The social expectations of what men and boys should and should not do and be directly affect attitudes and behaviour related to a range of health issues. Research with men and boys has shown how inequitable gender norms influence how men interact with their partners, families and children on a wide range of issues, including preventing the transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive use, physical violence (both against women and between men), domestic chores, parenting and their health-seeking behaviour. The Expert Group Meeting on the Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality in 2003 (convened by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women), the Agreed Statement of the 48th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2004, the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 (United Nations, 1996) all affirmed the need to engage men and boys in questioning prevailing inequitable gender norms, and a growing number of programmes are doing so.
This review assessed the effectiveness of programmes seeking to engage men and boys in achieving gender equality and equity in health and was driven by the following questions.
- What is the evidence on the effectiveness of programmes engaging men and boys in sexual and reproductive health; HIV prevention, treatment, care and support; fatherhood; gender-based vio- lence; maternal, newborn and child health; and gender socialization?
- How effective are these programmes?
- What types of programmes with men and boys show more evidence of effectiveness?
- What gender perspective should be applied to men and boys in health programmes?
- Does applying a gender perspective to work with men and boys lead to greater effectiveness in terms of health outcomes?