How to Use the Toolkit
Facilitators may implement the sessions in the toolkit in a variety of ways, depending on time and resources available. They may choose to implement all sessions within a particular module that aligns with the program objectives, or they may choose to select specific sessions from multiple modules. Regardless of how you organize the sessions, the following guidance will ensure participant learning and minimize harm:
- Begin the workshop with exercises that allow participants to feel relaxed and get to know each other. This will ensure that they feel safe and comfortable throughout the workshop.
- To start the workshop, you may choose to facilitate a discussion on group norms for participants to adhere to during the workshop. As facilitator, you can write the norms that participants suggest on flipchart paper, and display the paper throughout the workshop. You may also wish to use external resources, such as the World Health Organization’s Training Curriculum: Gender 1 Gender Transformation for Health: A Participatory Toolkit and Rights in Reproductive Health, which includes a group contract session (page 24) and a welcome and introduction session (page 20).
- The “Gender-Focused Ice-Breaker” from this Gender Transformation Toolkit is an effective session to begin the workshop with, regardless of whether you facilitate the entire “Gender and Social Norms” module from this toolkit.
- The “Gender Terms and Definitions” session is foundational, and facilitators are strongly encouraged to include it if the session’s objectives have not been covered previously.
- The “Violence in Daily Life” session should never be facilitated as a standalone session, and must always be preceded by either the “‘What Is Violence?” session or the “Circles of Influence” session. In addition, this session should only be facilitated as part of a broader workshop lasting at least 3 days to allow for trust building within the group, and to ensure participants have had the time to reflect on social norms and their own personal perceptions.
Please note that select sessions from Jhpiego’s Gender 101 Training Manual have been included in this toolkit. These sessions, denoted as such in the session inventory, provide a basic understanding of gender and its impact on health service delivery and sexual and reproductive health outcomes.