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

This 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 provides guidance for four sessions of discussions scheduled one week apart. Each session takes 3 to 4 hours and comprises 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.

The discussions in this manual aim to help participants:

• Understand that gender is a socially constructed concept and that gender norms can and do change
• Think about reasons to practice family planning and the benefits of open partner communication about sex and family planning
• Question the validity of male domination and violence in couple relationships
• Break down barriers to the expression of healthy sexuality, based on gender equality and communication about sexuality and family planning

Source: FHI360

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019