Healthy Images of Manhood: A Facilitator Training Manual for Public and Private Sector Workplaces

This manual provides a range of 90-minute sessions that address gender, reproductive health (RH), family planning (FP), HIV/AIDS, and communication skills. It is designed for those implementing Healthy Images of Manhood (HIM), which is an integrated male engagement workplace programme designed to help men assume responsible sexual and RH behaviours. Developed by the Extending Service Delivery (ESD) initiative, HIM is a health education approach that:

• is designed for workplaces and the specific operational realities facing companies and employers;
• integrates gender, RH, FP, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and child health so that participants can understand how these health issues are interlinked and connected;
• addresses gender throughout the sessions on knowledge development, reflection, and skills building sessions, using terms with simple and specific language to discuss how culture norms around gender affect the behaviour and health of men and women; and
• uses existing resources and personnel - building the capacity of the workplace programme staff (management, health care providers, and health educators).

The HIM manual includes core HIM content for the initial training, which should provide 20-25 hours of learning roughly divided into 3 content areas to develop participant knowledge and skills in:

1. Gender - with a focus on changing cultural and gender attitudes.
2. Health - including RH, FP, and family health as part of addressing specific diseases and health problems.
3. Communication and outreach methods using "best practice"/interactive approaches to achieve behaviour change.

Each company will determine how much time they can devote to the initial training and how the training will be completed - either at one time (3-5 days) or spread out over a longer period (several weeks or more). Evaluation tools, including pre and post-test questions for all modules, are contained in the Appendix.

Users of the guide are encouraged to modify the sessions and materials needed, depending on the context. "However you choose to apply HIM and the educational sessions contained in this manual, it is important to ensure that health services are available for participants so they can act on new knowledge and skills....As resources permit, it is ideal to provide some training in how to provide 'male friendly' services."

This manual is part of a package of tools for implementing a comprehensive HIM programme in the workplace. The package includes: The HIM Guide to Corporate Managers; HIM Coordinator's Guidebook; HIM Peer Educator Workbook; HIM Assessment Tool; and Auxiliary Tools and Best Practices (Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy materials, Balanced Counseling Strategy for Family Planning and HIV/AIDS, Community Action Cycle).