour of homosexual men, most of whom are in the 12-25 age group. The men gather at the FPAI centre in the village to engage in their design work. The intention is that they will feel accepted and comfortable in this group setting; for example, almost all of them have given themselves female names, and when they are together, they address themselves like women.
The idea, then, is that encouraging these marginalised men to work together as part of a self-help group keeps them busy and pre-occupied, both empowering them as a group to avoid exploitation and leaving little free time for potentially dangerous/risky sexual encounters. The men are divided into two groups - passive (some of whom intend to eventually marry women) and active (most of whom are already married to women, making the HIV risk go up substantially).
Organisers draw on dance, music, and counselling to help convince group members who are HIV-positive to stay away from sexual encounters and to encourage safe sexual practice for those whose HIV status is unknown or negative. FPAI has also carried out a needs assessment and various information sessions on MSM in Chandigarh, as well as a workshop on advocating for the rights of men who have sex with men (MSM).
The idea, then, is that encouraging these marginalised men to work together as part of a self-help group keeps them busy and pre-occupied, both empowering them as a group to avoid exploitation and leaving little free time for potentially dangerous/risky sexual encounters. The men are divided into two groups - passive (some of whom intend to eventually marry women) and active (most of whom are already married to women, making the HIV risk go up substantially).
Organisers draw on dance, music, and counselling to help convince group members who are HIV-positive to stay away from sexual encounters and to encourage safe sexual practice for those whose HIV status is unknown or negative. FPAI has also carried out a needs assessment and various information sessions on MSM in Chandigarh, as well as a workshop on advocating for the rights of men who have sex with men (MSM).
Development Issues
HIV/AIDS, Gender, Economic Development.
Key Points
"We hate going out as we are made fun of by all those who see us. Since we have a feminine gait we are easily recognisable and, as a result, evoke all sorts of comments," in the words of one group member. According to the FPAI, in addition to stigma, being hunted and raped is also a real danger for these men. Furthermore, many of the 275 such men identified by the Association in the area were HIV-positive. "The situation is explosive as most of them have several sexual encounters a day and till our intervention, most of them were without any protection."
As of this writing, 7 of the group members are now working full-time designing jewelry.
As of this writing, 7 of the group members are now working full-time designing jewelry.
Partners
FPAI, with funding from the State AIDS Control Society U.T. Chandigarh under the National AIDS Control Programme for MSM.
Sources
"Where Gays Can Live with Gay Abandon", by Chitleen K Sethi, Tribune News Service, June 28 2006; and emails from Avnish Jolly to The Communication Initiative on December 28 2006 and March 29 2007.
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