SWHP started in 1998 in response to the devastating effects of HIV infection and AIDS on workers across the clothing and textile industry in South Africa. Initially the programme sought to provide education and awareness on HIV through a workplace training programme to members of the South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU). This included educating workers about facts of HIV prevention and transmission, with a specific focus on eradicating stigma.
Training was also provided to shop stewards and management on implementing appropriate workplace HIV policies. This initial response also included setting up free primary healthcare services at Bargaining Council clinics throughout the country.
Through years of interacting with a 70% female workforce we became intimately acquainted with the unique challenges faced by women which disempower them and make them particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. It became obvious that SWHP had to expand beyond the SACTWU workforce, and include additional powerful prevention measures.
SWHP’s education was augmented to include messaging around gender-based violence (GBV), with widespread condom distribution, comprehensive health screening including HIV counselling and testing, free voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) and skills development for young girls.
What we do
• SWHP’s training programme has reached more than 600 000 people including workers, their families and communities. The training offered covers:
– HIV/AIDS and TB awareness
– eliminating stigma
– basic clinical knowledge and shop stewards’ training
– rape risk reduction.
Our trainers have a wealth of experience and are supported by social workers, nurses, doctors and pharmacists. They are skilled not only to deliver information for maximum impact, but to recognise opportunities to provide care.
• VMMC is seen as a vital HIV prevention measure, with studies showing that it can reduce the chance of transmission from female to male by up to 60%. South Africa’s national VMMC programme, led by the National Department of Health in partnership with PEPFAR, aims to provide free VMMC to 80% of the country’s men. SWHP is proud to have been an implementing partner for the past 5 years, providing almost 350 000 circumcisions nationally. Our model is unique since it employs roving teams who are able to get services to remote areas and provide support to fixed health facilities that may be overburdened.
• HIV counselling and testing (HCT) is routinely offered as part of a VMMC package of services. Our workplace programme also offers HCT within a suite of comprehensive health screening services.
• Young women bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic, with new infections affecting this group disproportionately. Empowering just one girl to reach her full potential effectively empowers an entire community – the future young woman is able to provide for herself and her family, protect herself against GBV and influence the attitudes of her future children.
We believe in the power of inspiring children to look ahead with a positive outlook, to understand the value of learning a skill and working hard, to show respect for others and always to respect themselves. To achieve this is to have a direct impact on keeping them safe from GBV, minimising their chances of risky behaviours which can lead to HIV transmission. For these reasons SWHP partnered with successful designer Mokgadi Matlhako to teach mothers and daughters the basics of handbag design and practicalities of business administration, and provide mentorship. This inspires women to see beyond their current circumstances to a life where they can support themselves financially and make empowered choices about relationships, safe sex and healthy lifestyles.
• Effective community mobilisation – which converts a call to action into uptake of services – is critical in implementing donor-funded programmes. SWHP’s knowledge and experience over 18 years is used to inform demand creation strategies. Combined with sound marketing principles, SWHP is thus ideally positioned to take the lead in community mobilisation efforts for a range of services nationally.
• Widespread condom distribution is built in to each aspect of our programme.