Men and reproductive health programs: influencing gender norms.

Abstract

Four general themes emerged in the process of conducting this review. First initiatives affecting gender norms for the sake of doing so are still relatively nascent. Only in the past ten years have they become a significant subset of the wide range of programs in the global health arena. Second substantive evaluations are not common. There simply is not a large enough sample of thorough and systematic data on the efficacy of these programs as a whole. Data are typically gathered and analyzed from the perspectives of participants and facilitators at a level too cursory to allow an in-depth assessment of their outcomes. Often these evaluations do not include comparable data from a control group; therefore it is unknown whether or not the results are statistically significant. Third evaluations that specifically report the program’s effect on gender norms—and not only on health outcomes—are rare. Programs may influence this type of social norm either directly or indirectly but they generally neglect to include their effects on gender norms in an evaluation. Fourth health programs affect social norms related to gender roles even if they do not aim to address these norms directly. Despite their inclusion of and near virtual effect on gender roles few programs actually separate their work of influencing gender norms from their efforts to modify or eliminate the behaviors that arise from these social constructs. For example programs designed to curb gender-based violence may include a short module on gender roles and challenging contemporary definitions of masculinities; similarly life skills peer education programs may introduce the concept of alternative and flexible gender roles to youth and create an enabling environment within the classroom setting where those alternative roles are reinforced and encouraged. This is largely due to the historical neglect of gender-sensitive approaches specifically purposed to alter gender norms in global health programs. (excerpt)