Pilot Award

Poverty and gender inequality are two core structural factors that shape women's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Recent research demonstrates that access to and control over assets such as property can empower women, provide them with a secure means of livelihood, prevent food insecurity, and improve household bargaining power, all of which mitigate the negative effects of HIV/AIDS. However, little work has intervened at the intersection of property rights and HIV/AIDS prevention. The current study is a qualitative examination of the impact of a program carried out by GROOTS Kenya, a CBO/NGO that has implemented a community-based "Property WatchDog Model" to secure women's property rights and reduce their HIV/AIDS risks. In the current project, we will document the specific strategies used by the WatchDog groups to negotiate key stakeholders in order to help women to secure property rights and land tenure. We will also examine the impact of the GROOTS Kenya WatchDog model on women's property rights, land access and use, and HIV/AIDS vulnerabilities. Drawing on the findings from this study, we seek to develop and pilot test an integrated property rights/HIV/AIDS prevention intervention in an NIMH, NICHD, or NINR R01 or R34 in the near future.