Engaging Men and Boys in Changing Gender-Based Inequity in Health: Evidence from Programme Interventions

From the Executive Summary:

"This review assessed the effectiveness of programmes seeking to engage men and boys in achieving gender equality and equity in health....The review analysed data from 58 evaluation studies (identified via an Internet search, key informants and colleague organizations) of interventions with men and boys....Interventions were rated on their gender approach, using the following categories:

• gender-neutral: programmes that distinguish little between the needs of men and women, neither reinforcing nor questioning gender roles;
  
• gender-sensitive: programmes that recognize the specific needs and realities of men based on the social construction of gender roles; or
• gender-transformative: approaches that seek to transform gender roles and promote more gender-equitable relationships between men and women.

Programmes were also rated on overall effectiveness, which included: evaluation design, giving more weight to quasi-experimental and randomized control trial designs; and level of impact, giving more weight to interventions that confirmed behaviour change on the part of men or boys."

The key findings from the review include:

1. "Well-designed programmes with men and boys show compelling evidence of leading to change in behaviour and attitudes; Programmes rated as being gender-transformative had a higher rate of effectiveness...
   
2. Integrated programmes and programmes within community outreach, mobilization, and mass-media campaigns show more effectiveness in producing behaviour change...
3. There is evidence of behaviour change in all programme areas (sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support; fatherhood; gender-based violence; maternal, newborn and child health; and gender socialization) and in all types of programme interventions (group education; service-based; community outreach, mobilization and mass-media campaigns; and integrated programmes)...
4. Relatively few programmes with men and boys go beyond the pilot stage or a short-term time frame." Hence, little information is available on bringing such programmes to scale. The document suggests that this would require dealing with the questions of programme coherence, programme use beyond the original sites, cost effectiveness, and effects of cultural variables, and including them as part of programme evaluations and public reflection and debate.

The document conclusion states: "...no miracle cures were found among the programmes engaging men and boys in gender equality. Instead, comprehensive, multi-theme programmes (in contrast to short-term interventions) that include specific discussions about salient, social meanings of men and masculinity seem to show the highest rates and levels of effectiveness."