Like most SARAR activities the design of this exercise is simple. It conforms to the principle of using minimal structures to evoke maximum participation. An earlier version of this tool had many more balloons and each had different statements about women’s situations; the advantage, in that case, was its shock value: it opened up a whole panorama of inequity issues all at once. The down-side was that it did not leave sufficient scope for participants to think up those issues by themselves. Clearly if we are able to help families and communities become more caring about women and girls, more concerned to eliminate disadvantages and to strengthen women’s control over decisions (particularly as regards sex and family income), that awareness must come from within, through compassionate but clear reflection.

Purpose:

To promote group reflection on:

(a) the many interrelated factors which determine the impact of the HIV epidemic on women’s wellbeing and productivity, and

(b) ways of empowering women to play an optimal role in the epidemic’s collective prevention and support effort.

Time: 45-60 minutes

Materials:

Newsprint or chart paper, felt-tip markers and 2 sample balloon cutouts with a statement written on each as follows:

Procedure:

1. Divide the participants into subgroups of not more than four participants per subgroup; hand out the materials and ask them to begin by drawing a small picture of a woman in the lower left-hand portion of their newsprint.
2. Next they should read the text written on the sample balloon cut outs and discuss whether they agree or disagree with the views expressed.
3. The selected balloons, with text, should be placed close to or at some distance from the picture of the woman, depending on the importance attached by the group to the validity of the statement as reflecting women’s situation in the HIV context.
4. For each balloon the group should discuss what consequences could follow from the problem identified. Each consequence should then be written on a new balloon drawn by them on their paper. A line should be drawn connecting the problem to each of its consequences, like a string tied to a balloon.
5. In the same way the group should reflect on the consequences of the consequences they have identified and write short statements concerning them on new balloons drawn on the paper. Each new balloon must now be connected by a line to its source. In this way the chart will soon have a whole chain of balloons with statements that are cause-effect related.
6. Upon completing their chain of problems and consequences, the group should then turn its attention to solutions. At what stage and how can this problem chain be broken? What action can be taken and who should take it? The "solution" ideas must also be noted at appropriate points on the chart but solutions should have a double line inscribed around them to distinguish them for single-lined "consequence" balloons.
7. Invite the groups to share their completed charts in a brief plenary session. Through joint reflection they should be able to consolidate their views on causes, repercussions, and promising ways of addressing the problem of women’s particular vulnerability to the epidemic.

Source: Adapted from Tools for Community Participation, UNDP/PROWWESS, and Options for Educators, published by CDS/PACT.

The following example from another sector may help to clarify how this activity can be developed visually.

Double-lined circles are solutions Single-lined circles are problems From a UNDP/PROWWESS workshop in Tanzania