Raising Consciousness Creating Awareness

Enabling Enviornment

CHETNA STRCAhmedabad

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Enabling Environment

•Enabling Environment aims to address barriers to change and ensures the right conditions for change among individuals and the community.

•It is critical to advocate with policy makers, law enforcers and opinion makers to ensure a supportive environment for intervention.

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Vulnerability of FSW/MSM

 FSW/MSM/TG vulnerability can be broadly divided into two categories:

Vulnerability within the sex circuit, e.g. violence, exploitation by clients, harassment by police, etc. Broader socio-economic vulnerabilities, e.g. poverty, illiteracy, lack of savings  

Both these vulnerabilities need to be addressed in order to enable FSWs/MSM/TGs to negotiate safer sex.

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Level of Vulnerability differs as per Typology of Sex Work

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Stakeholder/Power analysis

• The objective of power analysis is to identify the issues/factors which Directly/Indirectly influence the HRGs sexual behaviour and practises.

• Power Analysis helps identifying various structural Barriers and Provides Clue on how to address them.

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Following table explains the various stakeholders for HRGs

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Why Crises Management?

•Proper and timely Crises Management removes the obstacle of violence and harassment faced by HRGs. Thus, an environment is created that supports members of the HRG in building up their self-esteem

•Crisis response also facilitates the establishment of a good rapport between field workers and members of the HRG, which helps communication about prevention and treatments of STIs.

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How Crises Management is relevant to HIV

Crises response Management helps HRGs look into their life and Profession which is their priority and in turn reduces their Stress to engage in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.

Effective Crises response Management helps increase outreach to members of the HRG, thereby strengthening the NGO’s or CBO’s relationship with them and gaining their trust.

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Crisis response systemEssential ingredients of effective crisis management include: 

Trained and committed staff members who are willing to be “on call” 24 hours a day and to respond immediately when a crisis happens

Effective communication mechanisms (i.e. crisis phones) that the community can contact

Availability of information about crisis response to community membersExperienced and committed lawyers who are willing to provide assistance

24 hours a dayNetworking, alliance-building, and sensitisation work with local

stakeholders (especially the HRG) through regular meetings and education as appropriate. This includes community-level legal literacy sessions.

Close alliances with other civil society organisations, activists and local media contacts who can advocate on behalf of the community when necessary

Reflections on crisis management cases to improve and build internal capacities

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Example of Crises Intervention Material

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Why to address Police and Administration

. Police and various other Administrative department perceive Sex Workers as “Law Breakers”.Perspective of three Stakeholder:

Home Ministry: Law and Order “Law Breakers”Women and Child Department: RehabilitationHealth Department: HIV Prevention, Non Judge mental Perspective

Our efforts should be aimed at Changing the perspective of various Stakeholders towards Non Judgmental Perspective.

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Police Advocacy

Support from police directly and indirectly influences the lives (and therefore risk behaviours) of FSWs/MSM/TGs.The process for police advocacy should follow the following steps:•SACS/TSU approaching the DGP, ADG (law and order), ADG (training), etc. to explain the HIV situation in the State, why we need to work with FSWs/MSM/TGs and what concrete support we need from the police.•Police sensitisation at the District and town levels is done through a step-by-step approach.•The entire police advocacy should be backed up by the NGO-supported and community-led crisis intervention team, including legal support.• The DAPCU can also be involved in this effort if the direct approach with the police does not work.

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