Sawa Le Baad: Tahwil Junub Sudan (Together for Each Other: Transforming South Sudan) Toolkit

"One of the most important objectives of this community intervention is to help women and men make changes in their lives that will allow them to better understand each other and form relationships that are more equitable."



The Sawa Le Baad: Tahwil Junub Sudan (Together for Each Other: Transforming South Sudan) toolkit seeks to facilitate discussions between women and men around how gender norms and social roles operate in their lives and impact their well-being. It also offers tools to begin changing norms and roles that are negative, while reinforcing those seen as positive. The toolkit consists of a facilitator's guide and a series of video and audio personal stories that are meant to be used together. The toolkit is designed to support the Transforming South Sudan community intervention, which strives to create a tolerant society in which men and women mutually respect each other, critically examine and change gender-based inequities, and participate in equitable decision-making and resource allocation.



In particular, it is hoped that men and women exposed to the intervention and the discussions and activities outlined in the toolkit will:

• Agree that it is important to critically examine social norms that govern men's and women's roles, responsibilities, and expectations;
• Recognise that some gender-related social norms are harmful;
• Appreciate and equally value sex- and gender-based differences;
• Equitably share decision-making and household resources;
• Believe they can make individual, familial, and/or community changes; and
• Take action to eliminate harmful social norms and/or to support positive social norms.

The toolkit promotes the technique of "participatory learning", which uses facilitation to encourage people to actively participate in their own learning. The role of the facilitator is key to the success of the programme and to enabling participants to use their own experiences and knowledge as a basis for solving problems. For this reason, a section of the guide focuses on training facilitators and strengthening their facilitation skills.



The toolkit has two main components:



1. Together for Each Other: Transforming South Sudan Facilitator's Guide - Through a series of sessions or modules, the guide helps facilitators lead women and men through exercises and questions to explore the role of social and gender norms in their lives. Following a section dedicated to building the facilitation skills of facilitators, the guide includes eight workshop modules that cover the following topics:

• Introduction to the Workshop and Key Concepts
• Social Roles
• Traditional and Cultural Norms
• Couples' Communication/Conflict Resolution
• Gender-Based Violence
• Women's and Men's Reproductive Health
• Safe Motherhood
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

2. Video and audio personal stories - These are stories of women, men, and couples who have overcome gender barriers to reach their goals and improve their lives as well as those of their families. They form the centrepiece of each session in the guide and serve to ground the discussion in the reality of people's lives. Together with other activities in the individual sessions, the stories help participants analyse their experiences, learn new information, improve their skills of interaction, and understand and identify opportunities for change. The videos of personal stories include the following:

• Social Roles: This video reflects and discusses the different roles and tasks society teaches women and men what they should do. Nyantong Garang is a woman who challenges gender norms through her job as a pump mechanic in her community.
• Traditional and Cultural Norms: This video explores cultural practices and norms that affect men and women. Chief Madalina Ihisa Tito is the only female head chief in Eastern Equatoria and is a role model for women and men alike.
• Couples' Communication and Conflict Resolution: This video explores issues around couples' communication and conflict resolution. Angua and Abdulwahab share how making decisions together and supporting one another leads to harmony in the home and enables their family to thrive.
• Gender-Based Violence: This video reflects and discusses violence between partners and identifies ways of addressing and preventing violence. Yar Makuei is a survivor of gender-based violence who stayed in an abusive marriage for the sake of her children and was eventually able to leave and stand on her own.
• Women's and Men's Reproductive Health: This video reflects on and discusses the different reproductive needs of men and women and the benefits of making decisions together about family planning. Peter and Veronica share how spacing their children has led to improved pregnancy outcomes and better opportunities for their family.
• Safe Motherhood: This video explores issues around safe motherhood. Abdulwahab shares how he supports his wife during and after her pregnancy, including by going with her for antenatal visits and sharing household and childcare responsibilities.
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene [WASH]: This video explores issues around healthy WASH behaviours and the roles that both women and men play in ensuring improved hygiene and sanitation at the household level and within their communities. Data Gordon advocates with boys and men to raise menstrual hygiene awareness and provides girls and women with menstrual hygiene products.