Mainstreaming our work on HIV and AIDS
AIDS is more than a health issue. In many parts of the world it is one of the biggest obstacles to communities and countries reaching their development targets.
Oxfam is therefore working to"mainstream" HIV and AIDS into its development and humanitarian programmes. What do we mean? Although there are many interpretations, for Oxfam mainstreaming means integrating HIV and AIDS into all strategic planning, and into day-to-day operations inside the organisation and in its relationships with others.
For example:
In our management practice, by considering how HIV and AIDS may affect Oxfam staff - such as their need for time to attend funerals or to care for sick relatives, or ensuring confidentiality and being sensitive about the HIV status.
In our livelihoods work, by lobbying for food security policies that take account of HIV and AIDS and encouraging agricultural practices within AIDS affected communities that are more productive and less labour-intensive.
In our global campaigning, by looking for opportunities to raise relevant policy concerns, such as how HIV and AIDS are affecting the quality of education and progress towards the 2015 development goals.
Many development and humanitarian organisations want to mainstream HIV and AIDS but do not know what "mainstreaming" could look like, where to start or what basic activities to undertake.
Oxfam GB in Southern Africa has produced a set of flyers which provides some lessons and ideas on how to mainstream HIV and AIDS, without changing an organisation’s core business. The first several flyers outline key aspects of how a group or organisations in Malawi, in close cooperation with Oxfam, developed and implemented a systemic approach to mainstream HIV and AIDS. Subsequent flyers document lessons from other countries.
The information comes from experiences that have worked well for several organisations and could provide a starting point and guidelines for others who are interested in mainstreaming HIV and AIDS. Anyone using these flyers is encouraged to modify and improve the process.
Oxfam resources on mainstreaming
Lessons learned on mainstreaming:
Flyer
1: Overview of mainstreaming (PDF)
Flyer 2: Practical outcomes of mainstreaming(PDF)
Flyer 3: Awareness raising(PDF)
Flyer 4: Workplace policy workshop(PDF)
Flyer 5: Research process(PDF)
Flyer 6: Local research findings(PDF)
Flyer 7: Modifying existing programmes(PDF)
Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into Development: What it can look like (PDF) offers pragmatic guidance on three aspects of mainstreaming: HIV/AIDS in the workplace, mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into strategy and planning, and making links with focused interventions in HIV/AIDS. It is useful to all organisations that work in areas of high or increasing rates of HIV/AIDS.
Mitigating
the Impact of HIV/AIDS – Mainstreaming in Action (4,MB PDF)
An example of mainstreaming from Oxfam's Malawi food crisis programme.
