1. HKI’s Approach to Gender in
Bangladesh
Institutionalizing Gender in Nutrition and Agriculture Interventions
International Women’s Day, 9th March 2014, Dhaka
Ramona Ridolfi, Gender Advisor, HKI Bangladesh rridolfi@hki.org

2. • Section 1: HKI’s Gender Interventions in Bangladesh
• Section 2: Nurturing Connections Curriculum – A New Integrated Gender and
Nutrition Package
• Section 3: Results and Lessons Learnt
• Section 4: Adaptation and Next Steps
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Presentation overview
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3. Photo © HKI / Hannah Taylor
SECTION 1: HKI’s GENDER INTERVENTIONS IN BANGLADESH
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4. HKI’s Diabetic Retinopathy programs in Chittagong and Dhaka since 2011
adopted an “Intensive Case Management” (ICM) package to work with entire families in
identifying and overcoming barriers to women’s healthcare.
SECTION 1: HKI’s GENDER INTERVENTION IN BANGLADESH
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From a “Focus on Women”…
Eg: REAL Project (2008-2010) in
cyclone Sidr-affected area: livelihood
opportunities and assets for extreme
poor and widowed women.
To Testing Innovative Approaches…
Eg: PLB (Project Laser Beam, since
2011) in Satkhira: gender messages in
nutrition and courtyard sessions;
mid-project assessment for women’s
decision-making on child nutrition.

5. To a Gender Transformative Approach…
BEAM (2011-2013) in Nilphamari: has a specific integrated nutrition and
gender intervention package that challenges discriminating gender norms in the
household which contribute to malnutrition.
- Nurturing Connections Manual
M2W2 Scale-up (2013-2015): Meaningfully engages men, women and
community leaders in planning to improve nutrition and increase women’s access
to markets.
1000 Most Critical Days Project (MCDP, 2013-2015): in Khulna District,
implemented in partnership with Save the Children, uses Nurturing Connections.
SECTION 1: HKI’s GENDER INTERVENTION IN BANGLADESH
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6. Photo © HKI/ Mushfiq Fahad Ameen
SECTION 2: NURTURING CONNECTIONS CURRICULUM
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7. • Inspired by Stepping Stones
– A training package developed by researcher Dr Alice Welburn in Uganda
between 1993-95 to for HIV prevention through peer and community
groups.
• Draws on HKI’s previous nutrition interventions
– Materials include nutrition and gender integrated activities to empower
women and improve their health and that of their children.
• Aims to challenge intra-household inequalities that contribute to
food insecurity and malnutrition
– The curriculum builds skills in communication, assertiveness and
problem-solving while discussing nutrition and food security.
SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM
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8. • Behaviour Change is not a rational path: comes from within and requires time to
develop
• Recognises that malnutrition cannot be addressed without challenging unequal
gender relations and opening up communication and dialogue about taboo subjects
• Recognises the power of group dynamics
• Works with both men and women and with different age groups, both separately and
together
• Uses participatory methodologies that enable all community members, including
those who are not literate, in their own peer groups first and then together.
SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM
The Nurturing Connections Approach: characteristics
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9. • The “Blocks”
1) Let’s Communicate;
2) Understanding Perceptions and
Gender;
3) Negotiating Power;
4) Acting for Change.
• The “Community Sessions”
One at the end of each Block, brings
together husbands, FILs, wives and MILs
to discuss the main learnings in each
Block in a mediated community setting.
SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM
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10. SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM
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Design of the Activity:
1. Begins with an action or
experience.
2. The action is followed by a
reflection: “What happened?
What does it mean? Why did it
happen?”
3. From the reflection we draw a
learning and we name it.
4. The learning leads to planning:
“Now what? What will we do to
change the situation?

11. SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM
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12. • Pilot testing the curriculum in Building Equity in Agriculture and
Markets (BEAM) Project
- 3 stakeholders groups: women; husbands/fathers-in law; mothers-in law
- 1 session every two weeks (2 hours a fortnight) over a six-month period
- 40 producer groups in Nilphamari and Kishoregonj upazilas, randomly chosen
- 20 facilitators (some facilitating alone, some in pairs, especially with MILs)
SECTION 2: Nurturing Connections CURRICULUM
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13. Photo © HKI/ Micaela Arthur
SECTION 3: RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNT
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14. SECTION 3: BEAM BASELINE
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99%
89%
33%
96% 90%
35%
1%
11%
67%
4% 10%
65%
BL ML EL BL ML EL
you can delay household work sometimes, without
being punished
your husband's family will support you, if you have a
personal problem or difficulty
How confident are you that
With some difficulty Not at all confident
Fairly confident Very confident

15. SECTION 3: PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM ENDLINE…
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33% 97% 1% 45%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Baseline Endline Baseline Endline
Child health care family or relatives visit
Figure 1: Proportion of women who report having a say in decision making about
the given topics.

16. SECTION 3: PRELIMINARY RESULTS…
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Figure 2: Proportion of women who received assistance from their husbands
for household activities.

17. • Suggestions from HKI’s pilot test:
- The manual is NOT to be seen as a set of activities, separated from
other components
- Need organizational capacity and commitment
- Make it fun and provide refreshments for participants
- Maintain a register of participants
- When adapting, note important discussions, difficulties
- Retrain the facilitators, offer continuous support
SECTION 3: LESSONS LEARNT
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18. Photo © HKI/ Jeff Holt
SECTION 4: ADAPTATION AND CONCLUSIONS
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19. Training on Homestead fish culture
• Training is primarily focused on the technology and specific knowledge
and skills related to using it
• Integrate Nurturing Connections to address gender based constraints to
adopting and benefiting from the technology, such as around:
– Building self-confidence to use the technology
– Unequal distribution of fish and its benefits for women and children
– Intra-household negotiation over resources needed to use technology, and resulting
fish production & income
Maintain the approach in peer and community groups
SECTION 4: EXAMPLES OF ADAPTATION
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20. UNDERSTANDING OF NUTRITION AND INTRA-HOUSEHOLD POWER
(Flipchart from aquaculture manual, used to guide open discussion)
SECTION 4: EXAMPLES OF ADAPTATION
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- Indigenous small fish that can be found in ponds e.g. mola,
darkina, puti etc.
- These fish are rich in vitamin, iron and zinc as well as other
minerals
- Small fish is an important contribution to meeting the nutrition
needs of the family members especially the women and children
- Women members for the household can be directly involved in
fish culture

21. • Sharing workloads and benefits
- Do (unequal) power relations within
the household affect the ability of
women to make decisions that suit
their preferences (eg: around
investments) or allow them to receive
benefits in line with their
contributions?
- Encourage joint work on the pond and
in the household and equal sharing of
benefits.
- Block 3 of Nurturing Connections:
“Exploring Power Relations”
SECTION 4: EXAMPLES OF ADAPTATION
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22. • HKI has developed a GTA that:
a) Is Innovative: promotes the transformation of discriminating gender
norms and social habits.
Nurturing Connections targets all main decision-makers of the household, not just
women, with the aim of challenging and changing discriminating social practices.
b) Can be adapted for use in different contexts
NOTE:
Transforming habits and preference around food and care takes effort, research,
resources.
Behaviour Change, especially around gender, requires time – it involves
attitude change.
SECTION 4: CONCLUSIONS
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23. THANK YOU
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.”
-Helen Keller
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