Area of Inquiry 6. Control Over One's Body

In gender relations, one of the most important areas of struggle has been an individual’s ability to take control over his/her own body and sexuality. This may concern marriage decisions; negotiation over sexual relations and family planning; freedom from neglect; and freedom from sexual and physical abuse and exploitation (e.g. trafficking). Projects working to promote sustainable livelihoods, equal human rights and community development should consider: What are social, cultural, political, environmental and economic conditions that affect individuals’ control over their own bodies? And how do interventions affect these dynamics?

 

Agency	Structures	Relations	Related Tools
How do women and men negotiate safe and consensual sex, family size or marital status? With whom? What attitudes, information and skills will a woman need to negotiate safe and consensual sex in her context?  What about for men? What are current types and rates of violence (domestic, as a weapon of war, etc.), trafficking, child marriage, or other relevant / related rights abuses within the country context? This may include rates of harassment, abuse, exploitation and assault in the home, workplace and community.** How are individuals or groups/ networks already acting to prevent and respond to these rights abuses in this setting?	What threats or hazards jeopardize women or men’s control over their bodies (i.e. harassment, sexual abuse, forced sex, physical abuse, trafficking)? What factors drive these risks? How do norms, laws and institutions enable or prevent sexual and reproductive health rights? Violence? Harassment? Sexual abuse or exploitation? Mobility? Marriage rights? Access to health services or information? Is sex work legal? Socially acceptable? How is consensual transactional sex viewed in your context? How common is it? How do policies enable or prevent personal choice about marriage, sex? What are the rights within marriage, divorce, and abandonment? What are widow inheritance rights?  How are these codified in law?	Can a woman negotiate sex (can she insist on safe sex)? Can she initiate sex? Can she say no?) In her context, within/outside of marriage? How much room for negotiation is there? What relationships (e.g. in-laws, parents, neighbors, relatives, tribal relations, etc.) affect women and men’s decision-making on marital status, choice of marital partner, family planning/sexual relations? How do these relationships influence these choices? Collectively – how do women and men mobilize or advocate around this issue and with whom? How are CARE’s programs relating to groups’ goals and actions? How are these groups related to other key stakeholders/institutions (private enterprise, government, religious institutions, etc.)?	Higher Level Conditions Macro-Secondary Analysis Policy Analysis Governance Analysis Mapping Institutions/ Stakeholders Key Informant Interviews Gender Norms and Trends Community Dynamics Community, Social and Resource Mapping Network Analysis Gender Norms and Trends Forms of Violence Body Mapping Key Informant Interviews Mobility Analysis Class/Mobility Matrix Measuring Attitudes toward Women and Gender Equality Household Dynamics Intra-Household Decision-Making Role-Playing and Story-telling Scenarios Daily Time Use / A Day in the Life

**Exploring these questions, it is critical that research teams take measures to ensure ethical analysis that aligns with international standards and CARE’s principles for empowering, rights-based and accountable analysis.

Special Consideration for Children and Adolescents

• Child or forced early marriage is a common custom in many parts of the world. How common is child marriage and what are the reasons for it in your context?
• What are the risks around sexual exploitation facing children? In what settings is this most likely to occur? What space do children have to negotiate their rights? How is the situation different for girls in contrast to boys?
• What agencies or services exist to offer social protection to children?

 

Reminder: Remain sensitive to the diverse and changing roles and relationships:

• Trends and changes across time– how values, norms and expectations around gender have changed over the decades (positively and negatively) and what influences led to these changes.
• How different age groups(younger children, adolescents, adults and elderly) as well as marital status (unmarried, married, widowed, divorced) can make a difference to people’s lived experiences.
• The multiple roles and relationships both women and men maintain(for example, as sexual partners, household and clan members, citizens of a broader community, economic actors, etc.).