Men and Reproductive Health Programs: Influencing Gender Norms Prepared by
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Evaluation and OutcomesData were collected systematically before and after the execution of the project through precoded structured interviews on scheduled intervals. Participating in the program were 2,379 boys who underwent both data-collection sessions; however, the participants’ input was not complemented by that of a control group. Almost 12 percent of the respondents increased their knowledge of nonviolent means of resolving conflict; about 29 percent knew the definition of sexual harassment; and at least 7 percent could identify the medical precautions that can facilitate a healthy pregnancy. Also, there was a 14.8 percent increase in the proportion of respondents who agreed that boys and girls would be more equal if both were sent to school. Women and girls close to project alumni anecdotally reported an increase in the participants’ displays of gender-equitable behaviors as well. Funding SourcesThe Summit Foundation provided $100,000, which was used to fund the entire project. Contact InformationCentre for Development and Population Activities 50-M Shantipath Gate No. 3, Niti Marg Chanakyapuri New Delhi, India 110021 Tel: 91-11 2467-2154 Tel: 91-11-2688-6172 E-mail: bsood@vsnl.net SourcesMishra, Arundhati. 2003. Enlightening adolescent boys in India on gender and reproductive and sexual health (PowerPoint and oral presentation). Presented to the Reaching Men to Improve Reproductive Health for All Conference, Dulles, Virginia. Youth Development Project. Available at the following Web address: www.cedpa.org/projects/youth.html. Accessed October 28, 2003. Conscientizing Male Adolescents Program(Nigeria) OverviewOne impetus for the Conscientizing Male Adolescents Program, sponsored by the International Women’s Health Coalition, is the perception that Nigeria is a country poised on the brink of an extensive HIV/AIDS epidemic fueled by gender inequity. Its current HIV rate is almost 6 percent among adults aged 15–49. At 130 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and 50 percent of Nigerians are under the age of 20. As in other countries in Africa, the youth population will be the hardest hit, and young women will be affected most of all. Cultural norms support egregious gender inequities, both in the Christian south and the Muslim north. Economic and social turmoil generally override the importance of health issues in daily life. ScopeInitiated in 1995, the Conscientizing Male Adolescents (CMA) program began with a pilot project involving 25 boys recruited from three secondary schools in Calabar, Nigeria. In the first six years of the program, approximately 2,000 men and boys from Calabar and Uyo, a town in neighboring Akwa-Ibom State, graduated from the program. In 2002, 600 boys were enrolled. ObjectivesCMA seeks to foster critical thinking skills and, by so doing, challenge gender norms and sexist behavior, and increase awareness of gender-based oppression and equal rights. AudienceBoys between the ages of 14 and 20 who demonstrate qualities of leadership and intelligence in the school setting are recruited into the program. ImplementationCMA employs structured dialogues, a method inspired by Paolo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed. CMA is entirely operated by male community members. Some field officers, who lead the dialogues, are adolescents and alumni of the CMA program. The curriculum is structured in two levels. The first level consists of weekly two-hour meetings at secondary schools and covers the following topics: fundamental concepts of biological differences between the sexes; gender oppression; gender-based violence as both a social and personal phenomenon; and men’s responsibility in sexual relationships. Following a graduation ceremony and promotion to the second level, the following topics are covered in monthly one-day meetings at a Calabar hotel: communication skills; logical thinking methods; and critical and anti-sexist introductions to Nigerian society, world history, and human rights. Participants are stimulated through dialogue techniques to critique the world they live in and to brainstorm feasible remedies for gender-related societal vices. Unlike the traditional rote learning process, discussions are facilitated by probing questions, and the boys actively engage in deconstructing their usual way of thinking about gender issues by considering inherent contradictions. The discussion groups involve several elements: dialogue, logical argument, information transfer, role-playing, brainstorming, “true or false” exercises, and “myths and realities.” The boys are not trained as peer educators per se; rather, their cognitive processes are challenged until they suggest solutions to the issues they analyze during discussions. The program has expanded in response to demand to include counseling services for participants, community advocacy work, and a third section for university youth. Evaluation and OutcomesTo date, CMA has yet to conduct a quantitative evaluation of its effect on participants. Program staff gathered qualitative data using pretests and posttests in the form of questionnaires with participants and in-home interviews with participants’ families or other caretakers. Data from the questionnaires have not been analyzed, and the data collected from the interviews are limited by the lack of adherence to a uniform methodology. Separate in-depth interviews with CMA staff, community members, and ten CMA participants, however, provide anecdotal evidence of positive changes in attitudes and behavior. Unfortunately, a satisfactory redefinition of masculinity has not yet taken place. For instance, many boys still blame the victim for rape and do not understand the concept of marital rape. An evaluation unit was developed in 2002. |