Gender, sexuality and HIV: report on the HEARD get together
On August 18 2010, HEARD’s Gender Equality and HIV Prevention Project hosted a successful ‘Gender Get Together’ workshop at HEARD. The workshop was the first forum to bring together researchers from diverse HEARD-affiliated projects for a reflective discussion about the role of gender and sexuality in their work – focusing on both what has been done, and what will be done into the future. The meeting objectives were to share work done on gender and sexuality in HEARD over the past year, to build linkages between projects, to discuss possible future directions and synergies and to provide a basis for new research post-2010. The following emerging issues in gender and HIV/AIDS research were identified: striking a balance between addressing epistemological and ontological concerns at each phase f research; conducting research in ways that better inform policy and interventions related to gender equity and HIV/AIDS; understanding gender and sexuality as separate yet related constructs; attention to the dominant and marginalized discourses and language related to desire, sex, sexuality, pleasure and HIV; improved analysis of ‘power’ from study conception through to analysis; consider the implications of the invisibility of men and boys as gendered subjects within HIV/AIDS discourses and practice, and work towards a balance in approaches that involve men and women; the assistance of technical and economic ‘solutions’ in achieving gender equality; and finally, addressing gender equality in ways that are meaningful for HIV prevention.
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