Men and Reproductive Health Programs: Influencing Gender Norms Prepared by
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ScopeWhile serving 1,900 young men in Beni Suef in 2002, the program is expected to serve 8,500 participants in eleven governorates by 2004. ObjectivesTo influence gender norms related to reproductive and sexual health, affecting the rights and needs of girls and boys alike. AudienceLiterate adolescent boys between the ages of 11 and 20 in Upper Egypt. The overwhelming majority of the boys in Beni Suef lived with both their parents at the time of the evaluation. ImplementationIn 65 educational sessions, facilitators provide participants with information and discussion issues on a range of topics: gender, gender roles, interpersonal relationships, and legal rights, among others in a 17 unit schedule. The program is implemented through 180 partnering Youth Councils and nongovernmental organizations. Facilitators use both interactive and noninteractive methods. Tapes of drama and poetry, role-plays, puzzles, posters, and games are among the session aids. Evaluation and OutcomesThe evaluation was conducted in three rural villages in Beni Suef. One of these villages served as a control. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices surveys were conducted at baseline (T0), immediately following the last educational session (T1), and one year after the sessions (T2). Qualitative data were collected in the two intervention villages through interviews with facilitators and focus groups with participants. Only preliminary baseline and T1 findings are available. These indicate not only increased awareness of the potential flexibility of gender roles, gender equity, and gender violence, but also more positive attitudes toward these issues among boys who underwent the intervention. Specifically regarding gender equity, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of boys who thought that boys and girls should be treated differently in terms of food, work, marriage age, and movement outside of the house. There were also large and significant increases in the proportion of boys who believed that responsibilities should be shared between husbands and wives in both society and within the household. More sensitive issues historically entrenched by cultural and religious values were not as amenable to change, but results were hopeful. Some evaluation items indicated that boys displayed significantly more negative attitudes toward female genital cutting. For example, the percentage of boys who would prefer to marry an uncircumcised woman increased from 22 percent to 37 percent. Moreover, those who agreed that the “benefits of female circumcision outweigh any of the damages” decreased from 70 percent to 55 percent. Equally important, those who remained ambivalent began to question the utility of the practice. Not all data were available to contrast these findings with those of the control group. Funding SourcesThis is a USAID-funded program implemented by CEDPA’s Egypt office. Contact InformationCentre for Development and Population Activities 53 Manial Street, Suite 500 Manial El Rodah Cairo 11451, Egypt Tel: 2-02-365-4567 E-mail: cedpaegypt@cedpa.org.eg www.cedpa.org/egypt SourcesAbstracts approved for presentation at the Global Conference on Reaching Men to Improve Reproductive Health for All September 2003. Available at the following Web address: http://www.rho.org/reaching_men_09-03/9-03conf_accepted_abstracts.pdf. Accessed October 9, 2003. Selim, Mona. 2003. Preliminary findings from the New Visions Program Pilot Evaluation in Egypt (PowerPoint and oral presentation). Presented to the Reaching Men to Improve Reproductive Health for All Conference, Dulles, Virginia. Better Life Options Program for Boys(India) OverviewIn 2000, the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) began the Better Life Options Program for boys, based on an existing CEDPA program that works exclusively with girls. Like other similar programs, it evolved as a response to the need to work with boys, as identified by girls in the female-specific program. It was developed using CEDPA’s “Better Life Options and Opportunities Model,” which integrates social mobilization with self-efficacy in order to empower young people. A manual for adolescent boys was developed in 1999 and the boys’ project was planned and executed in a two-year period, between 2000 and 2002. ScopeTen nongovernmental organizations partnered to implement the project across eleven Indian states affecting 8,397 youth. ObjectivesTo challenge gender inequities and broaden the life options available to adolescent youth through the use of an empowerment model in the context of a holistic program. AudienceAdolescent boys, 10 to 19 years of age, took part in the program. The majority of the young men were unmarried students who generally felt they were not empowered. Preliminary profile data indicated that few believed they could make an autonomous decision about when to marry (27 percent), whom to marry (36.1 percent), and the number of children to have (40.7 percent). Moreover, some of the boys stated that peer pressure, early marriage, and high family expectations were obstacles to achieving their dreams, which further detracted from their sense of autonomy. ImplementationCEDPA implemented its training module in three settings for differing lengths of time: intensive camps lasting ten to 14 days; classroom settings; and various social and educational settings for three to six months, including vocational and remedial classes, clubs, and gyms. The training module consisted of the following materials in both English and Hindi: the “Choose a Future!” training manual, facilitators’ handbooks, posters, videos, and supplementary materials such as anatomy models, exercises, training aids, and games. The “Choose a Future!” manual specifically addressed gender issues and engaged youth in issues surrounding awareness of self and gender, communication skills, and interpersonal relationships among other topics. Facilitators included health professionals, educators, and community members. |