1. Social Change Communication – An essential strategy for achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support (Poster WEPE0371)
3. It is necessary to change many things and to intervene on multiple levels at the same
time in order to shift or change the deeply entrenched beliefs and norms that impede HIV
prevention, treatment and care.
For example, Soul City’s carefully
researched, multilevel initiative
produced dramatic short-term
results, and a longer term shift
in attitudes about the legitimacy
of gender-based violence in South
Africa6. After only a six month
campaign there was a 10% increase
in respondents disagreeing that
domestic violence was a private
affair and a 22% shift in perceptions
of social norms on this issue.
Qualitative data analysis suggests
the intervention played a role in enhancing women’s and communities’ sense of effi cacy,
enabling women to make more effective decisions around their health and facilitating
community action.