This workshop brought together about 25 representatives from governments, NGOs and regional agencies active in HIV/AIDS prevention work who are involved either in the formulation of educational strategies and/or development of IEC materials. Participants represented the seven regional countries of Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A resource person from the Netherlands also shared his experiences in prevention work with men who have sex with men.
Building on their experiences and expertise in the prevention field, the workshop participants concentrated on two different but interrelated topics:
1) development of empowering prevention strategies with a focus on gender issues
2) elaboration of guidelines for the production of gender-sensitive materials.
Based on the experiences presented in the workshop, participants identified relevant gender issues that affect prevention work and elaborated strategies to tackle them effectively, resulting in principles of empowering prevention strategies. Informed through such principles, proposals for the production of a set of gender-sensitive material were elaborated; and a preliminary action plan laid down concerning the procedures and responsibilities for  ubsequent production and dissemination of materials.